Japan’s transport ministry is set to take regulatory action as early as this month against Toyota Industries [6201:JP], an affiliate of Toyota Motor [7203:JP], for cheating at engine emissions tests, as reported by Nikkei Asia on February 20. In January, Toyota Industries reported to the ministry that it had engaged in misconduct that included tampering with performance test data for multiple forklift and automobile engine models. The ministry is considering the revocation of the firm’s certification for producing excavator engines. Furthermore, the regulator will weigh the severity of the misconduct before deciding whether to take similar action against two forklift engine models found egregious cheating in emissions tests.
This cheating scandal was exposed after a series of similar problems that had happened to Toyota Motors in recent years. In March 2022, Hino Motors [7205:JP], a truck manufacturer affiliated with the Toyota Group, also admitted that it had faked data on emissions and mileage at government-required tests, revealing a systematic data fabrication since 2003. Last year, Toyota-owned light automobile maker Daihatsu Motor was also found falsifying safety test results, resulting in a government order to halt production of its entire lineup. These scandals have raised serious questions about oversight at Toyota and its subsidiaries. In response to its latest testing irregularities that affect 36,000 vehicles worldwide, Toyota chief Koji Sato has apologized to customers, suppliers, and dealers, pledging better communication among the companies and more thorough education about regulatory compliance.
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