Toyota, which is recalling 1.73 million cars, said the vehicles had a defectivepart which "could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally in a crash".
The company's reputation took a further hit in June, when police arrested six Mitsubishi executives as part of an investigation into allegations that the firm failed to report defective vehicles to the transport ministry.
Outlet stores, back in the day, were located in a less glamorous part of town and were typically large, mostly unattractive warehouses filled with defective or second-quality merchandise.