Japanese Transport Ministry Officials Raid Toyota HQ Over Vehicle Safety Data Scandal
It looks like this time around, Toyota didn’t escape the scandal scot-free
Japanese transport ministry officials conducted a raid at Toyota’s headquarters in Tokyo, delving into the controversy surrounding the automaker’s compromised vehicle safety data. According to BBC News, the world’s largest carmaker has expressed regret for supplying inaccurate or manipulated data for safety certification tests on various models, both currently in production and some already discontinued, spanning multiple years.
The scandal extends to certification reports from fellow Japanese manufacturers, including Honda, Mazda, Suzuki, and Yamaha Motorcycles, all of whom acknowledge submitting flawed data. Well, it looks like this is one scandal that Toyota did not manage to squeak its way out of relatively easily so let’s see what happened here.
Moreover, as Toyota faces allegations of utilising altered vehicles during safety collision tests for some models no longer in production, it reassures that the discovered discrepancies thus far do not compromise the safety of vehicles already in circulation. However, it has halted the production of three popular models, the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio, and Yaris Cross.
Investigators gathered at Toyota’s facilities shortly after Chairman Akio Toyoda publicly expressed remorse to customers and automotive enthusiasts. In an official statement, Toyoda acknowledges, “The investigation is ongoing, revealing that seven models, including those out of production since 2014, underwent testing using methods divergent from national standards. We reported this to the Ministry on May 31.”
On top of that, Toyoda assumes responsibility on behalf of the Toyota Group, extending heartfelt apologies to customers, automotive enthusiasts, and all stakeholders. He acknowledges the oversight in the certification process and the production of vehicles without adequate precautionary measures. If only Malaysian politicians had this same sense of responsibility.
This isn’t even the first incident within the Toyota Group as in December 2023, Toyota-owned carmaker Daihatsu shuttered its factories for over a month after admitting to falsifying safety tests. Some of the affected cars bore Toyota branding. Daihatsu compensated over 400 domestic suppliers during the idle period of its plants.
Well, it seems that Japan is no longer taking any scandals and will now nip things like this in the bud so this kind of raid will likely become a lot more common in light of recent events. Let’s hope this keeps more manufacturers on their feet.
We got all this from Wardsauto and their full article is linked here. Thank you Wardsauto for the information and images.
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