Toyota Halts Three Models Amid Fabricated Certification Scandal

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In an unexpected turn of events that has rocked the automotive world, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda made a public apology on Monday for a slew of fabricated certification tests regarding seven distinct vehicle models, resulting in an immediate cessation of production for three of these models at the Japanese facility.

The affair marks a scandalous chapter in the history of the nation’s leading automaker, seen as a flagrant compromise of rigorous safety procedures. Investigations reveal a spate of testing blunders, such as utilizing obsolete or insufficient collision data, flawed evaluation of rear-seat damage and airbag inflation, and even falsifications in engine power tests.


Out of the web of deceit emerges three vehicle models that have been hit the hardest: the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio, and Yaris Cross. Though the reckless testing pervaded discontinued models as well, Toyota assures that this breach of trust will not impede the safety of vehicles already on the roads, which notably encompasses Corolla subcompacts and Lexus luxury vehicles.

At a press conference, the weight of the revelations was palpable as Toyoda addressed reporters. In a ceremonial gesture of contrition typical of Japanese business culture, the besieged chairman bowed deeply before his audience, holding the posture pensively for several moments.

The saga of Toyota’s malpractices began unbuffering in January when the Japanese government kickstarted an investigation into the automaker. Fortunately, the fracas does not extend its shadow over Toyota’s production abroad.

In a similar vein, Monday also bore witness to Mazda Motor Corp., Toyota’s homegrown rival, confessing to similar anomalies through irregular certification testing and abruptly halting production of two models, namely the Roadster and Mazda 2. The violations were pinned to incorrect engine control software used during the tests. Mazda, too, reassured that safety is unscathed by these violations.

Honda Motor Co. weighed in on the day’s proceedings, as it tendered its own apology for improper testing, such as those concerning noise levels and torque. Older models like the Accord, Odyssey, and Fit that are no longer in production were impacted, although the company remains adamant that safety remains uncompromised.

This waves of scandal began emerging about two years ago in the corner of Toyota, sweeping along with it truck manufacturer Hino Motors, Daihatsu Motor Co. – known for their compact models, and Toyota Industries Corp., a machinery and parts maker.

Notably, Shinji Miyamoto, a Toyota executive in charge of customer satisfaction, pointed to the company instituting its own internal investigations as soon as they learned of the issues at their subsidiaries.

This unravelling of the testing system at Toyota and its associated companies paints an humiliating portrait for an automaker puffed up with pride on its perfectionist production ethos and its worker-supportive corporate culture of building “ever-better cars”.

The company’s heir, Toyoda, though acknowledging this disgraceful episode, hinted that the stringent certification rules might be unreasonable due to variations in regulations globally. Still, he was insistent that such transgressions had no place in the company’s culture.

“While we strive for perfection, we are not infallible. Anytime we notice a fault, we will humbly step back and endeavor to rectify it,” said Toyoda. He also conveyed that in a rush to keep the ball rolling, abridged testing procedures may have been inadvertently adopted when the company was inundated with new model variations.

It’s worth noting that Toyota, a global giant in the automotive world, sells more than a whopping 10 million vehicles on an international scale.