Sales of Toyota plunge in S. Korea amid recall crisis

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SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Sales of Toyota vehicles plunged 33.2 percent last
month from December in South Korea as the Japanese automaker reeled from a
massive worldwide recall, industry data showed Thursday.
Toyota, which started selling its flagship Camry sedans, RAV4 sport-utility
vehicles and Prius hybrids in the Korean market in October last year, sold 441
units of those models in January, compared with 660 units sold in December last
year, according to data by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors
Association.
Last month, Toyota saw sales of its Lexus brand in South Korea also plummet 37
percent from the month before to 320 units, the data showed.
Public relations officials at Toyota's Korean unit were not immediately available
for comment.
On Wednesday, the South Korean government ordered Toyota's Korean unit to recall
444 vehicles sold by gray importers or brought in by individuals due to defective
gas pedals and floor mats.
The recall did not affect vehicles imported and sold by Toyota's Korean unit
because they did not use the type of accelerator pedal or floor mat covered by
the massive recall, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime
Affairs.
But officials at the ministry said it plans to launch an in-depth probe into
possible defects of vehicles sold by Toyota in South Korea.
Less than two years after Toyota overtook an ailing General Motors Co. as the
world's largest automaker, its image has been impacted by the global recall --
which has affected more than 7 million vehicles -- and slow responses to safety
fears.
The recall crisis is spreading to Toyota's much-touted Prius hybrids over
consumer complaints over their brakes.
"With the Prius mired into the recall issue, the situation facing Toyota is
likely to continue for longer than expected," said auto analyst Suh Sung-moon at
the Seoul-based Korea Investment & Securities Co.
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