Japan has suspended deliveries and sales of six vehicles, including three made by Toyota Motor Corp., escalating a safety scandal that has implicated several of the world’s top automakers.
Toyota submitted incorrect data during pedestrian safety tests for three current models — the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross — and used modified test vehicles during crash safety tests for four past models, including the Crown, the Transportation Department said Monday. Toyota was among five automakers, including Honda Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp., which were found to have falsified or manipulated safety data when applying for certification.
“We neglected the certification process and began mass producing our vehicles without first taking proper precautions,” Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda told reporters on Monday. “For this we apologize to our customers and all motorists.”
Toyota said the supply stoppage would affect two assembly lines responsible for producing 130,000 units a year. The world’s largest automaker produced and sold more than 11 million passenger vehicles in 2023.
Meanwhile, Mazda said it fabricated test results and tampered with devices used for crash testing in five models, including the Mazda2 and Roadster RF, according to the company. statement Monday. The faults were found in more than 150,000 units produced by the automaker since 2014 for the Japanese market.
“We will bear the costs incurred by suppliers due to the supply stoppage,” Mazda Chief Executive Masahiro Moro said Monday, adding that the company would work to prevent similar mistakes from happening again. The suspension is likely to affect 3,500 orders, and the automaker is not considering a recall at this time.
Moreau attributed the data problems to employees’ misinterpretation of unclear procedural instructions, rather than to “organizational cover-up” or “malicious falsification.”
Crisis of confidence
The ministry also found that 32 previously released vehicles from five automakers were improperly certified. Officials will conduct an investigation at the site of Toyota’s Nagoya headquarters on Tuesday, the ministry said.
Toyota shares fell 1.8% in Tokyo. Mazda shares fell 3.3%, while Yamaha Motor Co. shares fell 3.3%. fell by 0.6%. Suzuki Motor Corp. shares closed up 1.5% after lowering previous gains.
The findings were the latest blow to the deepening crisis of confidence among Japanese automakers. Earlier this year, the Transportation Department ordered nearly 90 manufacturers to review their testing procedures after decades of fraud were discovered at two Toyota subsidiaries.
In December, an internal investigation of Daihatsu Motor Co. revealed that most of its vehicles were not properly tested for crash safety. Toyota Industries Corp. also suspended all engine deliveries in January after an investigation revealed falsification of power output figures.
The latest investigations continue a series of scandals involving companies such as Nissan Motor Co., Mazda and Suzuki that spanned more than a decade, including falsifying emissions and fuel economy data. Airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after one of the world’s most famous product recall crises.
Of the 68 cases already completed in the latest round of investigations, the ministry also found violations at four other manufacturers: Honda, Mazda, Yamaha Motor and Suzuki. The ministry ordered five automakers to suspend deliveries of all vehicles with invalid certificates.
The ministry’s investigation is ongoing, and of the 17 companies under investigation, Toyota is the only one where problems have been identified.