Toyota, Daihatsu to suspend shipment of some models due to new discrepancies in safety testing

MANILA: The investigation on the safety testing procedures of Toyota Motor Corporation subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Company, Limited found new irregularities in 174 items within 25 test categories, in addition to the door lining irregularity in April and the side collision test irregularity in May.

Included in the new irregularities found are 64 vehicle models and three engine types, of which 22 models and one engine were offered by Toyota.

The affected models are being sold in Japan, Ecuador, Uruguay, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and the European region.

Due to the findings, Daihatsu decided to suspend the shipment of all models it developed and currently producing, both in Japan and overseas. Toyota has also suspended the shipment of the affected models under its brand.

Daihatsu has also begun conducting in-house technical verifications and actual testing on models that may have been involved in the procedural irregularities to make sure that their performance and safety meet regulatory standards.

In the final phase of the investigation, it was found that the airbag tests for the Daihatsu Move (Subaru Stella), Daihatsu Cast (Toyota Pixis Joy), and Daihatsu Gran Max (Toyota Town Ace/Mazda Bongo) were conducted using an airbag control unit that was different from the mass-production model.

Toyota claimed in a press release that they are not aware of any accident information relating to the issue, but said that they are fully investigating the technical aspects of the situation and looking into why it happened in order to quickly implement any necessary actions.

“For other cases, we have confirmed that the performance standards specified by the regulations are met, and the validity of the verification results and process has also been confirmed by TUV Rheinland Japan, a third-party certification organization,” the Japanese carmaker stated.

Toyota also said that Daihatsu will speak with the authorities to clarify the matter and follow their lead in taking appropriate actions. To prioritize consumer safety, a comprehensive investigation into any previous occurrences that may be comparable will also be conducted. Toyota has also committed to fully cooperating with the investigation.

“We believe in order to prevent recurrence, in addition to a review of certification operations, a fundamental reform is needed to revitalize Daihatsu as a company... It will require not only a review of management and business operations but also a review of the organization and structure… Toyota will provide our full support to Daihatsu's revitalization so that it can return to its roots as the ‘compact mobility company’ that Toyota and Daihatsu are striving for, as well as regain the trust of all stakeholders,” Toyota stated.

Photos from Toyota

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