The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) has lifted the shipment suspension of the Daihatsu Rocky that was previously affected by a safety scandal. This also affects the Toyota Raize and the Subaru REX, and it has now been confirmed that all the vehicles comply with the standards of the Road Transport Vehicle Act. This is a follow-up to the instruction to suspend shipment of those cars that took place in May 2023.
To recap, back in May last year, it was revealed that there were “procedural irregularities” in the pole side collision test (UN-R135) for the Rocky/Raize/REX. As stated by Daihatsu itself on its official website, “This time, the passenger seat side (left) was tested in the presence of witnesses. For the driver’s seat side, we submitted the left-side data instead of the right-side in-house test data.”
Following the discovery of the “procedural irregularity”, Daihatsu was instructed to halt shipment of the mentioned models. Daihatsu also conducted internal re-testing for the UN-R135 regulation back in May 2023, but it was still pending approval from the authorities. The latest statement confirms that the Rocky/Raize/REX now complies with the standards of the Road Transport Vehicle Act.
In its latest statement, Daihatsu said, “We [Daihatsu] will work closely with our suppliers and sales companies and, as soon as preparations are ready, we intend to resume production and shipment.”
“We will continue to take necessary measures as instructed by MLIT, such as performing testing with the certification authorities in attendance. And we will do our best to ensure these models reach our customers as soon as possible, while reaffirming our commitment to prioritizing safety and quality.”
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Besides the Japan’s Government’s decision to lift the suspension of shipment of the Daihatsu Rocky/Toyota Raize/Subaru REX, it has also announced that some discontinued models by Daihatsu (which were also tainted by a safety scandal) also now comply with safety regulations. This includes the Daihatsu Hijet Cargo, Toyota Pixis Van, and the Subaru Sambar Van.
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