A bombshell report out this morning has triggered some scary headlines about small Toyota cars. But American consumers should understand that based on what we know so far, the report doesn’t affect any cars sold in the U.S.
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What Happened?
Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, admitted that its engineers had rigged crash test results for some small cars sold overseas.
What Is Daihatsu?
Daihatsu Motor Co. is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. The brand briefly sold cars in the U.S. in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but disappeared from the market after only a few years. It now primarily builds very small cars known as kei cars for the Japanese domestic market. But it also handles some manufacturing of small Toyota products sold overseas.
The company admitted this morning that it had rigged crash tests on some models. In a statement, the company says it “has committed wrongdoings in approval application for side collision tests for vehicles (4 models) developed by Daihatsu destined for overseas markets.”
But none of those models appear to be sold in the U.S.
What Cars Does This Affect?
In a statement, Daihatsu says the issue affects Toyota Yaris Ativ sedans, Toyota Agya hatchbacks, Perodua Axia hatchbacks, and an unnamed model still in development.
If most of those names sound foreign to you, they should. Perodua brand cars are not sold in the U.S. Neither is the Toyota Agya.
Toyota sold a small car called the Yaris in the U.S. until 2020. The Yaris Ativ is a subcompact sedan based on the same platform but was never sold in America. Daihatsu’s admission does not include the Toyota Yaris once sold in America — just newer models sold under that name, designed after the Yaris was discontinued here.
So none of the affected cars have ever been for sale in the U.S.
How Did They Rig Crash Tests?
In some side impact tests, Daihatsu says, “the inside lining of the front seat door was improperly modified.” Test engineers, Reuters reports, cut a small notch in the door “to minimize the risk in testing that the door interior could break with a sharp edge and cause injury to an occupant.”
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What Is Toyota Doing About It?
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, has apologized to the public and asked for time to investigate what led to Daihatsu’s decision. “We’ll proceed with a detailed investigation from here on, but promise to decisively understand what happened at the site, investigate the true intentions, and sincerely work to prevent a recurrence,” Toyoda said. “We’re going to need some time to do that.”
What Does This Mean for American Toyota Drivers?
Nothing. Since none of the affected cars are sold in the U.S., this is a sensational headline but not a reason to worry about your safety.
