Toyota narrowly beats GM in 2010 sales

Toyota Motor Corp kept its spot at the top of the global car sales ranking in 2010, outselling General Motors Co by fewer than 30,000 units as the US rival achieved faster growth in the world's two biggest markets.

Toyota's global sales, including minivehicle unit Daihatsu Motor Co and truck unit Hino Motors Ltd, grew 8 percent to nearly 8.42 million vehicles, it said in a statement Monday, helping it keep its No. 1 standing for the third straight year.

GM, which lost the crown in 2008 for the first time in nearly eight decades, said its sales climbed 12.2 percent to 8.39 million vehicles last year, with deliveries in China and the US, the top two markets, both exceeding 2 million, according to Reuters.

"Being No. 1 in term of sales is not important for us," Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco told AFP. "Our objective is to become No. 1, in terms of service and customer satisfaction."

The AP reported Monday that Toyota Motor Sales has opened two more US product quality field offices, in Houston and Jacksonville, Florida, to help the auto giant detect and address quality problems.

Toyota's US sales suffered last year from a safety crisis that led to the recall of at least 10 million cars in its single-biggest market, allowing rivals such as Ford Motor Co and Hyundai Motor Co to eat into its share.

GM's growth in the US, while slower than the industry's average, outpaced Toyota's slight decline with a 6.3 percent rise. In China, GM's sales soared 29 percent, beating Toyota's 19 percent climb.

Agencies