Indonesia clears Daihatsu amid safety scandal, greenlights resumption of production and shipments

On Friday, Daihatsu Motor Co. announced the resumption of vehicle shipments in Indonesia, marking a turnaround just two days after the Japanese automaker suspended all domestic and global shipments due to the revelation that a majority of its models had undergone "procedural irregularity" in its safety tests.

Daihatsu reported that Indonesian authorities validated the safety of both Daihatsu cars and those produced by its local unit under the Toyota brand. Consequently, they granted approval for the recommencement of shipments.

Models affected in Indonesia were the Toyota Agya, Wigo, Rush, Avanza, and Raize, along with the Daihatsu Xenia.

Indonesia is the first country to clear Daihatsu of the safety scandal. Perodua and Toyota models in Malaysia are also affected, in which both manufacturers are working with local regulators to facilitate the resumption of production.

Also read: Daihatsu scandal: UMW Toyota to work with Malaysian authorities to ensure adherence to regulation

In Japan, the Osaka-based automaker is projected to cease production at all domestic plants by today.

A third-party audit committee established by Daihatsu disclosed on Wednesday that the scope of vehicles affected by the improper testing, initially brought to light in April/May, has now expanded to encompass 64 models in its different markets, including all 11 models sold in Japan.

Also read: Perodua on Daihatsu's delivery suspension: Irregularities found but cars still meet regulations, to work with Malaysian authorities