TOKYO — The Japanese authorities ordered Toyota Motor on Wednesday to make “drastic reforms” after discovering new violations within the automaker’s car certification procedures.
In a so-called corrective order, the transport ministry mentioned on-site inspections had uncovered widespread, intentional misconduct and irregularities in seven extra fashions that had not been beforehand disclosed.
Toyota mentioned the corrective order instructed it to “make drastic reforms to make sure acceptable certification operations”.
The automaker added it was within the technique of confirming compliance with necessities for the fashions concerned, and that prospects didn’t must cease utilizing affected autos.
Earlier this month, Toyota mentioned it had not discovered any new circumstances of wrongdoing in automobile mannequin certification purposes past those it had already reported in June.
Toyota and 4 different car makers admitted in June they’d submitted both flawed or manipulated information when making use of for certification of autos.
Toyota’s wrongdoing concerned three manufacturing fashions — the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross — and discontinued variations of 4 different fashions, together with one bought below the posh Lexus model.
Toyota mentioned it was planning to renew manufacturing for these fashions from the start of September after the transport ministry confirmed they met compliance necessities.
The Japanese automakers carried out the investigation after the transport ministry ordered industry-wide checks of certification practices following a security take a look at scandal at Toyota’s Daihatsu compact automobile unit.
The ministry mentioned six of the seven extra Toyota fashions with irregularities have been additionally licensed in different nations, and it had alerted abroad authorities concerning the points.
4 of the extra fashions — a minivan bought below the names of Noah and Voxy, and the RAV4, Harrier, and Lexus LM — are nonetheless in manufacturing by Toyota whereas three are not manufactured.