TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.

Mazda, based in the southwestern city of Hiroshima, also acknowledged violations on crash tests on three discontinued models.

Tokyo-based Honda Motor Co. also apologized Monday for improper tests, such as those on noise levels and torque, on a range of models.

Certification problems starting surfacing two years ago at Toyota group companies, truck maker Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor Co. — specializing in small models — and Toyota Industries Corp., which makes machinery and auto parts.

The apparent unraveling of the testing systems at Toyota and its group companies is an embarrassment for an automaker that’s prided itself for decades on production finesse and a corporate culture based on empowering workers to make “ever-better cars.”

Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, suggested some certification rules might be overly stringent, noting such tests differed around the world.

The original article contains 476 words, the summary contains 165 words. Saved 65%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!