Takata airbags killed at least 27 people and injured 400 others, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall comes amid multiple problems for the Japanese automaker. It said Monday it would stop shipping nine models, after learning that one of its subsidiaries had misled Japanese government officials during engine certification tests. About 36,000 such vehicles are produced worldwide each month, Toyota spokesman Jean-Yves Gault said in an email.
Models affected by this hiccup include Toyota Land Cruiser 300 models sold as of August 2021 in Africa, Asia and Europe; Toyota Hilux pickup truck sold as of May 2020 in Africa, Asia and Europe; The Toyota Innova has been sold as of July 2020 in Asia.
Its subsidiary, Toyota Industries Corporation, used diesel engine components with different software than those “used in mass production” during certification tests. This made the engines' horsepower values ”appear smoother with less variation” during testing, Toyota said in a press release.
Toyota said there is no need to discontinue the engines or vehicles because they still “meet engine performance and output standards.”
Toyota Chairman Koji Sato bowed at a news conference this week to apologize.
Japan's Ministry of Transport expressed deep regret over the findings, saying they “shake the foundation of the automobile certification system.” She added in a press statement that she would investigate the matter further and take strict measures.
Another Toyota subsidiary, Daihatsu Motor Co., said last month that it may have committed “irregularities” in more than two dozen certification tests. This revelation convinced Daihatsu to suspend shipments of all its models worldwide. Last week, Daihatsu announced a recall of Pixis Joy models sold by Toyota, saying the defect could cause all of the car's doors to lock during a collision and hamper rescue efforts. More than 34 thousand vehicles were affected.
Toyota on Tuesday announced worldwide sales of more than 10 million vehicles in 2023. Its subsidiary Daihatsu said it sold more than 790,000 vehicles during the same year.
