Perodua says Axia cars safe, won’t be recalled

After Daihatsu revealed that safety tests were rigged, Perodua said it would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Perodua said the 11,800 Axia cars manufactured at a joint venture plant with Daihatsu were safe for driving after the Japanese carmaker revealed that these models had gone through a rigged safety test.

Perodua will not be recalling these vehicles nor will it halt delivery of these models, said the company’s CEO, Zainal Abidin Ahmad.

He said that Perodua had engaged Daihatsu to carry out safety testing for the new Perodua Axia in Japan, which was overseen by the relevant authorities and agencies for their respective assessment.

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“As we received news of this ‘procedural irregularity’ by Daihatsu, we immediately contacted these bodies to determine if the safety standard of the Perodua Axia was compromised.

“We were assured that despite the revelation by Daihatsu, the UN-R95 certification given to the Perodua Axia is intact,” Zainal said in a statement, referring to the certification that governs a vehicle’s safety rating for lateral collisions.

Zainal assured customers that the safety information and specifications of all its models were verified by professional bodies. “We will continue to monitor this situation and will update the public on this matter as it develops.”

Yesterday, Daihatu revealed that some 88,000-plus cars were affected by rigged safety tests which the company had discovered following a whistleblower report. Among the cars were 11,800 Axia cars manufactured in Malaysia since February.

The door trim on the affected vehicles had been modified to minimise the risk, during testing, that the interior of the door could break with a sharp edge and injure the passenger when the side airbag deployed in an accident. - FMT