Toyota Subsidiary Hino Motors Pleads Guilty to Emissions Fraud Scheme, Fined $1.6 Billion

Engineers at Hino Motors submitted false applications for engine certification approvals, according to court records.

Hino Motors Ltd displays its new Hybrid Profia vehicle at its R&D Centre at Hino in Tokyo on July 17, 2018. Naomi Tajitsu/Reuters

Hino Motors, a subsidiary of the Japanese automaker Toyota, pleaded guilty on March 19 to engaging in a multiyear emissions scheme in the United States that defrauded both the U.S. government and consumers, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

As a result of the scheme, Hino Motors imported and sold more than 105,000 heavy-duty diesel engines into the United States between 2010 and 2022 that did not meet emissions standards. The engines were primarily installed in heavy-duty trucks made by the company, the DOJ said.