Toyota Motor Corp. has halted shipments of 10 additional vehicle models due to another case of inappropriate product testing at a company that supplies engines to the automaker. This time, the issue involves product certification at Toyota Industries, adding to previous testing problems at Toyota's affiliates, Daihatsu and Hino Motors.
Toyota announced the suspension of shipments for various vehicles equipped with diesel engines supplied by Toyota Industries. These include the Toyota Hiace van, Hilux and Fortuner SUVs, Innova MPV, Land Cruiser 300, and Lexus LX 500d SUVs. These suspensions are a concerning development for the world's largest automaker, which is already dealing with similar issues at Daihatsu and Hino.
This revelation comes just before Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is set to unveil a new global vision for the Toyota Group. Toyota acknowledges the seriousness of the repeated certification irregularities at Toyota Industries Corp. (TICO), following those at Daihatsu, and recognizes the need for a mindset change and corporate culture reform.
In the past year, Daihatsu faced a suspension of all model shipments due to safety test rigging, and Hino was involved in an emissions scandal. These incidents have led to a reevaluation of partnerships and mergers within the Toyota Group.
The Toyota Group, consisting of numerous companies with intertwined histories, is working to sell crossholdings to invest in new technologies. The recent engine testing issues at Toyota Industries affected markets in Europe, Japan, mainland Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Toyota has not specified the number of affected vehicles or when shipments might resume.
Toyota Industries certified the diesel engines using different software to manipulate horsepower performance measurements. However, Toyota assures that mass-produced vehicles meet company standards, and there is no need to stop using vehicles already on the road.
Toyota Industries, known for manufacturing forklifts, has identified violations in engine models for forklifts and construction machinery. These violations include breaches of domestic testing rules for durability. Shipments of these engines and related forklifts have also been suspended.