TOKIO.- Japanese transportation authorities on Tuesday searched a Toyota-affiliated factory after the company admitted to falsifying its engine tests, while Toyota Motor Corp. reported sales of more than 11 million vehicles in 2023 that keep it as the largest automotive of the world.
Hours after the investigation began at the Toyota Industries Corp. plant in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, company President Akio Toyoda vowed to extricate the company from the scandal and ensure that the group’s signatures are limited to “make good cars.”
“My job is to set the path for the entire group to follow,” Toyoda said.
He apologized with a deep bow and noted that the group’s vision was rooted in the founding family’s ideas, Toyoda, of training the “genba,” or plant workers, “to make good cars that lead to happiness.” to the people”.
The testing scandal coincides with a time of stellar results for the group, which produces the Camry sedan, Prius hybrid models and Lexus luxury cars. The group’s global sales in 2023 reached a record of 11.22 million cars, 7% more than the previous year, and surpassed those of the German Volkswagen AG, which sold a total of 9.2 million vehicles.
In April, a whistleblower exposed that Daihatsu Motor Corp., a Toyota company that makes small cars, had been falsifying its tests for decades. In 2022, Hino Motors, a truck maker that is also part of the group, said it had systematically falsified emissions data from at least 2003.
Although no serious accidents have been reported related to this scandal, production of some of the models has been interrupted, including the 10 affected in the latest fraud. Among them are the Land Cruiser and the Hilux, sports utility vehicles sold in Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
In an unrelated issue, Toyota and General Motors Co. asked owners of about 61,000 older Corolla, Matrix, RAV4 and Pontiac Vibe models, mostly in the United States, to stop driving them because their Takata airbag inflators could explode. and throw fragments.
Toyota asks to replace airbags in older Corolla, Matrix and Rav4 models
Monday’s urgent warning includes certain compact vehicles 2003 and 2004 Corolla and Matrix hatchbacks, as well as the 2004 and 2005 RAV4 pickup truck. It also covers about 11,000 2003 and 2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, which are essentially the same as the Matrix and were manufactured at the same California plant. Most of the cars are located in the United States.
“If the airbag deploys, it is more likely that a portion of the interior will explode and throw sharp metal fragments, which could cause serious injury or death to the driver or passengers,” Toyota said in a statement.
The RAV4 trucks included in the recall have Takata airbags on the driver’s side, while the Corolla and Matrix models have them on the passenger side. The Corolla and Matrix have also been mentioned in another recall because the air bags can deploy without a crash, the company said.
Both automakers said owners should contact their local dealership instead of taking their vehicles in for repair. The agencies will present options, such as an in-home repair, towing the vehicle to a dealership, or picking up the car and delivering it later.
Owners can also enter the page nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter the 17 digits of your vehicle identification number to see if your car is among those affected.
Source: With information from AP
