Japanese automaker Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, announced on Monday, December 25, the suspension of production at all its factories in Japan until at least the end of January, following a major scandal of rigged safety tests revealed last week. The Japanese Ministry of Transport began an inspection last Thursday at the headquarters of Daihatsu, a specialist in very popular mini-vehicles in Japan called “kei cars”, following an independent report that highlighted numerous irregularities in its safety certification processes.
The experts’ report exposed deep-seated flaws in Daihatsu’s production processes, identifying 174 irregularities in 25 test categories, some of which date back to 1989. In total, 64 vehicle models are affected, including models made by Daihatsu. commissioned by the Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Mazda and Subaru.
More than 1.7 million vehicles produced worldwide
After initially deciding to suspend all of its shipments in Japan and abroad, Daihatsu announced on Monday the suspension of production at its four factories in Japan until at least January 31, in a sent press release. This interruption should have important consequences for Daihatsu’s suppliers: according to the research company Teikoku Databank, more than 8,100 companies in Japan that supply products or services to the manufacturer owe it at least 1% of their turnover. Daihatsu is in negotiations with its suppliers to compensate them, according to sources cited by the Kyodo agency.
Daihatsu produced more than 1.7 million vehicles worldwide in the 2022/23 fiscal year that ended at the end of last March, about half of which were produced in Japan. It makes most of its sales in the archipelago and in Southeast Asia. Founded in 1907 to manufacture internal combustion engines, the Osaka (western Japan)-based company launched its first three-wheeled vehicle in 1931. It has been under the control of Toyota since 1967.
Source: BFM TV
