By our economics editors
Dec 25, 2023 at 12:20 Update: 3 hours ago
Japanese automaker Daihatsu will no longer supply cars and parts until January. For the time being, Toyota’s subsidiary is trying to limit the consequences of a study that showed that almost all Daihatsus had not been properly tested for crash safety.
In April it was announced that safety tests on Daihatsu cars had been manipulated. At that time it seemed to involve a limited number of models. But last week it became clear that Daihatsu has been cheating on testing since 1989.
Parent company Toyota immediately reported that no more Daihatsu cars will be sold for the time being. Daihatsu itself apologized “deeply” for “betraying the trust of our customers and shareholders.” Japanese authorities also raided Daihatsu’s headquarters in Osaka last week.
It is still very unclear how to proceed with Daihatsu. Toyota said it is not aware of any accidents or incidents related to the problem. But all 423 companies that Daihatsu directly supplies will be compensated, a Daihatsu spokesperson told reporters on Monday.
Other airbags in crash tests
The investigation focused on the airbags. For example, it emerged that the airbags used during crash tests were different from the airbags installed in cars sold to consumers. Therefore, the test results of the Daihatsu Cast and Toyota Pixis models may not meet legal requirements.
The move to suspend Daihatsu deliveries will not only be noticeable at factories within the Toyota group, but possibly also at industry peers such as Mazda and Subaru. Daihatsu normally supplies parts and production services to a range of other car manufacturers. Daihatsu says it is cooperating with the authorities and supporting involved parties where possible.
The Netherlands has 47 dealers of the Japanese brand.
Image: REUTERS
2023-12-25 11:20:54
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