Toyota Admits Leadership Failings in Safety Certification Violations

Toyota is trying to allay Japanese regulators' concerns over vehicle safety certification with a commitment to prevent a repeat of transgressions while admitting to systemic leadership failings.

The world’s biggest automaker was forced to halt production of Daihatsu-, Toyota- and Lexus-branded models following Japanese government officials' discovery of certification violations by the company.

Inspectors from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) uncovered widespread, intentional misconduct and irregularities among certain models and have issued a corrective order demanding the automaker take action. Now in a statement the company, which had previously claimed it had found no instances of wrongdoing, says: “Toyota will make companywide efforts to prevent the recurrence based on the points provided by the MLIT at the time of the corrective order.”

However, within the many suggestions it makes to correct the company’s failings, it stresses the need for management and senior leadership “training” in certification processes, indicating a lack thereof that led to the violations.

Management-focused improvements include to “Promote management's understanding of development and certification operations and strengthen governance system.” It also commits to the “Introduction of (an) education program of the certification processes and the outline of the regulations for management and executives. Continue the educational program that leads to develop and strengthen all employees' compliance awareness related to certification.”

Senior engineers will also “clarify the responsibilities and authorities in carrying out the development and certification operations, and quantify the progress of development and its impact on certification. The system, which enables the chief engineers to identify any abnormalities and report them promptly to the Vehicle Company President as well as the certification officers, will be established.”

Toyota’s progress of improvement will be reported quarterly to the MLIT.