Diesel engines built for Toyota vehicles were tested with modified software.
In the wake of the Daihatsu safety scandal, parent company Toyota is finding another one of its subsidiaries has cheated the testing authorities. This time, the issue is emissions-related and while it was not as maliciously denied as when Volkswagen was caught by the California Air Resources Board, it’s still serious enough for Toyota to bring many of its global production lines to a halt.
Toyota enlisted the help of independent investigators who found that three diesel engines made by Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) had irregularities. The 1GD, 2GD and F33A engines were installed in a whole slew of products, ranging from the Hilux, to the Fortuner and even the more premium Land Cruisers and Lexus LX models.
While Volkswagen’s Diesel Gate featured an ECU that could understand while it was being tested and run the engine within spec, in Toyota’s case the whole ECU was programmed with one software specifically for the emissions testing and went into production with an entirely different software. Specifically, the software used during testing would make “values appear smoother with less variation”. More than 10 models are affected and six of them are offered in Japan and production and import of these engines have been temporarily halted.
Strangely enough, Toyota re-tested the engines that go into mass production and found that affected engines and vehicles still met the engine performance output standards. Therefore no real action needs to be taken, but Toyota still apologizes for the mishap and any inconvenience caused. Production may continue after after detailed explanations to the authorities are made and the appropriate measures taken.
Measures that are being considered include the restructuring of the relevant business, a drastic reform of corporate culture and the revitalization of TICO’s engine business. While it doesn’t seem as serious as Diesel Gate, it’s still going to cost Toyota quite a lot. Plants are shut down, vehicle sales are halted and the trust of customers are all affected.
