December 20, 2023, will be a day that will leave a heavy mark in the history of Japan's modern industrial development.
Toyota Motor and its wholly-owned subsidiary Daihatsu Motor jointly held a press conference, admitting that "the number of models suspected of falsifying collision test data has expanded from the six models previously exposed to 64 models."
These 64 models include not only the "current models" currently on sale, but also future models that are still in the development stage, and even old models that have been discontinued.
There is no way, Daihatsu's data fraud began at least 34 years ago! This is only because the earliest evidence currently available is from 1989.
In April this year, Daihatsu was found to have falsified crash test data for safety performance testing, and the two models involved were stopped from leaving the factory.
Unexpectedly, the investigation was shocking. The third-party committee found a serious situation that was "unprecedented in the Japanese automobile manufacturing industry": Daihatsu Motor had at least 174 frauds in 25 test items, and the number of suspected models increased to 28.
On December 20, when Daihatsu Motor held a press conference, the number of suspected models expanded to 64. At the press conference, it was announced that all its models, including those from overseas factories, were suspended from leaving the factory.
Daihatsu's top executives, led by President Soichiro Okuda, stood up and bowed to apologize for "betraying the trust of consumers and shaking the foundation of the industry as an automobile manufacturer."
At 9:30 am on December 21, the investigation team of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan entered Daihatsu Motor's headquarters in Osaka to check the content of the report it had submitted with the actual situation.
When answering questions from reporters, the third-party committee clearly stated that its investigation capabilities were limited and that the fraudulent data this time was "only part of what has been found" and might just be the tip of the iceberg.
With the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's investigation team moving in, it remains to be seen whether they will be bold enough to find out something else.
It is still unknown how many tens of thousands of vehicles Daihatsu will need to recall. But Toyota has confirmed that it will recall 1.12 million vehicles with "possible problems" worldwide.
On December 20, local time in the United States, Toyota's North American headquarters announced that it would recall 1.12 million vehicles with "possible airbag problems" worldwide. Among them, 1 million vehicles are in the US market alone.
Recall models: RAV4, Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Sienna, and Lexus ES and RX models.
Toyota said in a statement that the sensor installed in the front passenger seat of some Toyota and Lexus brand cars and SUVs may short-circuit due to manufacturing problems, resulting in improper classification of passenger weight. As a result, the airbags may not be deployed as designed in a possible collision.
Toyota will inspect and repair the recalled vehicles free of charge.
Toyota is the industrial rock of Japan, and it is not an exaggeration to call it the pillar of Japan's economy.
Daihatsu Motor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota, and its management rights are controlled by Toyota. Its current president was sent from Toyota.
Daihatsu Motor was first exposed for falsifying safety test data in April this year. One of the two models involved was the RAIZE produced for Toyota.
Toyota will recall 1.12 million vehicles, and its wholly-owned subsidiary has falsified safety test data on a large scale. Either of these two events alone would be a major event that would shock the Japanese auto industry.
Although there is no clear correlation between the two based on current information, Toyota's proactive recall of problematic vehicles and active repairs can even be considered a good corporate attitude. However, the two major events overlapped at the same time, and the negative impact caused by 1+1 is greater than 2.
"Toyota also falsified, so the car had problems?"
"Toyota condoned Daihatsu's falsification?"
Ordinary doubts from ordinary people, reasonable angles, terrible impact...
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