jfid – Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest car manufacturers, is facing a crisis of trust following the revelation of a safety test manipulation scandal involving its products.
This scandal encompasses 64 models and 3 engines currently in production or development, including some supplied to other brands such as Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru.
The controversy began in April 2023 when Daihatsu discovered deviations in the door trim, a component of the side-impact crash test. In May 2023, discrepancies emerged in the results of side-impact crash tests on cars. Subsequently, Daihatsu established an independent committee from a third party to investigate the issue.
The investigation results announced in December 2023 revealed that Daihatsu had engaged in 174 cases of manipulation in safety test certificate issuance. Manipulative actions included cutting the rear portion of the front plastic door trim, replacing parts with incompatible ones, or conducting crash tests on only one side of the door.
