Japan automakers confirm safety of Kobe Steel aluminum in their cars

Toyota Motor Corp. and other major Japanese carmakers said Thursday that aluminum plates provided by Kobe Steel Ltd., which is mired in a data fabrication scandal, and used in the hoods or doors of their vehicles do not affect car safety.Toyota said in a statement it examined data on faulty Kobe Steel aluminum plates for the past three years and confirmed that "the materials satisfy applicable statutory standards, and our own internal standards, for key safety and durability requirements for vehicles."The parts were used in the hoods and rear hatchets of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the carma…READ FULL ARTICLE