Toyota is in danger of losing its crown as the world`s biggest automaker this year as sales fall behind those of German rival Volkswagen, new figures showed Thursday.


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The Japanese giant, which has held the title for four years running, was outsold by Volkswagen in the first half of 2016, as key North American sales fell and disaster-linked factory stoppages hit production.


The Camry and Prius maker sold 4.99 million vehicles in the six months through June, edging down from a year earlier.


Volkswagen sold 5.12 million vehicles globally in the same period, also ahead of third-placed General Motors which moved 4.76 million vehicles.


The German automaker had pulled ahead of Toyota in the first half of 2015 as well, until a massive emissions cheating scandal dented sales.


This year, Toyota saw first-half unit sales fall in North America -- a key market -- while US sales of its popular Prius hybrid fell by one-quarter.


The company was also hit by plant shutdowns linked to deadly earthquakes in Japan earlier this year.


Toyota previously warned that its annual net profit will fall as a stronger yen, and a slowdown in Chinese growth and other emerging markets, dent its bottom line.


Toyota, among other major automakers, has also been struggling to recover a reputation for safety after the recall of millions of cars around the world for various problems, including a deadly exploding air bag crisis at supplier Takata.


In 2008, Toyota broke GM`s decades-long reign as the world`s top automaker but lost the crown three years later as Japan`s 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster hammered production and disrupted the supply chains of the country`s automakers.


In 2012, Toyota again overtook its Detroit rival, which sells the Chevrolet and luxury Cadillac brands, to grab the top spot globally.