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Tuesday, 16th February 2010
In Business In Japan,
Toyota deaths 'now 34'
A total of 34 people have been killed in the US as a result of various faults with a number of different models made by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, which is the world's biggest car maker.
According to figures from US regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been 34 deaths since 2000 due to accidents caused by - or contributed to - by problems including issues with uncontrollable acceleration in some Toyota cars, as well as problems with faulty floor mats.
The toll rose to 34 after an influx of new complaints following the manufacturer's decision to recall millions of cars in Europe, the US, South America and Africa.
Until a couple of weeks ago, the US death toll was thought to be 21 but 13 new complaints have upped this number.
Following the safety scandals, the firm promised to work on "more stringent quality controls, investigate customer complaints more aggressively, keep open lines of communication with safety agencies and respond more quickly to safety issues we identify".
Written by Kimberley Homer.
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