Aug 23 (Nikkei) - Toyota Motor unit Hino Motors on Monday revealed improper engine performance testing for its light-duty commerical trucks, widening a quality control scandal just weeks after acknowledging it had falsified emissions tests on larger vehicles for decades.
The company said it had not tested the emissions levels of its Hino Dutro light truck engines at least twice, as regulations require, despite submitting documents to authorities that it had done so.
Hino suspended shipments of the trucks in question Monday. The automaker now is unable to ship any trucks built with its own engines to the Japanese market -- about 40% of Hino's global vehicle output. Nearly all of Hino's truck shipments in Japan are under suspension.
"This is a serious issue and indefensible that after reporting the results of our own verification, additional irregularities were discovered by the authorities," Satoshi Ogiso, Hino's president, said at a news conference on Monday.
Ogiso promised the results of an investigation within three months and said the company would determine to what extent former and current management were responsible for the missteps. ...continue reading
