Akio Toyoda to head Toyota’s new Special Committee for Global Quality

Can Toyota quality go back to what it used to be? With the new measures in place, the company believes it can regain its reputation for reliability and high quality...

In the aftermath of its recent problems in the US, where Toyota has had to recall an unprecedented number of cars due to quality control issues, the company has announced new measures by which it hopes to improve quality control in a big way. These measures will be implemented at all of Toyota’s facilities worldwide.

To begin with, Toyota will appoint a new chief quality officer for each principal geographical region (including Asia / India) to help make the company more alert to customer concerns. These officers will sit on a newly established Special Committee for Global Quality, which will be headed by Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda. The committee will meet for the first time on the 30th of March this year.

In a separate move, Toyota will strengthen its framework for reporting customer feedback from each region, directly to its Quality Group and Product Development Group, so that the information received can quickly be translated into product quality improvements. This initiative will first be launched in the US.

Additionally, Toyota will add a brake override system to all future models worldwide. This system will cut engine power when the accelerator and brake pedals are applied at the same time. Also, more active use of on-board data recorders will be made. In the event of a malfunction, these can provide information to support technical investigations and repairs.

For many decades, the Toyota name has been synonymous with quality and reliability. Those are, in fact, the two qualities on which the Japanese brand has gone from strength to strength for the last many years. With the new measures in place, Toyota hopes it will regain its reputation for outstanding quality and reliability.