Last year wasn’t great for Toyota. Depsite the fact that their sales figures were actually alright, the company suffered some massive brand damage following a series of huge and very expesnive car recalls. With people in the press everyday talking about the damage their Toyota had done to their lives, it is understandable that Toyota no doubt wanted to forget the past and just keep pushing forward for 2011.

It is a bit of a shame, therefore, to hear the latest news of yet another Toyota recall. Almost a year to the day, we find ourselves reporting about the recall of yet more cars, this time on the Toyota Avensis and Lexus IS 250 models. At least this time there haven’t been any high-profile accidents, as this recall is about a risk of fuel leaks that needs to be seen to by mechanics.

The news isn’t as dire as it was for the company a year ago, but yet again they are bound to face plenty of scrutiny in the press. We argue, however, that it makes a very nice change to see a car manufacturer making moves to ensure the safety and quality of their cars. Perhaps that is Toyota’s approach now – by being open and honest about an potential faults they may be aiming to build up their reputation as a reliable manufacturer once again.