Recall-hit Toyota set to halt production for nine days

A company spokeswoman said yesterday that the closures in Britain were part of previous plans, she said, but also due to sluggish car sales in Europe.

She also said: "In France, we're reviewing production because of the impact of recall problems."

Later, Toyota GB said that production at Burnaston would be shut down from bank holiday Monday May 3 until May 7.

A spokesman added that one of the Burnaston production lines near Derby would also be shutting down from bank holiday Monday May 31 until June 4.

In early June, Toyota also plans to halt one of its two assembly lines at its Burnaston plant in Britain for another five working days, she said.

A four-day shutdown in France starts on April 6.

The stoppages come after Toyota recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally over braking problems in its Prius hybrid, sticky accelerator pedals and pedals that stuck under floor mats.

Toyota's sales in the EU sank 20 per cent in February from a year earlier – even though overall car sales in the European Union rose three per cent.

In the United States sales fell nine per cent in February, prompting the company to launch a series of incentives to lure back buyers.

Toyota's president Akio Toyoda has admitted training of workers to maintain quality control failed to keep up with the company's rapid growth.

Mr Toyoda, grandson of the car-maker's founder, said the problem became especially acute after the firm's global production and sales topped 6m vehicles in its 2002 financial year.

"It has been tough and frustrating emotionally for me, but we must accept it as an inevitable, " he said.

Mr Toyoda had previously been widely criticised for being invisible when the quality problems surfaced last year. He then appeared at news conferences in Japan and attended a US congressional hearing last month discussing Toyota's recalls.

He has also appeared on a Japanese TV news show, as well as on CNN's Larry King Live in the US.

In addition he wrote in his Japanese blog for the first time since the recall troubles hit, apologising to customers.

He said Toyota would "take seriously, accept humbly and respond sincerely" to criticism.

He has also promised to beef up quality controls to better respond to different customer needs, to become a "small Toyota", instead of focusing on sales expansion.