Tokyo — A security check scandal at Japanese automakers widened Monday, with Toyota Motor and Mazda each halting shipments of some automobiles after Japan’s transport ministry discovered irregularities in purposes to certify sure fashions.
The irregularities have been additionally present in purposes from Honda (HMC), Suzuki and Yamaha Motor, the ministry stated. The automakers have been discovered to have submitted incorrect or manipulated security check knowledge after they utilized for certification of the automobiles.
The ministry ordered Toyota (TM), the world’s largest carmaker by the variety of automobiles offered, Mazda and Yamaha to droop shipments of some automobiles.
The most recent revelations got here after the ministry requested automakers in January to research certification purposes following a security check scandal at Toyota’s Daihatsu compact automotive unit that emerged final 12 months.
Monday’s developments are additionally prone to heighten give attention to Toyota’s annual normal assembly later this month. Influential proxy advisory corporations Institutional Shareholder Companies and Glass Lewis have beneficial shareholders vote in opposition to re-electing Akio Toyoda as chairman on the assembly.
In a report back to shareholders, ISS singled out the “spate of certification irregularities” on the Toyota Group.
Toyoda, the grandson of the automaker’s founder, advised journalists Monday: “Because the particular person in control of the Toyota Group, I want to sincerely apologize to our clients, to automotive followers, and all stakeholders for this.”
He stated the automobiles had not gone by way of the proper certification course of earlier than being offered. Toyota stated it had quickly halted shipments and gross sales of three automotive fashions made in Japan.
The scandals on the automakers are proving to be a sore level for the Japanese authorities, which has in any other case earned reward from traders and executives for its company reforms. Authorities spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi referred to as the misconduct “regrettable.”
Toyota stated its wrongdoing had occurred throughout six totally different checks performed in 2014, 2015, and 2020. The fashions affected have been the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross, and discontinued variations of 4 fashionable fashions, together with one offered underneath the Lexus luxurious model.
In a single instance, the corporate had measured collision injury on one facet of a mannequin’s hood whereas it was required to take action on each side.
Toyota additionally stated it’s nonetheless investigating points associated to automobile gas effectivity and emissions, and aimed to finish that inquiry by the top of June.
It added that there have been no efficiency points that violated rules and clients didn’t have to cease utilizing their automobiles.
Toyota shares closed down 1.8%, in distinction to a 0.9% achieve within the broad Topix index.
Mazda suspended shipments of its Roadster RF sports activities automotive and the Mazda2 hatchback from Thursday final week after discovering that staff had modified engine management software program check outcomes, it stated in a press release.
It additionally discovered that crash checks of the Atenza and Axela fashions, that are now not in manufacturing, had been tampered with by utilizing a timer to set off airbags throughout some frontal collision checks, as a substitute of counting on an on-board sensor to detect a success.
Mazda shares fell 3.3%.
Yamaha stated it had halted shipments of a sports activities bike.
Honda stated it had discovered wrongdoing in noise and output checks over a interval of greater than eight years to October 2017 on some two dozen fashions which are now not being produced.