Japanese Automakers Admit to Faking Safety Tests

Facts

• Several top Japanese automakers have admitted to circumventing Japan's safety regulations, falsifying reports, and mishandling vehicle testing for dozens of models over the past 10 years.¹
• While Toyota appears to be the biggest offender, Honda, Mazda, Suzuki, and Yamaha also admitted to filing fake safety test reports. Though most models are discontinued, Toyota and Mazda have been forced to pause sales of current vehicles involved.²
• This comes after Daihatsu Motor, a Toyota subsidiary, last December reported that most of its vehicles weren't subject to proper collision-safety testing. In January, Japan's transport ministry responded by ordering 85 companies to investigate any potential problems with their testing processes.¹
• Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda on Monday apologized for producing cars without taking adequate precautionary steps. The world's largest carmaker suspended three current models — the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio, and Yaris Cross — and its headquarters were inspected by Japanese officials on Tuesday.³
• Toyota's failures included collision tests, engine power tests, airbag inflation tests, and rear-seat damage tests. However, the automaker said that cars produced overseas weren't impacted.⁴
• Mazda admitted fabricating test results for five models, including the Mazda2 and Roadster RF, which are still being manufactured, while Honda admitted to faking noise and gasoline engine output data for more than 3M vehicles sold in Japan.⁵

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Top Gear, ³BBC News, ⁴Sky News and ⁵Autoevolution.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Nikkei Asia. Toyota's testing scandal adds a blemish to the Japanese auto industry and undermines the goodwill of the nation's renowned motor industry. It isn't the only Japanese company to falsify testing reports, but its improprieties have had the biggest impact on Japan's market and reputation. Toyota is losing credibility, and it's fair to question if these testing failures impacted the safety of its vehicles.
• Narrative B, as provided by Dw.Com. Toyota isn't a perfect company, and its leadership recognizes its mistakes. Like its fellow Japanese automakers, Toyota was pressured to rush vehicles to market under tight deadlines, causing it to skirt certain protocols. While this certainly wasn't the proper decision, it didn't impact the safety or performance of any cars. Drivers should continue to feel confident in their Toyotas.

Predictions