Hino Motors falsified emissions data as far back as 2003 

Hino Motors Ltd., best known as the truck and bus unit of Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Co. Ltd., is said to have falsified emissions test data on certain engines dating back to 2003. 

A committee report has found Toyota truck unit Hino Motors guilty of falsifying emissions data for almost two decades

A report by Reuters cited the results of a committee investigation released Tuesday. Comprising lawyers and a company advisor, the committee was formed in response to the scandal which first broke in March 2022, when Hino admitted to falsifying data related to emissions and fuel performance of four engines.

The findings reportedly detail an inflexible corporate culture where staff did not feel empowered to challenge superiors. “The magnitude of their past successes has made them unable to change or look at themselves objectively, and they have been unaware of changes in the external environment at values,” said committee chairperson Kazuo Sakibara, former head prosecutor at the Osaka District Public Prosecutor’s Office. 

Hino president Satoshi Ogiso issued an apology to reporters, saying that management took its responsibilities seriously. He explained that the company prioritized scale and expansion starting around 2000, at the expense of quality, compliance, and talent development.  

Japan's transportation ministry revoked the certification for certain Hino engines also used by Toyota and Isuzu

According to the company, a new corporate governance system will be in place within three months. Ogiso said that Toyota president Akio Toyoda sent a message, admonishing him that the misconduct at Hino betrayed the trust of all stakeholders. 
   
The committee’s investigation uncovered evidence of falsification as early as October 2013, contrary to the previously disclosed timeframe of 2016. So far, Hino has recalled almost 47,000 vehicles manufactured between April 2017 and March 2022. These will soon be joined by an additional 20,900 vehicles. 

Toyota boss Akio Toyoda said that the Hino scandal betrayed the trust of all stakeholders

Hino’s disclosure of the wrongdoing last March prompted a raid on its Tokyo offices that same month by Japan’s transportation ministry, causing the company’s shares to plunge by 17 percent. On March 25, the ministry revoked Hino’s certification for four engines which were also used by Toyota and Isuzu Motors Ltd.

Shares of Hino further dropped by almost 10 percent on Tuesday.    
 
The company joins the ranks of automakers that have been involved in improper emissions testing. Subaru and Nissan were probed for faulty fuel economy and emissions tests in 2017, followed by Mazda, Suzuki, and Yamaha in 2018.

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