Toyota helm says sorry over ‘certification’ mess

MANILA: Toyota Motor Corporation Chair Akio Toyoda apologized to customers and stakeholders over the certification-related issues that the company is facing.

To recall, the company is conducting the probe in accordance with the instruction from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism given last January.

In a statement, the company said that a total of seven Toyota models, which included those that already ended production in 2014, were involved in six cases.

“As the person responsible for the Toyota Group, I would like to extend my sincere apologies to our customers, car enthusiasts, and all stakeholders for this issue, following Hino, Daihatsu, and Toyota Industries Corporation. I am truly sorry,” he said.

Per Toyoda, the investigation used various methods that are different “from the standards defined by the national authorities.”

He also explained that the certification system uses measurement methods in accordance with rules to verify whether a product meets the established standards — mainly in the fields of safety and environment.

“Vehicles can only be manufactured and sold after meeting certification test standards. The point of this issue is that the vehicles were mass-produced and sold without going through the correct certification processes,” he added.

Aside from the apology, Toyota has decided to temporarily suspend shipments and sales of three models currently produced in Japan (Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio, and Yaris Cross), effective June 3.

Photos from Toyota

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