UMW Toyota Motor offers reassurance following Daihatsu safety scandal

KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) sought to limit the fallout from the cheating scandal at Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd by reassuring Malaysian customers and the public that it is committed to transparency and accountability.

“We are working to ensure that all our vehicles in Malaysia strictly adhere to the relevant regulations and rules,” said UMW Toyota Motor president Datuk Ravindran K.

UMWT said it is working with regulatory authorities to address the problem linked to Daihatsu.

“We understand the importance of trust, and we want to reinforce the confidence our customers place in us. Our dedication to customer satisfaction has always been and remains our top priority,” said Ravindran.

Reuters today cited Japan's Nikkei business daily as saying Daihatsu has decided to halt production at all its domestic plants until the end of January.

Following the Nikkei report, a Daihatsu spokesman said the company was still holding discussions about the matter internally.

The small car specialist said on Wednesday it would halt shipments of all of its vehicles after a safety investigation found issues involving 64 models, including almost two dozen sold under Toyota's brand.

The automaker has resumed shipments from its subsidiary in Indonesia, PT Astra Daihatsu Motor, the spokesman said, adding that it was the only unit where the company had done so.

Indonesian conglomerate PT Astra International Tbk and Toyota Tsusho also own a stake in the joint venture.