Japanese car companies are rampant in counterfeiting, causing the "craftsman spirit" to fall from grace

Recently, the fraud scandal among Japanese car companies has continued to ferment, involving Japanese car brands such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Yamaha, and Suzuki. According to a previous report from the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, these car companies engaged in fraudulent activities when applying for vehicle model production certification. Years ago, Japanese made cars and German cars were both unbreakable myths, but now, with scandals exposed one by one, the so-called "craftsmanship spirit" is gradually falling from grace in Japan's manufacturing industry.

According to Japanese media reports, Toyota submitted false data during safety performance testing and improperly modified the test vehicle. Toyota is not the only Japanese car company that has been exposed to have problems at the same time. Mazda and Honda have also been found to have similar issues. Mazda has engaged in fraudulent behavior in the testing of some of its current and discontinued models. In addition, Yamaha engines, Honda, and Suzuki have all been found to have falsified data in vehicle performance testing and other aspects. Yamaha has engaged in fraudulent behavior during noise testing. During the preparation process for noise testing, the Yamaha R1 motorcycle melted and damaged the testing equipment due to high temperature. In order to complete the test, the testing personnel changed the output power of the engine without authorization in subsequent tests to prevent the equipment from melting again. These scandals were like a bolt from the blue, causing industry turbulence and a global crisis of trust in the quality of Japanese automobile manufacturing. The stock prices of the companies involved were also severely affected.

After the incident, the executives of relevant car companies showcased the spirit of bowing and apologizing. Toyota Group expressed deep guilt and sincerely apologized for the inconvenience and unease caused to consumers by this incident. It announced that it will immediately cease production and sale of three models related to fraud, and conduct a comprehensive internal review to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Mazda also expressed deep apologies, stating that this incident has caused concern and unease among customers using Mazda cars. As the business owner, I deeply feel guilty and will take this responsibility seriously. Mazda will immediately suspend the sale of models involved in fraud issues and actively cooperate with the investigation of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to comprehensively rectify the situation. Yamaha has also suspended the sale of R1 motorcycles and promised to conduct re inspections on subsequent vehicles.

In fact, the issue of Japanese corporate fraud has existed for a long time, but it has only been exposed more frequently in recent years. According to relevant reports, as early as 2016, Hitachi Metal was exposed to have tampered with the strength data of some aluminum products, which were applied to multiple Japanese car manufacturers. In 2017, Mitsubishi Electric and Kobe Steel were also exposed for tampering with technical data in inspection reports. In 2021, Dawn Brake Industry Company was exposed to have falsified as many as 110000 inspection data in its brake components. Not only automotive companies, but also Japanese pharmaceutical giant Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has recently been exposed in a fraud scandal.

Why do these companies frequently engage in fraud? Firstly, new energy vehicles are seizing the market. In order to pursue production efficiency and maximize profits, fuel vehicle manufacturers are not as strict in controlling product quality as before. Secondly, the testing personnel are negligent in their work, perfunctory in the relevant testing process, while the management ignores or even condones it.Thirdly, the relevant systems and regulations are not sound enough, and there are even loopholes, and government departments have inadequate supervision. Fourthly, Japan's aging population is severe, and the eligible labor force cannot be replenished in a timely manner. The production line is in an excessively tight state, making it difficult to ensure quality.

The Japanese manufacturing industry should deeply reflect that as manufacturers, it is necessary to strictly comply with relevant regulations and standards to ensure the reliability and safety of products in order to gain consumer recognition, otherwise they will be eliminated.