Daihatsu has announced that it will extend the development time for vehicles, increase anti-fraud measures, and restructure the company’s leadership team.
Recently, Daihatsu has reported that it will extend the development time of vehicles by 40% and implement anti-fraud protection measures in safety standards.
Soichiro Okudaira, Chairman of Daihatsu, sent a report to Japan’s Minister of Transportation, Tetsuo Saito, who had previously stated bluntly, “Daihatsu must abandon the culture of employee fraud.”
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The scandal of Daihatsu’s safety certification fraud has caused shockwaves worldwide and severely impacted the reputation of the brand as well as its parent company, Toyota.
Under the plan, Daihatsu will increase the number of quality control personnel by seven times compared to 2023. The company acknowledges that it previously reduced staff in this department to optimize production costs. In addition, the personnel responsible for safety inspections will also be increased by one and a half times.
On January 16, the Japanese Minister of Transportation requested that Daihatsu restructure its organization and report on measures within one month. An independent inspection panel concluded that this scandal occurred because the leadership accelerated the vehicle development timeline without implementing anti-fraud measures.
The President of Toyota, Koji Sato, stated that he will support Daihatsu in changing its leadership team. Regarding the relationship with Toyota, Daihatsu stated in the report that the company’s actual situation and business strategy were not fully shared.
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Not only the Daihatsu subsidiary but also Toyota itself is facing quality scandals. At the end of January, the company’s internal investigation unit found irregularities in the certification process for diesel engines installed in some Toyota, Hino, Mazda, and Lexus models. The list includes Toyota Hiace, Innova, Granace, Fortuner, Land Cruiser 300, Land Cruiser Prado, Mazda Bongo, Hino Dyna, Hino Dutro, and Lexus LX 500d.
On January 30, Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, apologized for the series of scandals and stated that he would make efforts to prevent recurrence as the person in charge of the group.
In the opinion of Takayuki Asami, a lawyer experienced in crisis management, although Toyota has proposed specific measures to address the scandals, it is more important to monitor the proper implementation of these solutions.
“The company should be willing to say that if they cannot ensure the safety of a vehicle, then it should not be developed,” Asami commented.
Thái Sơn (Tuoitrethudo)
Reference: Nikkei Asia
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