A new scandal from Toyota has emerged and it concerns the power output testing of its diesel engines. The scandal calls for 10 Toyota models’ shipments to be suspended, and this includes models like the Toyota Hilux and the Toyota Fortuner.
Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) reported to Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota), which had commissioned TICO to develop diesel engines for automobiles, that it received a report from the special investigation committee (chaired by Mr. Hiroshi Inoue) that was commissioned to investigate potential irregularities of certification regulations related to inappropriate domestic emissions certification of engines for forklifts and construction machinery.
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. 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 measure to make values appear smoother with less variation. Ten vehicle models are using the affected engines globally, including six in Japan.
The 3 diesel engines affected by the latest scandal are the 1GD, 2GD, and F33A. Affected models equipped with the 1GD engine are:
- Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
- Toyota Hiace/Granace
- Mazda Bongo Brawny Van
- Toyota Dyna
- Hino Dutro
- Toyota Hilux
- Toyota Fortuner
Models equipped with the 2GD engine that are affected are:
- Toyota Hilux
- Toyota Innova
Affected Toyota models with the F33A diesel engine are:
- Toyota Land Cruiser 300
- Lexus LX500d
The Toyota diesel scandal only concerns the power output of the said models. Hence, the vehicles continue to be safe for use by customers, although Toyota will temporarily suspend shipment of the affected vehicles. Toyota has also re-verified the mass-produced products manufactured at the plant and confirmed that the affected engines and vehicles meet engine performance output standards
