Toyota suspends sales of Yaris model after safety test problem
Japanese carmaker Toyota has stopped sales and deliveries of its Yaris Ativ in Thailand, senior officials said on Monday (May 8), after its affiliate Daihatsu rigged part of the door in side-collision safety tests.
Toyota and Daihatsu disclosed last month they were investigating how part of the door in side-collision safety tests carried out for some 88,000 small cars had been changed for the purpose of side-on crash safety testing.
“I believe that the recent Daihatsu problem is an act that betrays customers' trust and should never be tolerated,” said Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda at a press conference in Bangkok.
"The reason I have come to Thailand on this occasion is to convey to worried consumers and stakeholders that we have ensured the safety and quality of the Yaris Ativ and you can continue to use it with peace of mind."
Thailand is Toyota's fourth-biggest global centre by production volume after Japan, the U.S. and China. It produced some 659,000 vehicles, including models of its luxury brand Lexus, in the country last year.
