That apology by Akio Toyoda in Beijing has drawn considerable attention in Chinese media, with over 400 representatives turning up for Monday's press conference.
Some say they think Toyoda was sincerely apologetic. And his choosing to make China the second stop after the US shows how much Toyota values the Chinese market. Others say that the Chinese market has significance for the Japanese car maker beyond just sales figures, since the recall on the Chinese Mainland involved few fewer vehicles than it did in Europe.
But consumers are rather more difficult to pacify. The latest Internet survey shows that despite the apology, more than 70 percent of respondents are not prepared to buy Toyota vehicles.