Tuesday saw a raid by Japan’s transport ministry into the Toyota headquarters as the crisis involving erroneous safety data intensified.
The biggest automaker in the world has expressed regret for giving false or fraudulent information for safety certification tests.
The scandal has shocked the Japanese auto industry, as rival manufacturers Honda, Mazda, and Suzuki have also admitted to providing fictitious data.
In 2023, Toyota sold almost 11 million passenger cars.
It has stated that the results have no bearing on the safety of cars that are currently on the road.
The Corolla Fielder, Axio, and Yaris Cross are the three automobile models for which the firm has halted production.
Additionally, it has been charged with utilizing cars that have been modified for safety collision testing even though those cars are no longer manufactured.
The raids occurred one day after Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda issued an apology to fans and consumers.
As is traditional in Japan when businesses apologize for transgressions, he bowed deeply and held the position for a brief period of time.
Mr. Toyoda stated, “We mass produced our cars without first taking the proper precautionary steps, and we neglected the certification process.”
The authorities plan to check Japanese automakers Honda, Mazda, and Suzuki in relation to the same matter.
Honda has emphasized that its cars are safe to drive even though it admitted to cheating on tests pertaining to engine power and noise.
Mazda has announced that it will pay its suppliers’ costs after stopping the shipping of certain vehicles.