Daihatsu transferred out 3 executives, quality management and vehicle evaluation teams now independent

In Daihatsu’s latest follow-up to the countermeasures following the spate of procedural irregularities involving the UN safety certification of 5 Daihatsu-developed models – Toyota Vios / Yaris Ativ, Perodua Axia, Daihatsu Rocky Hybrid, Toyota Raize Hybrid, and an yet-to-launched model (likely to be the Japan-only new generation Daihatsu Move) – the company has revamped its organizational structure to separate quality management teams from sales, while three executives have been transferred out.

Effective 1-June 2023, Quality Management Division has been pulled out from the Sales & Customer Service Group, and now operates independently as the Quality Management Group.

The company’s No.2 Hiromasa Hoshika, Executive Vice President Assistant to the President, is the new division’s chief officer, serving his new role concurrent with his existing position.

In relation to that, the team responsible for regulatory certification has also been made independent.

The Regulation & Certification Department has been transferred from the previous Mobility Development Group to the Quality Management Group, to clearly separate development and approval functions.

The Mobility Development Group’s Vehicle Performance Development Division will also be broken up into two teams – Vehicle Performance Development Division and Vehicle Performance Evaluation Division.

“With the determination to reform the company as not to repeat the same problems, Daihatsu will put its utmost effort in investigating the true cause and preventing recurrence, with listening to the voice of the front line, to restore the trust of customers and other stakeholders,” said the company.

Three executives have also been put on temporary external transfer – a Project Manager for the Distribution Planning Division has been sent to Kyoto Daihatsu Motor Sales Co., Ltd., a General Manager, Accounting & Cost Management Division has been sent to the Nakatsu plant in Oita, while the General Manager for the Quality Assurance Division has been to Thailand’s Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.

A General Manager at the General Affairs Division has also been redesignated as Project Manager for the Corporate Management Group.

The previous UN R95 movable barrier side-impact certification issue with the Toyota Vios (also sold as Yaris Ativ in Thailand) is now solved following a witness re-test by a Belgian agency, while Malaysian authorities are satisfied with the new data submitted for the Perodua Axia.

As for the UN R135 pole side-impact certification for hybrid variants of the Daihatsu Rocky and Toyota Raize, which has a different fuel tank from the 1.0-litre turbocharged variant (sales proceeding as normal in Japan), preliminary in-house test showed that it meets the necessary UN standard and Daihatsu is now waiting for the green light to proceed with a witness re-test with Japanese authorities.