TOKYO (AP) – Hino Motors, a truck maker that’s part of the Toyota group, systematically falsified emissions data dating back as far as 2003, according to the results of an investigation released Tuesday.
President Satoshi Ogiso bowed deeply at a hastily called news conference and apologized to customers and other stakeholders.
“I am so deeply sorry,” he said. “Unfortunately, misconduct had been carried out for a widespread variety of models.”
Teams that were developing engines knew they couldn’t meet targets and felt so pressured they falsified test results, Ogiso said. That led to more deception, as workers covered up their wrongdoing. No safety problems are believed to be involved, Ogiso said.
Hino acknowledged in March that it had faked data on government required tests on emissions and mileage. A group of outside experts was set up to investigate.