Following an investigation revealing decades-long manipulation of collision safety test results by Daihatsu Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota, the Japanese government has revoked certification for three cars produced by the company.
On January 16th, Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tetsuo Saito, issued a rectification order to Daihatsu Motors' President, Soichiro Okudaira, instructing the company to take measures to prevent such incidents from happening again. Saito expressed deep regret over the situation.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry stated that safety certifications for three cars, including Daihatsu Gran Max, Toyota TownAce, and Mazda Bongo, were revoked due to manipulated test results. This marks the first major directive from the Japanese government since the scandal came to light in December last year.
Tatsuo Yoshida, Senior Automotive Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, commented, "This was expected, but it seems unlikely that other vehicles besides these three will have their certifications revoked." Yoshida pointed out that the financial burden of reobtaining certification, restarting production, and compensating thousands of partners could be overwhelming for Daihatsu, prompting Toyota to intervene.
In early 2023, Daihatsu Motors was found to have potentially manipulated test results for half of its car models. Last month, an internal investigation by the company revealed 174 instances of misconduct in 64 car models dating back to 1989, turning the incident into a comprehensive scandal.
Daihatsu and its suppliers have suspended domestic operations until the end of January, but with the Japanese government taking action, this timeline may change.
Furthermore, the suspension of shipments by Daihatsu will impact cars produced both in Japan and overseas, affecting not only Toyota's factories but also potentially impacting Mazda and Subaru. This is because Daihatsu Motors provides components and manufacturing services to a range of other automakers.
