Perodua will not recall Axia following Daihatsu rigging revelation

PETALING JAYA: Perodua today responded to news on Friday that Daihatsu had fudged safety tests involving 88,000 cars, which included nearly 12,000 units of the current Axia.

Perodua said it would not recall the affected Axias as they remained safe to drive.

Some 76,000 of the 88,000 cars affected were Yaris models mainly bound for Thailand, Mexico and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Daihatsu had said last week.

About 11,800 others were Axias made by Daihatsu at a joint venture plant it runs with Perodua.

Perodua said it had engaged Daihatsu Co Ltd to carry out safety testing for the Axia in Japan, which was witnessed by relevant authorities and agencies for their respective assessment.

Following the bombshell announcement by Daihatsu and parent company Toyota, Perodua said it checked with the Japanese authorities to determine if the safety standard of the Axia was compromised.

"We were assured that despite the revelation by Daihatsu, the UN-R95 certification given to the Axia is intact," Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said in a statement today.

"This means that the Axia is safe for driving and no recall will be issued nor will Perodua stop delivery of this new model to our customers."

The second-generation Axia was launched in February this year and is available in four variants.