While sales of the Toyota Vios in Malaysia have been unaffected by the “procedural irregularities” by Daihatsu, sales of the Toyota Yaris Ativ (the Vios equivalent) in Thailand have been suspended for the time being. The suspension is due to the Thai government’s requirement that the Yaris Ativ/Vios Must be authorized by the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE) and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI).
If this is your first time hearing about this matter, Daihatsu Motor Corporation recently admitted to a “procedural irregularity” where the driver door of the Yaris Ativ/Vios, and the Axia/Agya were modified for improvements in the side impact test. The admission was made on April 28, 2023, and since then, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has been quick to address the issue.
Thailand is perhaps the country most affected by this safety scandal by Daihatsu. On the matter, Toyota CEO of the Asia region, Masahiko Maeda said believes that the procedural irregularity may have been caused by immense pressure at the development side. He said, “If development had been carried out under appropriate conditions, this kind of problem would of course not have happened.”
“I think the fact that it still happened, means there was some kind of pressure at the development site,” he adds, stating that the vehicle’s relatively large size may have posed a challenge to Daihatsu, which specializes in the production of small cars.
RELATED: No recalls for Toyota Vios amidst Daihatsu safety “procedural irregularity”
As for Malaysia, sales of the Toyota Vios remain as usual with no need for recalls. This is because the Toyota Vios/Yaris Ativ still complies with the UN-R95 regulation for lateral collision. The sales suspension in Thailand is due to the decision of the Thai government. Once certified by the Thai government, sales of the Toyota Yaris Ativ will resume.
For the Malaysian market, UMW Toyota Motor President, Datuk Ravindran K. assures that the Vios is safe to use. In a recent press release, he said, “For customers who have booked their All-New Toyota Vios or are interested in purchasing it, we would like to assure you that the All-New Toyota Vios model complies with all safety regulations and there is no compromise to the quality of the vehicles.”
Subsequent testing has validated that the vehicle meets the UN-R95 certification and there is no need for the Toyota Vios to be recalled as sales of the vehicle continue without disruption.
“We sincerely apologise for any distress caused to our customers and we wish to assure everyone of the safety and quality of our vehicles. Our commitment to our customers’ safety has always been and remains our topmost in our priority”, he added.
Besides the Toyota Vios/Yaris Ativ, the Perodua Axia/Toyota Agya has also been affected by the Daihatsu safety scandal. Like the Vios in Malaysia, Perodua ensures that no recalls are needed for the Perodua Axia.
RELATED: No recalls for Perodua Axia despite Daihatsu safety scandal, deliveries unaffected
