Daihatsu Motor Co., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., has admitted to manipulating crash test results on 88,000 vehicles manufactured in Thailand and Malaysia and sold within the past year. This revelation affects Toyota-branded Yaris Ativ and Agya models, as well as Perodua cars produced by a Malaysian joint venture and another vehicle being developed by Daihatsu. These vehicles were sold in several countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Mexico.
According to Daihatsu, the vehicles had components in their door trims during crash tests that likely influenced the results and were different from those eventually sold to the public. The automaker has assured its customers that it will conduct tests again, and sales will resume only if the vehicles are certified properly.
At a media briefing on Friday, Daihatsu President Soichiro Okudaira apologized to the customers and stakeholders for betraying their trust and support. He also disclosed that a third-party investigation would be conducted to investigate the matter.
This is not the first time a Toyota subsidiary has been accused of fraudulent practices. In March 2022, Hino Motors Ltd., another Toyota unit, revealed that it had been sending fabricated emission and fuel economy data to authorities since at least 2016 and that it had sold more than 115,000 vehicles certified using fake data.
Despite these setbacks, Toyota group's production reached a record 10.7 million vehicles worldwide in the fiscal year through March, with global sales totaling 10.6 million. While Toyota continues to enjoy robust sales, the company's reputation has taken a hit in recent years due to a spate of scandals involving its subsidiaries.