Toyota has introduced big price cuts in the US

Toyota's US sales bounced back in March as substantial discounts helped to win back customers who had been shaken by the firm's mass safety recalls.

The Japanese carmaker saw its US sales jump 40.7% last month compared with a year earlier. The big rise came after its sales slumped by 8.7% in February.

Ford and General Motors also saw their sales rise last month, up 39.8% and 20.6% respectively.

Chrysler, the third of the "Big Three" US car firms, saw its sales fall 8.3%.

'Brand trust'

Toyota has had to recall more than eight million cars worldwide due to problems with accelerator pedals and brakes.

"Toyota's strong sales performance in March reflects our customers' continued confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles, and their trust in the brand," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales USA.

"We are standing by our cars, and we're grateful that our customers are standing by Toyota."

Toyota is the world's largest carmaker, both in terms of revenues and sales.

Nissan's US sales rose 43.3% in March, while Hyundai's added 15.4%.