Toyota has implemented a number of management changes over the last two years in order to improve the company’s vehicle safety, but a safety panel appointed by Toyota announced today that the Japanese automaker hasn’t done enough to properly address safety concerns.
Led by former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, the panel released a 60-page report on Monday stating that the company’s recent management changes haven’t done enough to fully address the company’s safety problems. The report says Toyota has been “eager to implement positive changes,” but still relies on an overly centralized decision making process.
Toyota appointed Moritaka Yoshida to the new position of Toyota chief safety technology officer last month, but the panel finds that Toyota needs to create a CEO position to oversee the company’s North American operations.
Additionally, the report also cited Toyota’s status as the world’s largest automaker as the cause of some of its safety woes.
“That is because a well-deserved sense of pride at being number one can slowly and subtly transform into arrogance and foster complacency,” the report said. “Effective leadership is the key to Toyota’s future.”
The report continued: “Toyota needs to continue to adjust its balance between global and local control, giving weight to local control in order to improve its communication and speed in responding to quality and safety issues.”
Toyota created the panel in response to its near-20 million recalls since 2009. However, for unknown reasons, the panel states Toyota’s global recalls at 10 million units since 2009.
References
1.’Toyota doesn’t go…’ view
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