Japan's auto sales increase on year in February

• Source: Xinhua
• [16:41 March 01 2010]
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Sales of vehicles in Japan increased in February despite a safety crisis involving the vehicles of the nation's biggest automaker, Toyota, data released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association showed on Monday.

Sales of all vehicles were up by 35.1 percent compared with the previous year, with 294,887 units sold in February.

Sales of cars stood at 131,548 for the month, an increase of 72. 2 percent on the same month in 2009. Compact cars also saw sales grow by 17.8 percent, selling 138,841 vehicles over the course of the month.

Industrial vehicle sales also grew by 1.3 percent, with 22,994 units bought in February.

Some 1,504 buses were bought in February, a 17.2 percent increase on the same month in 2009.

Japan's auto industry has been hit by a global crisis involving the safety of Toyota's cars. Over the last few months millions have been recalled due to faults with brakes and accelerators, and in late February, Toyota company President Akio Toyoda testified before the US Congress in Washington, D.C., on the safety of his company's cars.