Toyota president Akio Toyoda has conceded that the company's current recall problems are a result of it growing too fast, too soon.
Speaking at a press conference where he outlined plans to raise standards, Toyoda said: "With the rapid expansion of production, perhaps we weren't able to develop appropriate engineering skills and human resources.
"The basic rule of the Toyota Production System is build only as many cars as can match demand, and we ourselves broke that rule."
Among the plans outlined by Toyoda to improve quality are the appointment of a chief quality officer for each geographic region; an expansion of the network of local technical offices, the instillation of brake over ride systems on all future models, better use of in-car data recorders following accidents.
In addition, Toyoda will chair a special committee for global quality, which will meet for the first time on 30 March.
Toyoda also confirmed he won't attend Congressional hearings into the current spate of recalls, saying that Yoshimi Inaba, the head of Toyota's US operations, is better suited to testify.
That has drawn criticism from sections of congress, with some members saying Toyoda should be forced to testify.
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