Toyota’s subsidiary Daihatsu was made to shut down its production lines at all four of its Japanese factories on December 26. The company is under investigation for improper safety certification tests by transport ministry officials.
The Associated Press stated that the shutdown occurred a week after Daihatsu announced it was suspending all vehicle shipments in and out of the country when it found that the organization used improper testing for 64 vehicle models. Ministry officials then launched a more extensive investigation into decades-old testing problems.
In April 2023, Daihatsu reported improper testing on the door linings of cars, and a month later, side collision testing issues surfaced. Making matters worse, they also found data falsification and unauthorized testing procedures. An investigation earlier in 2023 found widespread and systemic problems within the company. No reports of deaths or accidents have been linked to the falsified tests.
The company did not say when it will begin production again, and some media outlets are reporting the suspension could last through January at least. During the 2022 fiscal year, Daihatsu assembled approximately 870,000 vehicles at its four Japanese plants.
