Toyota: the Daihatsu crash test scandal in 3 questions

After its Hino Motors subsidiary dedicated to heavy goods vehicles falsified polluting emissions values, the Toyota group finds itself involved in a new scandal. This time it concerns security and concerns the manufacturer Daihatsu, also owned by the group.

What caused this scandal?

On April 28, 2023, a whistleblower working on a Daihatsu site reported irregularities in safety tests. The oldest Japanese manufacturer then admitted to having rigged the crash tests conducted internally on four models, i.e. 88,000 cars produced in Thailand and Malaysia between 2022 and 2023. An internal investigation was also launched by the Toyota group, which This was supplemented by another investigation, this time entrusted to an independent third-party committee. Its conclusions are worrying to say the least. It appears that the scale of the scandal is even greater than was first imagined.

Daihatsu is accused of having intentionally rigged certain test procedures. The first irregularities noted date back to the 1990s and they have accelerated over the last ten years. According to Makoto Kaiami, who headed the expert committee, Daihatsu employees were “exposed to intense pressure to pass crash tests the first time” in order to minimize the number of prototypes destroyed and thus “lower the costs”.

In total, 174 irregularities in testing procedures were noted. The cars were thus able to be modified by Daihatsu employees, as well as the test equipment, all with the aim of making it easier to obtain a positive result. For example, some models underwent crash tests before their airbag trigger module was developed. The solution found by Daihatsu: manually trigger the airbags with a timer, which does not ensure that they would actually be triggered in real conditions. Many test conclusions have also been falsified, showing a speed or tire pressure different from that tested. Several tests were thus avoided or botched.

Which cars are affected?

No less than 64 models and three engines are affected by these irregularities, and not only at Daihatsu. Thus, certain Toyotas and some Mazdas and Subarus are also involved in this scandal. These are models whose development was entrusted to Daihatsu and produced in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and even Vietnam. This is for example the case of the Toyota Raize and Subaru Rex, which are copies of the Daihatsu Rocky. In total, several million cars currently in circulation are affected by these irregularities.

Daihatsu having left Europe in 2012 and being specialized in small, low-cost cars (notably the famous kei cars), it is above all the Asian markets which are affected by this scandal. However, we note that certain Toyota iQ (2008 to 2015) and Daihatsu Cuore (1998 to 2002) sold in Europe are also affected.

And now ?

Daihatsu and its parent company Toyota have apologized. The group notably recognized the“extreme gravity” facts and provides for a “fundamental restructuring” for Daihatsu as a company. All models developed by Daihatsu have seen their marketing suspended. For some, they may not meet current safety standards, says Toyota.

“At present we are not aware of any accident information related to this topic, but we are carrying out thorough technical checks and investigating the cause in order to take the necessary measures as soon as possible”explains Toyota, which has not yet chosen to carry out possible recalls.