Toyota are suffering due to some factors out of their control - like the current poisonous state of relations between China and Japan, which is said to be partially responsible for a 50% fall in sales for the Japanese exporter in a crucial growth market. But Toyota also have problems of their own making. The firm that did more than any other to promote the idea of quality assurance is facing another disasterous series of product recalls.

These aren't new problems - significant safety fears and subsequent recalls did a lot of damage to Toyota in 2010. You can read more about their current problems in The Guardian and Telegraph.

If you want reminding about a more traditional approach to quality, here's a fairly funny reminder of how quality control might work in a car factory where standards are low - and so waste (in time, effort and resources) is high.