Source: Gasgoo Author: Ramy
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Daihatsu Motor, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, will resume production of two more models, Bloomberg reports. The move comes after the automaker and its suppliers were found to have manipulated crash-safety test results dating back as far as 1989, forcing the company to halt all shipments and affecting its production operations in Japan.
On Jan. 31, Daihatsu Motor said in a statement that it would resume some production at its Kyoto plant on Feb. 12, but it has not yet been decided whether the two Oita plants will resume operations after Feb. 19, the company said.
Image source: Daihatsu Motor
Daihatsu has been trying to restart production and regain customers’ trust since the scandal broke in December last year. At the time, an internal investigation revealed 174 problems in 64 Daihatsu models, some of which were sold by Toyota. Last week, Daihatsu recalled 322,740 vehicles, including Cast models sold under the Daihatsu brand and Pixis Joy models sold under the brand of its parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation, after both models had their certifications revoked by the government.
Daihatsu, which has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota since 2016, accounts for about 4 % of the group’s global vehicle sales.In fiscal 2022, Daihatsu produced more than 1.7 million vehicles globally, about half of which were made in Japan. The company has about 30% share of the small car (kei) market and is the leader in the small car segment along with rival Suzuki Motor.
In addition, on Jan. 31, Toyota announced a global recall of 806,000 vehicles, including the Yaris, Aqua and Sienta, due to a ball joint that could corrode or break in certain environments.
