Perodua studying impact of Daihatsu’s recalls

PETALING JAYA: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) says it is conducting a detailed assessment on the suspension of all shipments of partner Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd.

Perodua president and chief executive Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company is in discussions with Malaysian authorities as to the impact of this development on its vehicles.

Toyota Motor Corp, the parent company of Daihatsu Motor and the world’s largest automaker, has suspended all shipments from Daihatsu Motor after a scandal disclosed that most of the latter’s vehicles were not properly tested for collision safety.

Toyota said yesterday that some 174 irregularities have been identified since April when suspected wrongdoings first came into light, while also acknowledging that almost every car in Daihatsu Motor’s line-up could be affected.

Daihatsu Motor, having produced more than 1.7 million vehicles worldwide in 2022, of which half were made in Japan, admitted in April that it embellished crash test results on 88,000 cars that were manufactured in Thailand and Malaysia and sold within the past year.

Japan’s transport ministry has announced it will conduct an on-site inspection of the Daihatsu Motor’s offices today at 9am local time, while third-party investigators, led by TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd said yesterday the irregularities date back as far as 1989 but began to ramp up in 2014.

Zainal Abidin in his statement apologised to Perodua’s customers and the general public for any alarm the announcement of the assessment may have brought or will bring.

“Our intent is to reach out and assure our valued customers. We will share the outcome of this discussion with the public in due course,” he said.

Daihatsu Motor owns 20% of Perodua, with Daihatsu (M) Sdn Bhd also owning 5%. UMW Holdings Bhd is the main shareholder of Perodua with a 30% stake in the company.

Other notable shareholders include MBM Resources Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd, as well as Mitsui & Co Ltd.

Daihatsu Motor and Daihatsu (M) provide the designs and main components for Perodua’s cars from the engines to transmissions.

This means that all Perodua cars carry Daihatsu technology, although in recent years, Perodua has injected more of its design into its cars.