The widening fallout over certification tests stems from a safety test scandal at Toyota's Daihatsu compact car unit and has also ensnared other Japanese automakers after the Ministry ordered industry-wide checks of certification practices.

Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha Motors said they had submitted either flawed or manipulated data when applying for certification of vehicles.

Toyota, Japan's largest automaker, was the first to undergo an inspection which was flagged by the Ministry on Monday.

The other four automakers will also be inspected, a Ministry official said.

While some analysts noted that Toyota will be under more pressure to strengthen governance, others said the impact on sales is likely to be limited given that it is only suspending sales of three models and so many of its domestic rivals also fell short of Ministry standards.

--Reuters--