Tokyo, January 30, 2024, The Europe Today: Toyota Chief Koji Sato issued a public apology on Monday for testing irregularities at group company Toyota Industries Corp, which manufactures diesel engines. The flawed testing involved false results for certification testing and other sampling inspections, leading to products being declared compliant with standards when they did not meet them. The announcement comes ahead of Chairman Akio Toyoda’s unveiling of a “global vision” for Toyota Motor Corp group.
Sato expressed regret at a press conference, addressing customers, suppliers, and dealers. The testing issues are the latest in a series of problems for Toyota, following the revelation of cheating on required tests at Daihatsu Motor Corp last year and systematic falsification of emissions data by Hino Motors in 2022, a truck maker within the Toyota group. Despite no major accidents being reported in connection with the cheating, these incidents raise serious concerns about oversight within the companies and the broader Toyota organization.
The current problem has led to the suspension of production for many Toyota group models until proper testing is conducted. Although no safety issues have been reported for existing vehicles, production stoppages impact around 7,000 vehicles per month in Japan and 36,000 globally, sold in regions such as Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, excluding North America. Affected models include popular ones like the Land Cruiser and Hilux SUVs.
Sato attributed the recurring issues to a lack of communication among the companies and emphasized the need for a more thorough education on compliance with rules. He acknowledged that workers were facing pressures to cut corners in the highly competitive automotive industry. In response to the situation, Toyota is committed to resuming production as soon as possible and implementing measures to prevent similar problems in the future.
