Toyota Motor Corp's president has apologised for safety problems and said the company would bring in outside experts to review quality controls, an unusual action for a company that has enjoyed a reputation for high standards.
'I would like to take this opportunity to apologize from the bottom of my heart for causing many of our customers concern after the recalls across several models in several regions,' Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota's founder, told a news conference in Nagoya, Japan.
Toyoda's comments were his most extensive since the latest recall began in January. Toyota has issued two recalls since last November.
The world's largest carmaker has recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world for problems with accelerators.
Episodes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles have been linked to up to 19 crash deaths in the United States over the past decade.
Toyota is also mulling a recall of Prius, its top-selling hybrid, for a braking problem.
The company initially said it was recalling 26,000 vehicles in Ireland but that has been narrowed down to 18,130.
All of whose owners will be contacted by letter starting next week.
