On January 29, 2024, Toyota Industries, a subsidiary of the Toyota Group, announced that it had discovered some irregularities in the power output certification tests of three diesel engine models that are used in certain countries. These three diesel engine models are identified as 1GD, 2GD, and F33A.
Following this announcement, the Toyota Group has halted production of a total of 10 vehicle models that use these three diesel engine types. The affected models include the Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Innova, Toyota Hiace, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series, Lexus LX500D, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Toyota Granace, Mazda Bongo Brawny, and Hino Dyna/Dutro. Three additional vehicle models, namely the Toyota Alphard, Vellfire, and Land Cruiser 70 Series, have also been temporarily suspended from production.
According to the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun, production at six assembly lines in four domestic plants of the Toyota Group has been temporarily halted. These four plants include the Toyota Auto Body Fujimasu Plant (Karriya City, Aichi Prefecture), Toyota Auto Body Inabe Plant (Inabe City, Mie Prefecture), Yoshiwara Plant (Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture), and Gifu Auto Body Industry (Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture).
Although not equipped with diesel engines, the premium MPV duo, Alphard and Vellfire, are still affected by the production halt. This is because the 2024 Toyota Alphard and Vellfire models are assembled on the same production line as the affected models at the Toyota Auto Body Inabe Plant. On the other hand, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series shares the production line with the Land Cruiser 300 Series at the Toyota Auto Body Fujimatsu Plant.
Initially, Toyota was planning to temporarily halt production at the aforementioned four plants until February 1, 2024. However, it has been extended until February 5, 2024.
Industry experts believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The scandal involving Toyota has the potential to have a larger impact in the future. Even the upcoming new generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (250 Series), expected to be launched in March this year, may also be affected as it uses the 1GD diesel engine.
Prior to this, a special committee had conducted an investigation into Toyota regarding certification regulations related to the emission performance of forklift engines and construction machinery. During the investigation, the committee discovered irregularities in the power output certification tests conducted for the three diesel engine models developed by Toyota Industries.
Specifically, the special investigation committee found anomalies in the power output test process for the certification of the three Toyota diesel engine models. The electronic control units used in the power output tests were different from those used in the actual engine production process.
According to Toyota Industries, approximately 84,000 affected diesel engines were sold during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. Koji Sato, the CEO of Toyota, revealed that the company uses around 36,000 affected engines each month worldwide, which is equivalent to 432,000 engines per year. However, Toyota’s spokesperson could not immediately provide information on how many affected vehicles had been sold in previous years.
On January 31, 2024, Toyota Vietnam also issued a statement regarding this matter. According to the statement, the Toyota Group confirmed that this issue does not affect any models produced and distributed by Toyota Vietnam. Toyota Vietnam stated that the issue is related to irregularities in the certification process of diesel engines, but it does not affect the power output, torque, or other drivetrain-related values. Furthermore, these irregularities do not impact the emission quality or safety of the vehicles. Therefore, Toyota Vietnam assured customers that they can safely use the models distributed by the company.
Toyota and Lexus Cars Equipped with Standard Automatic Braking System Since 2017
Toyota and Lexus are set to introduce automatic braking systems as a standard feature on almost all of their vehicle models by the end of 2017, which is four years ahead of the recent requirement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States.
Ford and Toyota collaborate to develop car applications
Ford and Toyota have recently announced their partnership to establish a new joint alliance aimed at focusing on building and developing automotive applications.
STORIES ABOUT 3 JAPANESE LUXURY CAR BRANDS (PART 2)
In the 1970s and 1980s, the idea of “luxury Japanese cars” was still unfamiliar to Americans. However, just a decade later, Americans had to change their perception of manufacturers from the “land of the rising sun.”
Nissan Terra Review: Beautiful Exterior, Great Off-Road Performance, Uncomfortable for City Driving
Being a person working in the construction field, constantly traveling between provinces and cities, but Mr. Dat (31 years old, Hanoi) did not choose a diesel SUV, instead he opted for the Nissan Terra, a petrol-powered vehicle.
Toyota unveils two electric car models to debut at the Japan Mobility Show 2023
Toyota will showcase an exhibition with the theme “Changing the future of the automotive industry – Explore your own future” at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 exhibition, which will be held from Thursday (October 26th) to Sunday (November 5th).
