TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> won back the crown as the world's top selling automaker in 2012, posting record-high sales to beat rivals General Motors <GM.N> and Volkswagen <VOWG_p.DE>.

Toyota said on Monday it sold 9.75 million vehicles group-wide around the world last year, a record for the 75-year-old Japanese automaker and up 22.6 percent from 2011 when it was hit by a U.S. recall and disrupted supply chains following an earthquake in Japan and floods in Thailand.

The Toyota group also includes sales by Daihatsu Motor Co <7262.T> and Hino Motors Ltd <7205.T>. Toyota on its own sold 8.72 million vehicles, including the Lexus premium brand.

General Motors sold 9.28 million vehicles in 2012, up 2.9 percent from a year ago, while Volkswagen sold 9.07 million vehicles, up 11.2 percent.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Richard Pullin)