DENSO Corporation — Ethics Grade C-

DENSO Corporation receives an overall ethics grade of C- (48/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Automotive. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 55
• privacy: 70
• consumer: 35
• environment: 65
• humanRights: 60

Documented incidents (3)

• Price Fixing Cartel (high, 2012) — The U.S. Department of Justice fined Denso $255 million for conspiring to fix prices and rig bids for automotive parts sold to Toyota and Honda. This was part of a massive international investigation into the auto parts supply chain.
• Defective Fuel Pump Recalls (high, 2020) — Denso manufactured millions of defective low-pressure fuel pumps that could stall engines while driving. The defect led to global recalls of over 5 million vehicles across various manufacturers including Toyota, Honda, and Mazda.
• Chinese Regulatory Fine (medium, 2014) — Chinese regulators fined Denso and other Japanese firms for price-fixing on automotive components including piston rings and starters. The company was found to have coordinated pricing to maintain market dominance.

Documented good deeds

• Carbon Neutrality Goal — Denso committed to achieving carbon neutrality throughout its entire supply chain and manufacturing operations by 2035 through electrification and energy-saving technologies.

Ethical alternatives

• Magna International — Consistently higher scores in ethical supply chain management and transparency regarding material sourcing.