Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), the company responsible for manufacturing engines for Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), has discovered testing “irregularities” on the three diesel motors equipped to the Hilux, Fortuner, Prado, Land Cruiser 300, Lexus LX500d, and several other vehicles sold in international markets.
“The investigation found that irregularities occurred during the horsepower output testing for the certification of three diesel engine models for automobiles that Toyota had commissioned to TICO,” said the company.
“During certification testing, the horsepower output performance of engines was measured using ECUs with software that differed from that used for mass production so that results could be measured to make values appear smoother with less variation.”
TICO specifically noted that the Hilux that is produced at Toyota South Africa’s (TSAM) Prospecton, Durban plant is affected, as is the Prado that is imported to African markets from Japan.
TopAuto reached out to the domestic arm of Toyota to get more clarity on how South African-made vehicles and customers are impacted by these inconsistencies in the testing.
The company’s statement follows: “Toyota Industries Corporation, a company affiliated with Toyota Motor Corporation, announced on Monday, 29 January 2024, that irregularities in horsepower output certification tests applicable to certain countries were found on three Toyota engine models.”
“However, with the current information at hand, Toyota South Africa (TSAM) can confirm that this issue does not affect any models sold in South Africa. Should this change, we will notify our customers.”
“As reference, this matter relates to irregularities in the certification process based on national requirements in certain countries but does not have any impact on horsepower, torque, or other powertrain-related values.”
“Additionally, these irregularities do not compromise the emissions or safety of the vehicles involved.”
Meanwhile, TICO has reassured Toyota owners that there is no immediate cause for alarm as it has re-evaluated the affected powerplants and found that they meet stringent regulations.
“We have re-verified the mass-produced products manufactured at the plant and confirmed that the affected engines and vehicles meet engine performance output standards. Therefore, there is no need to stop using the affected engines or vehicles,” said TICO.
“However, we deeply apologize to our customers who have been supporting affected vehicles and waiting for a long time, and also to all other stakeholders for the significant inconvenience and concern that this has caused.”
Toyota subsidiary in hot water
The news that Toyota cheated on tests on three of its most popular engines comes at a time when the company is faced with more than one controversy.
Towards the tail end of last year, Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu was discovered to have been lying about safety tests for the better part of 34 years, with several of its vehicles not properly reviewed for collision safety.
A third-party investigation requested by the automaker found 174 issues across 64 models stretching as far back as 1989, including vehicles sold under the Toyota brand.
Daihatsu consequently suspended production and shipments of its vehicles until further notice and promised to compensate all 423 of the companies it directly supplies.
Join the discussion