Volkswagen has claimed the top sales position over the first six months of 2015, moving passed Japanese competitor Toyota, according to CNN.

The German automaker has pushed 5.04 million sales since January of 2015, giving them a slight edge over Toyota who has sold 5.02 million, USA Today reports. Toyota's drop in sales can be attributed to a weak performance by Daihatsu brands.

Volkswagen has described the market as a "difficult environment," but grades its six month results as "satisfactory." Audi and Porsche are also owned by the German carmakers. North American sales have increased by 6 percent, while Volkswagens top market, China, has fallen by 4 percent.

A key contributor as to why Toyota's sales have dipped may be due to massive recalls of its faulty airbags, according to. The Japanese carmakers recalled millions of vehicles across the world because of Takata air bags that can explode and emit sharp objects causing serious harm to its passengers. This isn't the first time that outside dilemmas have caused Toyota's sales to drop. in 2011, General Motors regained top global sales from Toyota after severe earthquakes and tsunamis in Northern Japan, according to BBC.

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