Eight Japanese Automakers Unify Looser Standards for Cosmetic Parts Defects to Ease Supply Pressure

Eight Japanese passenger car manufacturers—including Toyota and Honda—along with truck and bus makers, have jointly developed a unified policy for determining defects in automotive components, in collaboration with approximately 450 parts suppliers. Spearheaded by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and the Japan Automotive Parts Industries Association (JAFA), this initiative aims to ensure stable domestic supply of components amid supply chain disruptions caused by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Under the new guidelines, minor cosmetic imperfections that do not affect vehicle performance or safety—such as black specks, fine scratches, or harmless burrs and flash—will be permitted for use, even if individual companies previously classified them as defective. As long as parts meet national standards, function properly, and lack significant cosmetic flaws, automakers will accept them. For example, in the case of plastic connectors used in automotive wiring harnesses, roughly 60% of previous defect rulings were due to black specks. With the implementation of the unified standard, Japan is expected to reduce waste of such components by approximately 10,000 units per month. The new guidelines are also expected to shorten quality inspection times. Toyota has already established a dedicated team to jointly evaluate parts with suppliers according to the unified criteria and regularly holds joint review meetings with other Japanese automakers and component manufacturers.