Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. announced on January 16, 2023, that it had undergone an on- site inspection by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism regarding the certification fraud issue, and that it had been found to have engaged in particularly egregious fraud, including activating airbags with a timer during crash tests, in three vehicle models (truck type) sold in Japan: the Daihatsu Gran Max, the Toyota Town Ace, and the Mazda Bongo. The inspection found that the procedures for revoking the type designation had begun, and that 14 new cases of fraud had been confirmed.
Toyota Motor Corporation President and CEO Sato stated at a press conference that it is possible to continue using the current vehicles, and that the company will redo all type certification procedures. It will announce measures to prevent recurrence and a reform of its management structure within one month.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Daihatsu fraud issue
On December 20, 2023, we received the third-party committee’s investigation report and submitted it to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The following day, MLIT conducted an on-site inspection to verify the report’s contents. As a result of the inspection, procedures were initiated to revoke the model approvals of three domestically sold vehicles (Daihatsu Gran Max, Toyota Town Ace, and Mazda Bongo) that were deemed to have engaged in particularly egregious fraudulent conduct, and 14 new cases of fraudulent conduct were confirmed. Regarding the company’s system for engaging in fraudulent conduct that violated laws and regulations, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito handed a corrective order to Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. President and CEO Okudaira, urging fundamental reforms to prevent such conduct from ever happening again . Regarding two vehicles (Daihatsu Cast and Toyota Pixis Joy) that may be non-compliant with standards, we instructed them to promptly notify the MLIT if a recall is necessary. Going forward, we will compile preventative measures and submit them to the MLIT within one month, and will report on their implementation status on a quarterly basis.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Type Approval Cancellation
If the type designation is revoked, each new car will have to undergo a vehicle inspection, which effectively means that the manufacturer will no longer be able to mass-produce the car. Even if the manufacturer applies for a new designation, the inspection will be stricter than usual and it is expected to take time.
Daihatsu finds 174 new cases of fraud and suspends shipments of all models. List of affected models
Toyota News Release
https://global.toyota/jp/newsroom/corporate/40334497.html
Daihatsu news release
