Toyota stops shipping 10 models after failed engine tests

Toyota said yes stopped the global shipments of 10 vehicles after it discovered a subsidiary had “irregularities” in testing diesel engines used in cars, the latest embarrassing problem to hit one of the world's largest automakers in recent months.

A Toyota unit used software to measure horse power, which made “values ​​appear smoother with less variation,” Toyota, the parent company, said in a statement. The vehicles “meet engine power standards” and there is no need to stop using the engines or vehicles, the company said. The company named the models and engines affected but did not say how many vehicles it would discontinue.

Still, Toyota decided to stop shipping the ten models with three diesel engines. Among the models temporarily halted is the popular Hilux pick-up.

In December, Toyota was rocked by a series of recalls and production halts. First, it recalled about 1 million vehicles in the United States due to an airbag problem. It then reported that the Japanese government was investigating Daihatsu, its subsidiary, over decades-old safety concerns.

Daihatsu said it would stop shipping all its models due to the safety inspection irregularities. Last week it said it was recalling 320,000 Daihatsu vehicles and was still not ready to reopen its production facilities.

Toyota said it understood “the seriousness” of the two successive testing problems that “have shaken the company's foundations as an automaker.”