TOKYO — Honda Motor said on Monday that it would replace its president and chief executive, Takanobu Ito, a move that some interpreted as an attempt to draw a line under recent quality problems.
Honda has grappled recently with a series of quality problems and development delays. Although the origins of some of the problems — notably faulty airbags made by the Japanese supplier Takata — predate Mr. Ito’s tenure, other complications have been easier to attribute to him and his management team.
Mr. Ito appointed a senior managing officer last year to oversee quality, a first at the company, in response to an embarrassing string of events. They included a half-dozen recalls over one year for one of Honda’s best sellers, the Fit subcompact, after a redesigned model was introduced in 2013.
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“Takata is the perfect example of a closely affiliated Japanese supplier,” Mr. Endo said.
Hisako Ueno contributed reporting.
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