Miros intends to re-inspect Axia following crash test 'rigging'

Even though Perodua's president and CEO have confidently stated their cars are safe and that no recall will be issued, MIROS still wants to look at them to ensure they are not affected by Daihatsu's recent revelations.

According to Malaysiakini, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research will meet with Perodua to assess its new Axia model, said Miro's chairman Wong Shaw Voon.

This follows the recent revelation by Toyota Motor Corp and its affiliate Daihatsu, where they claim that there have been irregularities regarding the doors on specific models, which might affect side crash protection.

Wong told Malaysiakini that the institute wants to look into Perodua's claim that its new Axia car is safe to drive and not affected by the issue.

"Miros will meet them and judge accordingly. We will look into what they claim," Wong told Malaysiakini.

During crash testing conducted in Japan, a ‘notch’ component installed in the door frame was installed to prevent injury to occupants by avoiding sharp cuts to the inner door panel. The cars passed the trials and obtained the necessary compliance.

However, crucially, this design improvement is now revealed to have not been implemented into the production version of said cars. Basically, the cars might not be as safe in side impact crashes as previously thought.

Failure to comply with the UNECE R95 standard could have legal consequences, as obtaining a Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) - the necessary paperwork for homologation - requires compliance with this standard.

Almost 12,000 units of the all-new Axia are impacted, but Perodua's CEO, Zainal Abidin Ahmad has ensured that they are all safe and will continue to produce and deliver the vehicles to customers.

Perodua has termed the matter as a “procedural irregularity”, one understandably much less incendiary than those found in headlines that reported on the matter. To be quite frank, this follow up by MIROS is a good thing, as it is beneficial to those who own the Axia as well as put some weight behind Perodua's claim.