**Embattled Japanese carmaker Toyota has said that it will add a brake-override system to all new vehicles as it seeks to recover from a global car recall.**President Akio Toyoda told reporters in Tokyo that the new system would cut engine power when the accelerator and brakes are applied at the same time.
Toyota also said it would create a new global quality committee.
The news comes as the US car safety watchdog ordered Toyota to hand over documents relating to its recalls.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday it wanted to find out if Toyota conducted the recent recalls “in a timely manner”.
Toyota said it would “co-operate to provide all the information they have requested” on the US probe.
TOYOTA RECALLS: STORY SO FAR
- September 2007, US: 55,000 Camry and Lexus cars in floormat recall
- October 2009, US: 3.8m Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled due to floormat problem
- November 2009, US: floormat recall increased to 4.2m vehicles
- January 2010, US: 2.3m Toyota vehicles recalled due to accelerator pedal problems (of those, 2.1m already involved in floormat recall)
- January 2010, US: 1.1m Toyotas in floormat recall
- February 2010, Europe: 1.8m Toyota’s in pedal recall
- February 2010, Japan, US: 200 reports of brake faults in new Prius. Cars recalled
- February 2010, worldwide: 436,000 hybrid vehicles in brake recall. Also, 7,300 Camry vehicles recalled in the US over potential brake tube problems
- February 2010, US: 8,000 Tacoma pick-up trucks recalled over concerns about defective shafts
Mr Toyoda said that he would not be attending a US Congressional hearing into the recalls set for 24 February.
Instead, Toyota’s US executives will go, as Mr Toyoda focuses on the firm’s quality issues.
The newly-announced Special Committee for Global Quality - where each region will have its own quality executive - will hold its first meeting on 30 March.
US investigation
On Wednesday, the carmaker took out full-page adverts in major Japanese newspapers to apologise for the recalls.
Toyota is continuing to recall 8.5 million vehicles worldwide because of problems linked to faulty accelerator pedals, accelerator pedals getting stuck in floor mats, and braking systems.
The saga began in the US with reports that accelerator pedals were getting caught under the floor mats.
The Japanese car giant began taking back vehicles potentially affected by that problem in October last year and Toyota redesigned the mats.
The floor mat issue affected a number of vehicles in the US, but not the UK.
Later, separate acceleration problems were found to be caused by the pedal sticking.
The NHTSA said was “requiring Toyota to provide documents showing when and how it learned of the defects affecting approximately six million vehicles in the US alone”.
It said federal law required all carmakers to notify it within five days of discovering a safety recall, and to conduct a recall promptly.
Responding to the NHTSA, Toyota said it took responsibility for vehicle safety seriously and also recognised its responsibility to alert government officials of any safety issue “in a timely manner”.
Toyota announced on 26 January that was suspending sales and production of eight models in the US, as it sought to resolve its problems.