--- title: "Daihatsu Tampered With Safety Tests for 88,000 Cars" description: "Over 88,000 Daihatsu-built Toyotas were found to be tampered with and modified to pass crash safety tests." date: "2023-04-30" modified: "2023-04-30" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/daihatsu-tampered-with-safety-tests-for-88000-cars" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "compact" - "Toyota" - "Yaris" --- # Daihatsu Tampered With Safety Tests for 88,000 Cars ![]() Daihatsu builds a number of small cars for [Toyota](), who's been [Daihat]()[s]()[u's ]()parent company since 2016. Of those cars, over 88,000 were tampered with to pass safety tests they otherwise wouldn't pass. Both companies are launching internal investigations into how this happened and how to remedy the issue with customers. According to *[Reuters]()*, part of the front door's inside lining was modified for testing to prevent the door breaking with a sharp edge that could hurt passengers in a side collision. Four different vehicles were tampered with to pass safety testing, however only three were named and only two were sold to the public. The two affected cars that were sold were the [Toyota Yaris ]()ATIV (76,289 cars) and the Toyota Perodua Axia (11,834 cars). They were built in either Thailand or Malaysia and were sold to Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, and Gulf Cooperation Countries (the United Arab Emirtes, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman). ![]() However, two affected models haven't reached production just yet. The Toyota Agya was set to be built in Indonesia starting in June 2023. Daihatsu declined to name the fourth affected model, stating that it's in development and that the matter concerns product plans. "We consider this an absolutely unacceptable act that betrays the trust of our customers. We would like to sincerely apologize to our customers around the world and all related parties for the inconvenience and concern this has caused," said Akio Toyoda, Toyota chairman of the board, in a [press release](). According to Toyota, the culprit of such modifications is unknown. As part of their manufacturing agreement, Daihatsu is responsible for the entire process of vehicle development, as well as passing any required certification testing. From there, Toyota gets government approval for the the vehicles and sells them under its own name. So while it seems like this tampering is from Daihatsu's side, Toyota is investigating both companies. "Since this problem occurred with a Toyota brand passenger car, we believe that the problem is not limited to Daihatsu." Toyoda said. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()