Toyota and subsidiary Daihatsu reports discrepancies in crash testing of some models

MANILA: Over the long weekend, it was revealed by Toyota Motor Corp's affiliate, Daihatsu, that there were some discrepancies surrounding the safety testing procedures related to 88,000 of their compact cars. The brand stated that there were modifications made to a section of the door panels that might affect test results. The majority of these cars were sold under the Toyota brand.

The companies stated that they had altered the door trim of the impacted cars by creating a "notch." The purpose of this modification was to reduce the possibility that the door's interior could fracture with a sharp edge during safety testing, which could cause harm to an occupant if the side airbag is deployed in a collision.

According to Akio Toyoda, the Chairman of Toyota, the companies are currently looking into how safety tests were altered for Yaris and other vehicle models. He apologized for what he deemed an "unacceptable" breach of consumer confidence. Toyota also mentioned and confirmed that there were no reports of accidents or injuries related to the manipulated side-crash test.

Toyoda told reporters: "We'll proceed with a detailed investigation from here on, but promise to decisively understand what happened at the site, investigate the true intentions and sincerely work to prevent a recurrence,".

The report mentioned that models such as the Toyota Yaris Ativs made in Thailand from last August, and Perodua Axias manufactured in Malaysia starting from February this year were the ones affected. There have been no confirmations as of yet if any models sold in the Philippines are affected by this. Toyota models manufactured by their subsidiary, Daihatsu are best sellers in the country, particularly the: Subcompact Crossover, Toyota Raize, and Toyota Rush, mini-Hatchback Toyota Wigo, and the Toyota Avanza and Veloz. 

The revelation of the manipulated safety test is the first major problem that Toyota President Koji Sato has faced since taking over from Toyoda on April 1.

Sato stated that: "We have to find the cause of what happened, including examining the environment in which it happened, and once we've confirmed that to take appropriate action to address the underlying cause,". 

Toyota Motor Philippines holds a 46.85% of all sales in the market and is on track for another record year. The company has yet to release an official statement regarding this developing concern.

Also Read:  Local auto sales increase 34% in first two months of 2023

Photos by Toyota and Roy Robles