Tokyo: Toyota Motor Corp. plans to keep two group vehicle plants offline until March 1, following fraudulent engine performance tests at affiliate Toyota Industries Corp., it was learned Friday.

Being suspended are some production lines at Toyota Auto Body Co.’s plant in the city of Inabe, Mie Prefecture, central Japan, and Gifu Auto Body Co.’s head office plant in the city of Kakamigahara in Gifu Prefecture, also central Japan.

Toyota Motor will decide at a later date whether to resume production at the suspended lines from March 4, a Monday, informed sources said.

In the wake of the revelation of fraudulent tests for three engine models for which Toyota Motor entrusted development and production to Toyota Industries, Toyota Motor has been suspending domestic shipments of automobiles equipped with the engines in question since Jan. 29.

JIJI Press