A temporary halt has been placed on the shipment of some Hilux pick-up trucks by Toyota after the manufacturer discovered irregularities with the testing of the 2.8-litre diesel engine.
The production of this and nine other Toyota engines built by Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), a company owned by 16 major companies that collectively make up the Toyota Group, was paused after concerns were raised during an investigation which looked at engine testing during the certification process. It was noted that different software was being used with test engines than with production engines, which meant that the resulting power outputs appeared to be ‘smoother with less variation’.
“We consider the appropriate process of certification to be a major prerequisite for doing business as an automobile manufacturer,” said Toyota, and that “the repeated certification irregularities at TICO, following those at Daihatsu, have shaken the very foundations of the company as an automobile manufacturer.”
The Japanese automaker admits that restructuring the business will require a change in the mindset of all individuals, from management to employees, as well as a drastic corporate culture reform, highlighting that such tasks cannot be accomplished overnight.
It says, “We deeply apologise 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.”
For UK customers, the impact is likely to be relatively minimal. Toyota has reassured existing Hilux customers that vehicles running the engines affected by the irregularities meet engine performance output standards and that there is no reason to stop running affected pickups.
The waiting list for a new Toyota Hilux pick-up is fairly lengthy, and a production stop was already planned between February and May, so the pause is unlikely to have much impact on customer deliveries, assuming it doesn’t last very long.
The issue only affects models with the 2.8-litre diesel engine, so deliveries of vehicles with the 2.4-litre engine will be unaffected.
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