Toyota profts plunge by 18.5%

Toyota says its July-September profit dropped 18.5% to 80.4 billion yen (€748m) as it made and sold fewer cars because of parts shortages caused by the March tsunami disaster in north-eastern Japan.

Toyota declined to give a forecast for the full financial year ending March 2012, citing uncertainties about yet another disaster – flooding in Thailand, which has also disrupted supplies and prompted production cuts.