Toyota chief apologizes to American customers

Toyota chief executive, Akio Toyoda, has apologized to the US Congress and millions of American Toyota owners for safety lapses that led to deaths and widespread recalls.

The grandson of the founder of the world's largest automaker, appeared before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on Wednesday.

Apologizing to consumers before skeptical U.S. lawmakers.

Toyota Motor Corp's chief Akio Toyoda stepped to center stage, in a sprawling investigation into the Japanese automaker's safety crisis.

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda (C) testifies at a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, Feb. 24, 2010. Akio Toyoda apologized Wednesday before a U.S. Congress committee investigating Toyota's deadly flaws that sparked the recall of 8.5 million cars.(Xinhua/Zhang Jun)