Toyota chairman apologises for vehicle tests cheating

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda issued an apology (Kyodo News via AP)

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda has apologised for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the Japanese car giant suspended production on three of them.

The wide-ranging faulty testing at Toyota involved the use of inadequate or outdated data in collision tests and incorrect testing of airbag inflation and rear-seat damage in crashes. Engine power tests were also found to have been falsified.