Vehicle Test Fraud Found at Toyota, 4 Other Makers in Japan
Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--Irregularities have been found in vehicle and equipment performance tests conducted by Toyota Motor Corp. and four other Japanese companies to obtain type approval, which is required for mass production, the transport ministry said Monday.
These test fraud cases involving Toyota, Mazda Motor Corp., Yamaha Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp. included the use of improper data and tests conducted under conditions that did not meet state standards.
The ministry will conduct on-site inspections of the five makers under the road trucking vehicle law.
The ministry ordered shipments of six affected models to be suspended--three at Toyota, two at Mazda and one at Yamaha. Irregularities were also found for 22 Honda models and one Suzuki model that had been produced in the past.
In collision tests carried out to ensure safety, Toyota and Mazda tampered with air bags so that they inflated automatically with a timer.
Toyota said that improper tests had been carried out for seven models since 2014. On Monday, it suspended shipments and sales of the three models that are still in production, including the Yaris Cross, in which data irregularities were found regarding tests for the protection of pedestrians and passengers.
"I sincerely apologize as head of the Toyota group after similar problems occurred at Daihatsu Motor Co. and Toyota Industries Corp.," Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda told a press conference in Tokyo, referring to the two Toyota affiliates. Irregularities for type approval have also been found at Hino Motors, Ltd., another affiliate.
"These acts shake the foundations of the certification system and should never be carried out by any automaker," he said.
Toyoda also said: "Many companies are involved in the scandal, and it takes a really long time to make drastic improvements. I myself will take the lead."
He also pointed to the heavy burdens associated with certification and the need to discuss a review of the existing system with the transport ministry.
Honda President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe told a separate news conference that as the irregular acts were clearly stated in the company's manual, they were an organizational problem.
In February, after fraudulent testing scandals at Daihatsu and Toyota Industries came to light, the ministry asked 85 manufacturers and importers that had obtained type approval for vehicles and equipment to report any wrongdoing over the past 10 years.
As of Friday, 68 companies had completed their investigations, while 17 manufacturers, including Toyota, were still continuing examinations.
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