Toyota chief apologises for flawed testing at group company a day before ‘global vision’ announcement

Toyota president Koji Sato on Monday made a public apology for flawed testing at Toyota Industries Corp a day before the announcement of the ‘global vision’ for the Toyota Motor Corp group by Chairman Akio Toyoda, news agency AP reported.

False results were found for certification testing and other sampling inspections for diesel engines made by Toyota Industries which claimed that the products met standards when they actually didn't, Toyota said.

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The problem affects 7,000 vehicles a month in Japan and 36,000 vehicles on a global level sold in Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. They include the Land Cruiser and Hilux sport utility vehicles.

It is important to note that skirting of required tests surfaced last year at Daihatsu Motor Corp, a fully owned subsidiary by Toyota. The cheating spanned decades.

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Toyota has stopped production of several models until proper testing can be carried out, although the company has said that people who already own the models can continue to drive them safely.

Though no major accidents have been reported in connection with any of the cheating, the news has raised serious concerns regarding the oversight at the companies.

“We will do our utmost to resume production as soon as possible,” AP quoted Toyota president Sato as saying at a news conference.

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“Management was not able to fully comprehend and keep track of the details of what was happening on the ground,” the Toyota president added.

Replying to a query regarding the root causes of the repeated scandals at the Japanese automaker, Sato said better communication was needed among the companies. He also stressed the requirement of a thorough education about the importance of complying with rules.

Acknowledging that the workers were feeling pressure to cut corners in an intensely competitive industry, the Toyota president said the management also needs to better understand what is happening on the ground as the technology used in the auto industry is rapidly evolving.

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“We recognize that not only people at the testing site but also management did not have a proper understanding of certification,” he said.

Earlier in 2022, Hino Motors, a truck-making unit of Toyota group, acknowledged that it had systematically falsified emissions data dating back as far as 2003.