Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and Suzuki under scrutiny over certification scandal

ABU DHABI: In Japan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and Suzuki faced a recent certification scandal, resulting in government raids and halted shipments of select models. Despite the magnitude of this scandal, the impact on their day-to-day operations and customers appears minimal.

This situation follows a government order issued after fraud was discovered at Toyota affiliates. The government directed nearly 90 manufacturers to reexamine testing procedures, adding to the challenges for Japan's automakers and Toyota. Despite these ongoing issues, their shares are up for 2024, with no safety warnings or recalls issued in this latest round.

Toyota's head office apologized for the inconvenience caused to consumers, assuring that these findings would not affect the safety of cars already on the road.

Mazda admitted to improperly modifying vehicles and rewriting engine tunes, but authorities confirmed that production models meet all essential safety standards.

Honda faced allegations of supplying incorrect noise test results for 22 models. Suzuki submitted incorrect braking test results for the Alto hatch sold overseas, revealing that the actual stopping distance exceeded the reported measurements. 

Yamaha was accused of submitting incorrect horn tests on two models and false noise tests on one bike. Japanese authorities have partnered with these five companies following Toyota's acceptance of test cheating.

The ongoing investigation stems from past scandals involving Mazda, Suzuki, and Nissan, including fuel economy and emission data falsification. The 2017 bankruptcy of Takata marked a significant recall crisis. It is anticipated that these irregularities might be caused by the increased complexity of vehicle development.

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