Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda stopped selling and delivering some vehicles after Japan’s transport ministry discovered irregularities in applications to certify certain models, amid a growing car safety scandal.
Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha Motor also had irregularities in their applications, according to the ministry. The automakers were found to have submitted incorrect or manipulated safety test data when they applied for certification of the vehicles, Reuters reported.
The ministry has ordered Toyota, Mazda and Yamaha to suspend shipments of the vehicles while it conducts an on-site inspection at Toyota’s headquarters on Tuesday. The suspension comes after the ministry asked automakers in January to investigate certification applications following a safety testing scandal at Toyota’s compact car unit Daihatsu last year.
“As the person responsible for the Toyota Group, I would like to sincerely apologize to our customers, car fans and all stakeholders for this,” company chairman Akio Toyoda said at a news conference, according to Reuters.
The errors occurred during six different tests conducted in 2014, 2015 and 2020, involving the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross, and discontinued versions of four popular models, including one sold under the luxury brand Lexus, according to Toyota. The Yaris Cross, Corolla Axio and Corolla Fielder will no longer be shipped to customers in Japan, Motor1.com said.
According to Toyota, it had measured collision damage on one side of the hood of one model, while this was mandatory on both sides. In other cases, it said it had conducted certain tests that did not meet government requirements. Toyota said it is still investigating issues related to vehicle fuel economy and emissions, and plans to complete the investigation by the end of June, Reuters reported.
Mazda last week halted shipments of its Roadster RF sports car and Mazda2 hatchback after finding that employees had changed engine control software test results, the company said in a statement. It also found that the crash tests of the now-discontinued Atenza and Axela models had been tampered by using a timer to deploy airbags during some frontal crash tests, rather than relying on an on-board sensor to detect a crash. to detect.
According to Reuters: “The automaker scandals are proving to be a sore point for the government, which has otherwise won praise from investors and executives for its business reforms. Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese government’s top spokesman, called the misconduct “deplorable.”
