Reuters: Toyota is still the most selling car in the world, and its chairman apologizes for any scandals.

 

Toyota Motor has retained its position as the world's top-selling automaker for the fourth consecutive year, posting record annual sales of 11.2 million vehicles in 2023. However, the company has apologised for scandals at three group companies, including Daihatsu and Hino Motors. These scandals have raised concerns about governance issues involving certification test procedures, potentially impacting the brand's reputation for quality and safety. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologised for the inconvenience caused by these irregularities.

Toyota's global group sales have topped 10 million vehicles for nine of the past 10 years, except for 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the auto sector. Volkswagen Group reported a 12% rise in deliveries last year to 9.2 million cars, marking a post-pandemic recovery as supply chain bottlenecks eased. Toyota's parent-only vehicles, including its namesake and Lexus brands, hit a record 10.3 million vehicles in 2023, with gasoline-electric hybrids making up about a third of those vehicles. However, Toyota faces a slowdown in sales momentum after Daihatsu suspended shipments of all its cars following a safety scandal investigation. Daihatsu's global production slumped 25% to 121,000 vehicles in December, and its worldwide sales were down about 8% that month.