Toyota sees sales surge amid safety woes after slashing prices

Link to the article: Guardian.co.uk

After the most testing year in the company's 73-year history, Toyota executives can perhaps afford to greet the new financial year with guarded optimism after last month's dramatic sales increases in the US and Japan.

The rebound was to be expected after the catastrophic collapse in sales prompted by the global recession, but the firm will be more encouraged by signs that its recent safety recall of more than 8.5m cars has so far failed to deliver the killer blow many had expected.

The world's biggest carmaker saw US sales rise 41% in March from a year earlier, having fallen 16% year-on-year in January and 9% in February.

Toyota attributed its March performance to a series of incentives that gave buyers discounts of up to $2,250 (£1,480) a vehicle last month.

The sweeteners, which included interest-free loans and discount leases, were introduced after the company's disastrous handling of complaints involving defective brakes and accelerators.