The current issues plaguing Daihatsu now seem to pale in comparison to a much bigger problem that parent company Toyota Motor Corporation is facing: The Japanese carmaker has just issued a statement about certification irregularities affecting three turbodiesel engines that power some of its key sellers.
The affected engines produced by Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) are the 1GD, the 2GD, and the F33A. Toyota has released a list of the models equipped with these engines, but engine-code nerds would already know how wide the scope of the problem is as far as the carmaker’s model range is concerned. Potentially affected models that are sold locally are the Fortuner, the Hilux, the Innova, the Hiace, and the Land Cruiser 300.
Toyota engines and models affected by certification irregularities
“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,” the statement reads. “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.
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“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. 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.”
If you’ve been eyeing one of the affected models, however, you may not be able to get your hands on a unit until the certification issues have been resolved. “Based on the results of the investigation, TICO decided today to temporarily suspend shipments of the affected engines. Toyota has also decided to temporarily suspend shipments of vehicles equipped with the affected engines,” the statement continues. “Going forward, we will provide detailed explanations to the authorities and promptly proceed with appropriate measures, including conducting testing in the presence of witnesses if appropriate.”
There is a possibility that certain models sold in the Philippine market may be affected by the suspension of engine deliveries. Also, it is unclear if the Philippine-spec (and locally built) Innova is affected by the certification issue. Per the list above, the affected Innova model is for the Indian market and uses the 2.4-liter engine.
There is no mention of other markets (at least for now), and the locally assembled Innova’s certification will likely depend on where it’s sourced, either from Thailand or Indonesia. But given that the Thai and Indonesian engine facilities build both the 2.4-liter and the 2.8-liter turbodiesel engines, that list may be updated sooner or later.
UPDATE, January 29, 9:30pm: Toyota Motor Philippines has released a preliminary statement saying it belives its customers’ vehicles are unaffected by certification irregularities. Full story here.
