Toyota, Honda confirm safety of some Kobe Steel products

TOKYO (AP) - Japanese automakers have confirmed use of Kobe Steel products affected by fake inspection data, but say they have found no safety concerns so far.

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Corp. issued statements late Thursday outlining preliminary findings from checks of materials and parts from Kobe Steel.

Toyota said it had confirmed that aluminum plates used in hoods, rear hatches and other components of its vehicles met requirements for strength and durability based on data from Kobe that was "furthest outside of Toyota's specifications."

It said it was still investigating non-aluminum products from Kobe Steel.

Honda said aluminum panels were the only products bought directly from Kobe Steel. It found they met all of its safety standards. It said it was still checking on other parts obtained through suppliers.