AFP - Toyota reported an 8.7 percent drop in February US sales Tuesday amid a series of mass recalls and congressional investigations into the Japanese automaker's safety standards.

Toyota's total sales of 100,027 vehicles in February were slightly higher than the consensus forecast, with analysts projecting a decline of more than 10 percent.

Top Toyota executives faced another grilling by US lawmakers Tuesday as the number of US deaths blamed on defects in the Japanese auto giant's vehicles rose to more than 50.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee was holding the third hearing in one week on the world number-one carmaker's recall of more than eight million cars and trucks worldwide.

Critics have attacked Toyota for its sluggish response to complaints and accused it of covering up defects and incorrectly blaming accidents on floor mats or sticky pedals while ignoring possible electronic problems.

Toyota has said it will overhaul its quality-control measures, placing greater weight on the views of consumers and non-Japanese experts than in the past, creating a new US safety post, and requiring its executives to do test drives.

The Japanese automaker said US sales at its Toyota division fell 10.6 percent to 86,240 vehicles. Sales at the luxury Lexus division rose 5.2 percent to 13,787 vehicles.