Last week we reported on Daihatsu halting gross sales and shipments of all of its vehicles amid a probe into the Toyota subsidiary rigging security exams of 64 totally different fashions, and now the scenario has gotten even worse. On Wednesday, CNN reported that Daihatsu has now stopped manufacturing in any respect 4 of its Japanese factories, with the corporate admitting that it has cast the outcomes of crash exams for greater than 3o years.
The manufacturing facility shutdowns will final at the very least by the tip of January and have an effect on round 9,000 staff; there’s no phrase on whether or not Daihatsu’s vegetation in Indonesia and Malaysia can be affected. The shutdowns come after transport ministry officers carried out a deeper probe following the earlier findings, as CNN stories:
The scandal is one other blow to the automaker, which had admitted in April to violating requirements on crash exams on greater than 88,000 vehicles, largely bought beneath the Toyota model in international locations akin to Malaysia and Thailand.
In that case, “the inside lining of the front seat door was improperly modified” for some checks, whereas Daihatsu didn’t adjust to regulatory necessities for sure facet collision exams, it mentioned in a press release on the time.
In May, the automaker mentioned it had found extra wrongdoing, revealing that it had submitted incorrect knowledge for collision exams on two hybrid electrical autos. The firm mentioned on the time it had stopped delivery and promoting these fashions.
The newest probe additional threatens the corporate’s status. According to a report launched final Wednesday by the investigative committee, 174 extra circumstances had been discovered of Daihatsu manipulating knowledge, making false statements or improperly tinkering with autos to move security certification exams.
According to the investigation, the oldest case is from 1989, whereas the quantity of circumstances has notably elevated since 2014. Some of the affected fashions fall beneath the Mazda, Subaru and Toyota manufacturers. Following the information Toyota’s shares dropped 4 %, and the corporate launched a press release concerning the scenario. From CNN:
In response, the Japanese behemoth has promised to shake up its subsidiary, saying in a press release final week that “fundamental reform is needed to revitalize Daihatsu.”
“This will be an extremely significant task that cannot be accomplished overnight,” Toyota mentioned, including that it might require a sweeping evaluation of administration, operations, and the way the unit was structured.
“We recognize the extreme gravity of the fact that Daihatsu’s neglect of the certification process has shaken the very foundations of the company as an automobile manufacturer,” Toyota added.
There have been no stories of accidents or deaths as a result of rigged exams. Daihatsu was first based in 1951, with Toyota first changing into a significant shareholder in 1967, growing its stake to 51.2 % in 1998 and taking up Daihatsu as an entirely owned subsidiary in 2016. Daihatsu largely focuses on small vehicles and vans, particularly kei autos, and it has produced greater than 1.1 million vehicles to date this 12 months.
Source: jalopnik.com