Toyota has stopped the sale of two low-tonnage trucks equipped with motors subsidiary Hino Motors. The reason was the diesel scandal: the company is accused of fraud with measurements of harmful emissions of engines on “heavy” fuel. An in-depth investigation revealed that Hino had been falsifying data for almost two decades, although initially, it was about trucks sold on the domestic market since 2016.
Low-tonnage Toyota Dyna and Toyoace trucks equipped with a four-liter Hino diesel engine will not be available for purchase on the Japanese market for some time. It turned out that about 19 thousand cars sold since 2019 have not passed a sufficient number of tests according to the established methodology, and the data on engine exhaust does not correspond to real indicators.
Cars are not subject to recall, since they still do not violate the limits set in Japan for the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases, Reuters reports, citing representatives of Hino.
Hino was caught cheating in March 2022. Then the company admitted to falsifying data for certification since 2016: the problem affected at least 115 thousand trucks sold during this time. It was reported that the engines were tested right at the factory, gradually changing the details of the exhaust system until the desired result was achieved.
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A more thorough investigation found that the manufacturer engaged in fraud much earlier — at least in 2003, and these actions impacted about 640 thousand cars sold.
The scandal drew attention to Toyota, which is already going through hard times. The auto giant, which owns 50.1 percent of Hino shares, is accused of insufficient control over the actions of the “daughter”. Hino has been part of Toyota since 2001, and since then most of the manufacturer’s top managers have come from the parent company. Amid the Dieselgate, Hino shares fell by 5.9 percent on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters