In case you haven’t heard, Toyota is in a bit of a jam right now. Aside from the prior troubles with its affiliate, Daihatsu, there’s also the matter of certification for some of its diesel engines.
The engines involved in the matter are the GD family (Global Diesel) and the F33A. The GD engines power some of the most popular models such as the Fortuner, Hilux, Hiace, and Innova. The F33A on the other hand is fitted to the 300 Series Land Cruiser and diesel-powered versions of the Lexus LX.
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Of the engines and models concerned, it’s the Toyota Innova that’s both made and sold here. Even though Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) said the models sold here are not included in the said issue, it was still worth asking if, by some chance, the popular MPV might be affected.
Per representatives from TMP, the company is firm that the Innova, and all the other models sold here fitted with the involved engines, are not affected. While the Toyota Innova was listed in the global report, it’s worth pointing out that it’s the Indian-market model that has engine certification issues.
But why did Toyota Motor Philippines say the models sold here are not affected if the same ones are sold in other countries? It’s all down to local regulations.
An excerpt from the company’s statement says ‘ that irregularities in horsepower output certification tests applicable to certain countries were found on three Toyota engine models…As a reference, this matter relates to irregularities in the certification process based on national requirements in certain countries’.
To simplify, the engines fitted to Philippine-spec models comply with local regulations despite coming from either Thailand or Indonesia engine production facilities. It's likely that regulations in other countries are much higher than that compared to the Philippines, and thus, flagged for those markets.
That said, investigations are ongoing regarding the matter and we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for any updates.
