Toyota Postpones Launch of New Crown Estate Model Amid Certification Scandal

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:47 JST, June 15, 2024

Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to postpone the launch of the new Crown Estate model, originally scheduled for late July, due to the company’s irregularities surrounding the model certification required for mass production, it was learned Friday.

This decision has been communicated to major dealerships nationwide. Toyota is currently investigating the certification fraud and has deferred obtaining new certification.

The revised launch date has yet to be decided, and production at the factory will also be put on hold for the time being. The Crown is one of Toyota’s flagship models, and in 2022, the company announced the release of four new variants as the 16th generation of the series. The Crossover, Sport, and Sedan models are already on sale.

The Estate, initially scheduled for release by March, had already been postponed for further development. A Toyota spokesperson said, “We want to prioritize the investigation into the model certification application and the formulation of measures to prevent reoccurrence.”

Parts suppliers to be compensated

Toyota announced Friday that it will extend the production halt of three models implicated in the model certification fraud until the end of July.

The production of the Yaris Cross, Corolla Fielder, and Corolla Axio, initially halted until June 28, will now remain suspended. Investigations by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry and Toyota are ongoing, and resumption of production will be decided based on the results. This delay is expected to affect vehicle deliveries.

Approximately 100 primary suppliers, directly dealing with parts for the three models, are affected by the production cutback. To compensate for the prolonged suspension, Toyota will prepay the suppliers for ordered parts and support their management.