Suzuki Motor Corporation has received instructions from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to conduct a fact-finding investigation into whether there were any fraudulent practices in type approval applications, and has reported the results of the investigation to the ministry.We are pleased to report that the investigation uncovered one past case of fraud (2014).
Suzuki HBD-HA36V 17956 Alto
- Mass production/sales start: December 2014
- Mass production/sales end: December 2017
- Total production/sales: 26,023 units/25,999 units
Details of the fraud case
In the “Truck and Bus Braking System Test Records and Results (TRIAS 12-J010-01-Appendix)” submitted when applying for the type approval of the Alto (cargo specification) (without ABS) in September 2014, the stopping distance in the fade test was listed as shorter than the stopping distance measured in the actual test.
cause
In the in-house certification test, the brake force was weak, well below the specified value, resulting in a stopping distance that was too close to the legal requirements. However, there was no time to conduct a retest before the deadline for submitting the test report. Therefore, we believe that someone involved in the test thought it would be acceptable to rewrite the stopping distance to one that assumed the brakes were applied close to the specified value, and intentionally rewrote it. Currently, the in-house certification test process is carried out in such a way that the legal certification department, an organization independent from the design and development department, is present to verify the test results and report, which is a system that prevents fraud from occurring.
“Since the discovery of fraudulent conduct in fuel economy and emissions tests in 2016, we have created and implemented an internal system to prevent fraud from occurring, and have continued various measures, including workplace dialogue by the president, as well as the “Remember 5.18 Initiative,” which prioritizes quality, fosters an open organization, and maintains a high level of awareness of compliance with laws and regulations. We believe that such fraud will no longer occur. We will continue to work company-wide to strengthen compliance,” the company said.
Suzuki news release
