Toyota Grows in March Compared to Same Month 2009

Despite the scandal caused by the unintended acceleration recall, Japanese carmaker Toyota announced today it managed to sell 35.3 percent more vehicle than in the same month of last year. The 186,863 units sold add to the overall Q1 performance of Toyota, which is now 8.7 percent higher than in the same period last year.

"Toyota’s strong sales performance in March reflects our customers’ continued confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles and their trust in the brand,” Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales said in a release. “We are standing by our cars, and we're grateful that our customers are standing by Toyota.”

The Toyota division, the most affected by the recall, registered a 23.5 percent increase, with the Camry and Camry Hybrid leading the way (36,251 units). The Corolla sold 9,623 units for the month, up 28 percent, while the Prius was purchased by only 11,786 people.

Lexus was the car of choice for 10,060 customers, 34.1 percent more than last year. The ES 350 entry luxury sedan (3,860 units) spearheaded the sales. Scion on the other hand sold 3,511 units.

Overall, Toyota sold 385,686 vehicles in Q1. With 74 selling days in the first quarter of 2010, compared to 75 selling day in the first quarter of 2009, sales were up 7.2 percent on an unadjusted raw volume basis.

As the recall fallout is about to dissipate, Toyota is hopeful the ascending trend will be kept in the months to come.