TOKYO, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's transport ministry said Monday that it will conduct on-site inspections at Toyota Motor's headquarters over improper vehicle certifications, which also involve other major Japanese automakers.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it received reports of fraudulent activities related to the certification applications required for mass production of vehicles from five motor companies, including Toyota, Mazda, Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki.
According to the ministry, Toyota submitted falsified data and made unauthorized modifications to test vehicles in safety tests for three current production models and four in the past.
In accordance with the Road Transport Vehicle Act, the ministry will conduct on-site inspections at Toyota's headquarters in Aichi prefecture starting on Tuesday.
Toyota disclosed that its chairman Akio Toyoda will hold a press conference later in the day to address the matter, as local media reports revealed that an internal investigation at Toyota is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Mazda has been implicated in falsifying test results for two current models, and Yamaha for one. Similar issues have been found at Honda and Suzuki, involving falsified test reports. These companies will also be subject to on-site inspections.
The transport ministry has ordered Toyota, Mazda, and Yamaha to halt the shipment of six vehicle models currently in production.
Just months earlier, Toyota group's wholly owned subsidiaries Daihatsu and Toyota Industries Corporation halted productions due to a series of irregularities including data fabrication, following which the transport ministry requested 85 companies, including finished vehicle manufacturers, to look into problems over the past decade. ■