Toyota unit Daihatsu to unveil new management structure next week

TOKYO: Toyota Motor's Daihatsu unit said today it planned to unveil a new management structure next week.

Soichiro Okudaira, president of Daihatsu, whose production has been hampered by issues related to safety testing irregularities, also told reporters that the company planned to spend more time and allocate more workers for development.

The Japanese government ordered the Toyota subsidiary to halt production of its entire lineup after reports of faked safety test results emerged last year.

The Daihatsu Motor Co. skipped mandatory safety tests by copying data from testing on one side of cars to the other, and used timers to ensure airbags went off in tests, a review found.

No major accidents have been reported in connection with the cheating, but the news has raised serious questions about oversight at Daihatsu, as well as its corporate parent Toyota.  — Reuters/AP