Toyota's certification scandal: Chief apologizes for diesel engine testing irregularities

On January 29, Toyota announced that it halted the shipment of several models due to "irregularities" in certification tests for diesel engines. The company's Chief, Koji Sato, apologizes for the incident.

As the company's official website suggests, Toyota Industries Corporation "received a report from the special investigation committee commissioned to investigate potential irregularities of certification regulations related to inappropriate domestic emissions certification of engines for forklifts and construction machinery."

Models with engines affected by the irregularities above are: Land Cruiser Prado, Hiace/Granace/Ace/Bongo Brawny Van (Mazda), Dyna/Dutro, Hilux, Fortuner, Innova, Land Cruiser 300 and LX500d.

As stated by the Associated Press, Toyota Motor Corporation's Chief Koji Sato "apologized to customers, suppliers and dealers" at the news conference at Toyota’s Tokyo office, claiming that the company will "do their utmost to resume production as soon as possible". "Management was not able to fully comprehend and keep track of the details of what was happening on the ground", he added.

The recent problem with falsified tests is not the first issue in Toyota's history. As NHRegister.com points out, in 2022, Hino Motors, a producer of the Toyota group, revealed that beginning in 2003, it systematically manipulated emissions data.

Toyota is a Japanese auto manufacturer headquartered in north-central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937. With an annual production of 10 million vehicles, it is claimed to be the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world.

Koji Sato started working for the firm in 1992. He became President of Toyota Motor Corporation in April 2023.

Sources: ABCNews.com, APNews.com, Global.Toyota, NHRegister.com