Auto Safety Tests Scandal

[1.33]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2024/06/03/companies/toyota-safety-misconduct/

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/03/business/toyota-mazda-halt-shipments-japan-safety/index.html

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/japanese-car-industry-in-shambles-as-toyota-mazda-honda-admit-to-faking-safety-tests-234873.html#

[FROSTYBALLS]

This relates to Japanese certification, rather than European.

[Dimitriscy]

Toyota halts sales of 3 cars after submitting faulty data during pedestrian-safety tests | Fortune Asia

https://apnews.com/article/toyota-certification-cheating-japan-automakers-scandal-26585a96df2a32f7d67a4011a0a98772

 "The halt is likely to affect 3,500 orders and the carmaker is not considering recalls at this point."

 

[Mjolinor]

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wwj1p2wdyo

[152bobby]

2 hours ago, Dimitriscy said:

Toyota halts sales of 3 cars after submitting faulty data during pedestrian-safety tests | Fortune Asia

https://apnews.com/article/toyota-certification-cheating-japan-automakers-scandal-26585a96df2a32f7d67a4011a0a98772

 "The halt is likely to affect 3,500 orders and the carmaker is not considering recalls at this point."

 

Toyotas stellar reputation is everything,  this is a bit of a shock to be honest !!  I assume, if there will be a recall, we will find out sooner or later.  And of course, they need to find out what batches are affected.

[Haliotis]

I sense more excuses by the car insurers for further crippling increases to premiums.

As car development testing becomes more complicated, so the possibility of issuing false safety data increases.  The big questions are: (1) Is the false data minimal to gain advantage over competitors, or is it certifying cars that should definitely not be on the road?    (2) Are there more makes and models out there which “appear safe”, only because they have not yet been found out?

It can be very worrying for we drivers, who take for granted that our scars are safe, and accept an MoT pass as trustworthy proof of this.   We should also bear in mind that “driverless cars” will be manufactured by the same car makers and subsidiary companies who presently produce our conventional cars!   How’s your trust holding out???

[APS]

How far up the ranks were they aware of this?

In typical Japanese sense of honour, this could eventually end up in another change of leadership.

[jthspace]

Daily Telegraph article today...

Toyota and rivals halt car exports over safety

TOYOTA and four other Japanese ­vehicle makers have been forced to halt some shipments amid a widening ­safety-test cheating scandal.

The government in Tokyo found the companies had submitted faulty or manipulated safety test data when they were applying for the certification of certain cars and motorcycles.

It is the latest blow to Japan’s well-­regarded auto industry after revelations of “irregularities” in certification ­processes in January, following an investigation at Toyota’s Daihatsu ­compact car unit. The companies insist the issues do not affect the performance or safety of their vehicles and that ­customers can continue driving them.

At Toyota, the world’s biggest ­carmaker, the cheating relates to the popular Yaris Cross, the Corolla Fielder and Corolla Axio, as well as four ­discontinued models. The company’s infractions included using inadequate or outdated data for crash tests and ­falsified data in engine power tests.

At a press conference in Japan yesterday, Akio Toyoda, the Toyota chairman, bowed deeply for several seconds in front of television cameras – a customary gesture used by companies that have been caught misbehaving.

Mr Toyoda said: “We sincerely apologise. These acts shake the very foundation of the verification system. They should have never been committed.”

Toyota said the halt to shipments would affect two assembly lines responsible for the production of 130,000 cars a year. The company sold 11m vehicles last year. The other companies caught up in the testing scandal are Honda, Mazda, Suzuki Motor and Yamaha Motor, who also admitted they had found evidence of inadequate testing.

Mazda, based in Hiroshima, said it falsified test results for collision testing of five models including the Mazda2 and the Roadster  RF.

Meanwhile, Tokyo-based Honda said it had carried out improper tests on 22 discontinued cars. In Suzuki‘s case, the fraudulent conduct was limited to a ­single model: a light commercial version of a previous-generation Alto.

Yamaha admitted to irregularities related to the YZF-R1 sports motorcycle.

Toyota shares dropped 1.8pc in Tokyo yesterday. The findings deepen a crisis in Japan’s car industry, with the government having ordered some 90 manufacturers to re-examine testing procedures. Investigations into 17 companies are still ongoing.

[wivenhoe]

Article in today’s Telegraph. Yesterday Toyota announced it had ceased shipments of cars including the Yaris Cross. They have admitted to ‘irregularities’ in certification. They stress the existing cars are safe to drive so no issues with that - it looks like it is the Japanese equivalent of Dieselgate and maybe UK petrol hybrids are not effected  

 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Similar topics merged.

3 minutes ago, wivenhoe said:

Toyota announced it had ceased shipments of cars including the Yaris Cross.

The Yaris Cross for the European markets are built in Europe, so not affected by this cessation.

[ColinB]

1 hour ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Similar topics merged.

The Yaris Cross for the European markets are built in Europe, so not affected by this cessation.

Phew, I was worried that my order may have been delayed. At present the eta is August - not sure whether that's beginning of end of. September would give me a 74 reg? 

[CassUK]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wwj1p2wdyo

[WazWii]

This is very interesting.

Akio Toyoda was responsible for TOYOTA's performance improvement in motorsport and performance enchanced vehicles like the GR86. 

If something changes at the top management level then will this investment/strategy be put at risk?

Also it is very interesting that this is happening at a time when there were some calls for him to be removed from his position (some sort of secondary advisory Chairman) due to the slow start of TOYOTA in electric vehicles.

I hope he stays as he really turned TOYOTA into a more performance orientated brand.

[Haliotis]

Is it really a scandal?  Care is needed when reading anything in the news media, and the BBC can be just bad as any other news channel in making mountains out of mole hills.

My take on this is that their vehicles are technically as safe as they claim, and that the falsification of data is clerically based in challenging the data of their competitors.

Unprofesssional behaviour? Yes, no more than a storm in a teacup in the real world.

[WazWii]

Thanks for merging the topics.

The HQ have been raided. Never a good thing. It usually leads to finding more problems in the organization. Lets hope for the best.

[Haliotis]

Has media exposure of this issue changed anyone’s trust in their Toyota?  Falsifying test reports is to be frowned on, of course, but the real crunch is if the tests themselves were carried out to inferior standards.  I haven’t noticed any claims to this being the case, so where do we stand in law as drivers of these cars if they are in fact not up to the safety standards applicable to the vehicle specification?

I am not interested in reports having their data falsified - my concern is that whether the tests themselves were carried out correctly, and whether or not we should be worried about the cars not being as safe as we believe them to be.

[Roy124]

I noticed that they have shut two production lines but there are many more lines in the World. 

Where the issues confined to Japanese criteria?

[Big_D]

I must be honest, I'm not too concerned. I think my C-HR and the Good Lady's Yaris are as safe as they can be. What do these safety tests really confirm in the overall scheme of things. 

[RobMac2020]

Update on Japanese test data from Reuters:

Reuters

Fri, Jul 5, 2024, 7:47 AM GMT+11 min read

In This Article:

• TM+0.02%

TOKYO (Reuters) -Toyota Motor did not find any new cases of wrongdoing in the certification applications of its car models beyond the ones it had already reported last month, the Japanese automaker said in a statement on Friday.

The world's top-selling automaker said it reported its findings to Japan's transport ministry after completing its investigation into the certification process for all domestic models for the past 10 years.