Authorities raid Toyota factory amid cheating scandal – report

A factory owned by a Toyota subsidiary has been raided by Japanese transport officials just days after the car giant admitted to cheating on engine tests.

According to a report from news outlet Associated Press, the facility run by Toyota Industries – the affiliate which manufactures the diesel engines at the centre of the scandal – was raided by authorities after Toyota admitted to finding “irregularities during the horsepower output testing” on three of its most popular engines.

Toyota immediately halted shipments of the HiLux and Prado – as well as other models affected – following the admission, and issued an apology to its customers.

It’s the latest in a string of problems from Toyota and its sub-brands, with both Daihatsu and Hino found to have cheated official tests in recent years – in some cases relating to emissions and fuel-economy tests dating back to 2003.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda again apologised for the scandals this week, and vowed the company and its 17 affiliates would correct course.

News of the raid comes as Toyota announced a new global sales record for 2023, with more than 11.2 vehicles sold – an increase of 7.2 per cent compared to 2022 – marking the fourth consecutive year in a row as the industry leader.

Toyota’s top brass had planned to reveal the sales result on 14 February – the birthdate of the company’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda – however it’s understood the announcement was brought forward.