Toyota and four other Japanese car or two-wheeled vehicle manufacturers (Honda, Suzuki, Mazda and Yamaha) cheated in certification tests for some of their models in Japan, the Japanese Ministry of Transportation announced Monday. This issue is reminiscent of the one that has already shaken the mini-vehicle manufacturer Daihatsu, a Toyota subsidiary, since the end of 2023. Daihatsu was forced to suspend all of its production in Japan and was only able to fully resume it as of last month.
Following this scandal, in January the Ministry of Transport asked another 85 car companies present in Japan to check whether their certification practices complied with national standards.
According to the report published by the Japanese government, 64 committed “without fault.” Only four companies (Mazda, Yamaha Motor, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Suzuki) are involved in fraudulent activities. The accusations are damning for these companies:
– toyota : submission of false data during pedestrian protection tests for three currently produced vehicle models, fraudulent modification of test vehicles during crash tests for four already produced models.
– mazda : rewriting of engine control software during launch testing of two currently produced models and fraudulent modification of test vehicles during crash testing of three previously produced models.
– yamaha : Noise tests performed under inappropriate testing conditions for a currently produced vehicle model and misrepresentations in horn test results for two previously produced models.
– sling : False claims in the noise test results of 22 previous production models.
– suzuki – False statements in the test report of a brake system for a previously produced car model.
“Inadequate data”
The Ministry of Transport has ordered the five identified manufacturers to suspend deliveries of their affected models until their services have verified the conformity of their certification tests, after having inspected their production centers. The investigation continues into 17 companies and among them, only one, in this case Toyota, “has currently committed fraud.”
After the Daihatsu affair “it is very regrettable that new irregularities have been discovered, because fraudulent actions related to model certification applications undermine the trust of users and shake the very foundations of the vehicle certification system,” commented the ministry in a statement.
Based on preliminary results from its internal investigation, Toyota discovered that seven of its models, four of which are no longer produced in Japan, “were tested using methods other than government standards,” the auto giant said in a separate statement on Monday. Press release.
Certification applications for these models included “inadequate data” in vehicle occupant and pedestrian protection tests, or “errors” in crash tests, the group said, which did not use the word “fraud” like the ministry.
“There are no performance issues that contravene laws and regulations. Therefore, there is no need to stop using the affected vehicles,” Toyota added.
The group, however, complied with the ministry’s order by suspending sales and deliveries in Japan of its three models in question and still produced in the country: its Corolla Fielder estate, the Corolla Axio sedan and its Yaris Cross compact SUV.
Source: BFM TV
