An influential writer with ties to Toyota's past presidents is calling for a change of leadership at the recall-battered automaker in a letter to editors of major U.S. newspapers.
Masaaki Sato, who wrote about Toyota Motor Corp. for more than 30 years and still keeps in close touch with the automaker's top leadership, is criticizing President Akio Toyoda as inexperienced and mismanaging the automaker's response to its recall debacle.
Sato, author of several books on Japan's auto industry, says the founding fathers of Toyota came from the Toyoda family but were more intent on building a world-class manufacturer that could contribute to society rather than simply running a family business.