Toyota Motor said it has halted global deliveries of 10 vehicles after discovering that a subsidiary mishandled tests of the diesel engines used in the automobiles – the latest embarrassing problem to hit the world’s largest automaker in recent months.
The Toyota subsidiary used software to measure horsepower that ensured “values appear smoother and with less fluctuations,” parent company Toyota said in a statement Monday. The vehicles “meet engine performance standards” and there is no need to discontinue use of the engines or vehicles, the company said.
Nevertheless, Toyota has decided to stop delivering the ten models in question with three diesel engines. The models that will be temporarily shut down include the popular Hilux pickup truck and the Land Cruiser 300 SUV. Toyota did not say how many vehicles were affected.
Japan’s transport ministry said in a statement that it had ordered Toyota Industries to correct mismanagement of engine testing, adding that it would carry out inspections and impose penalties.
“Fraud is an act that undermines user trust and shakes the foundations of the vehicle certification system,” the ministry said.
At a press conference, Toyota Industries CEO Koichi Ito apologized for the mishaps. “We are extremely sorry that Toyota Industries Corp. caused this,” he said. “The cause of the problem was our company system structure.”
Koji Sato, Toyota Motor’s chief executive, said production of about 43,000 diesel engines per month was affected by the problem.
In December, Toyota was rocked by a series of recalls and production stoppages. Initially, about a million vehicles were recalled in the United States because of a problem with airbags. Then it was reported that the Japanese government was investigating its subsidiary Daihatsu over decades-old safety problems.
Daihatsu announced that it would stop shipping all of its models due to the safety inspection irregularities. Last week the company announced it was recalling 320,000 Daihatsu vehicles and was still not ready to reopen its production facilities.
Toyota said it “understands the severity” of the two consecutive testing problems, which “have shaken the company’s foundation as an automaker.”
Japanese auto companies are facing their biggest business challenge since they became global giants in the 1980s. Toyota, which became the leader in efficient automobile manufacturing in the 1970s, has failed to keep pace with changing consumer preferences and the push by governments around the world to significantly reduce the burning of fossil fuels, the leading cause of climate change . Last year, China replaced Japan as the world’s largest car exporter.
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2024-01-29 11:09:20
www.nytimes.com
