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After extended introspection at the world’s biggest automaker, Toyota says it has put its massive recalls behind it and is preparing to re-engage its growth engine once again.

The Japanese company outlined a new “architecture” Thursday centered on product development and manufacturing initiatives it hopes will be more fail-proof against quality problems, and allow it to keep growing in a sustainable way.

The first cars under the system, medium-sized front-wheel drive cars, will roll out later this year, and will be expanded to half its lineup by 2020, Toyota Motor Corp. said.

Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato acknowledged that managing the company’s global scope and model lineup had become an increasing challenge.

“It is making our effort to come out with ever better cars increasingly difficult,” he told reporters at its headquarters in Toyota city, central Japan.

He pointed to how President Akio Toyoda had decided to take an “intentional pause” in rapid growth to strengthen the automaker’s competitiveness.

The recall fiasco resulted in more than 10 million vehicles being recalled around the world, mostly in the U.S., for a range of problems including faulty brakes, sticky gas pedals and ill-fitting floor mats. Toyota paid penalty fines in the U.S. and faced a number of lawsuits.

Before the scandal, Toyota had a reputation for high quality, centered around its super-lean production methods that empowered workers to hone in on quality control. Toyota has acknowledged repeatedly that it had tried to grow too fast.



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Toyota Says It Is Time To Move Past Recalls And Quality Issues - But Will You Ever Trust Them Again?

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