Toyota suspends shipment of vehicles due to new irregularities

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that it decided to temporarily suspend shipments of a handful of its popular models due to new procedural irregularities.

Per the list published by TMC, the nameplates in the interim suspension include the Toyota Wigo, Rush, Avanza, Veloz, Raize, Yaris, Vios, and Yaris Cross.

The affected models are currently in production and are sold in countries namely Ecuador, Uruguay, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

According to Toyota, Daihatsu — its subsidiary — commissioned an independent third-party committee to investigate its safety testing procedures.

The results found on the investigation revealed new irregularities in 174 items within 25 test categories. The said newfound issues are on top of the door lining irregularity in April and the side collision test irregularity in May.

These — TMC pointed out — encompassed a total of 64 models and three engines of vehicles (total of models currently being produced, developed, or ceased in production), including 22 models and one engine being sold by Toyota.

Since 2013, Toyota stated that it has been increasing the number of original equipment manufacturer models it receives from other companies, which are mainly compact vehicles. On that note, the Aichi-headquartered brand explained that it was not aware of the situation with the Daihatsu’s certification operations.

“We recognize the extreme gravity of the fact that Daihatsu’s neglect of the certification process has shaken the very foundations of the company as an automobile manufacturer,” Toyota wrote in a press release.

“Daihatsu has informed us that, going forward, it will clarify the situation with the authorities and take appropriate action under their guidance. It will also thoroughly investigate whether there have been any other similar cases to ensure customer safety first and foremost. We at Toyota will also fully cooperate with this investigation,” it added.

Photos from Toyota Motor Company, Ruben Manahan IV, and Juan Paulo Papa

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