The Japanese carmaker has admitted it “conducted testing improperly” in order to enhance fuel consumption data for a variety of its vehicle models.
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As global emissions regulations tighten, fuel economy has become a major factor for environmental- and cost-conscious buyers.
Aikawa said the company expected its bottom line to take a hit thanks to the crisis.
Japanese authorities have raided a Mitsubishi office, following the admission that it had manipulated fuel consumption data.
The inaccurate tests involved 157,000 of its own cars and 468,000 vehicles produced for Nissan. Ltd., which markets a similar model made by Mitsubishi, found a discrepancy in fuel efficiency test data. Four models have been affected by the fudging, which include the Mitsubishi eK Wagon, eK Space, and the Nissan Dayz and Dayz Roox.
Mitsubishi’s ‘mini cars, ‘ like its eK Wagon, were marketed mainly for their good mileage.
“Since the cover-up of recalls in the 2000s, we have tried to reinforce compliance within the company, but a compliance sense still hasn’t penetrated to every employee”, Mitsubishi President Tetsuro Aikawa said yesterday as he bowed in apology.
It also manipulated the equipment used to measure a car’s rolling resistance during fuel economy tests and used a different testing system from other Japanese carmakers.
Mitsubishi Motors said it would also check whether the cheating extended to overseas models, adding that it was unable to estimate the impact of the manipulation on its business at this time.
Japanese transport ministry officials have inspected the carmaker’s technical centre as they begin to probe the company.
It also marks the latest blow for “Japan Inc” after auto parts giant Takata was hammered by an exploding air bag defect blamed for at least 11 deaths, and as Toshiba tries to recover from a huge accounting scandal.
The exact numbers have not been released, but the agreement will involve VW offering owners the option of a buyback or a fix for their vehicle.
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Prior to that in 2014, South Korea’s Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars in fine to settle a litigation in the U.S., again for exaggerating the fuel efficiency on its cars sold in 2012 and 2013.
