NHTSA Announces $525 Million Civil Penalty Against Hino Motors for Falsifying Fuel Consumption, Other Data
Multi-agency investigation results in largest civil penalty settlement involving NHTSA
January 16, 2025 | Washington, DC
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced a $525 million civil penalty against Hino Motors Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiaries, resolving claims for falsified data for heavy-duty diesel engines, as well as related civil claims by the United States on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This settlement is part of a larger resolution of the federal government’s criminal and civil claims, and other claims by California, against the companies. It is also the largest settlement that NHTSA has been involved in, and it was reached after an extensive investigation by NHTSA in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General, the EPA and CBP.
Hino failed to comply with NHTSA fuel consumption requirements and, as Hino admitted, the company submitted false or fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data for the model year 2017 and 2018 J05E engines, resulting in false fuel consumption values being submitted for Hino’s heavy-duty engines.
Under today’s settlement, Hino admits to submitting false or fraudulent emissions test data, and agrees to file timely, complete and accurate submissions in the future as required by NHTSA’s fuel consumption program.
Hino Motors is majority owned by Toyota Motor Corp. and is headquartered in Hino, Tokyo.
“This settlement is a win for the American people and holds Hino Motors to account for falsifying fuel consumption data. NHTSA takes violations of federal law very seriously,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “We would like to thank our federal partners – the U.S. Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General and U.S. Customs and Border Protection – for their invaluable work on this important case and for helping us deliver this record settlement.”