High-ranking officials have apologized for the manipulation.
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The company says that 625,000 mini-car models produced since mid-2013 were affected.
A Nissan spokesperson told edie: “Nissan recently became aware of discrepancies in data obtained from Mitsubishi concerning our Mitsubishi-sourced, Japanese-market kei-cars”.
Although the incidents affect mainly the Japanese vehicle market, incorrect fuel economy figures are nothing new for the industry.
The Japanese carmaker said it would stop making and selling those cars, and has set up an independent panel to investigate the issue.
Revelations of the cheating follow a cover-up scandal that brought Mitsubishi close to the brink about a decade ago, when the automaker admitted to systematically concealing defects over decades.
“We would like to reveal the extent of the inaccuracies as soon as possible”, Suga said.
Shares in Mitsubishi Motors have reportedly dropped by more than 15% in Tokyo – its biggest fall for almost 12 years. “It leads consumers and regulators to be suspicious”.
A spokesman for the company said the raid by members of Japan’s Transport Ministry at a plant in the central Japanese city of Okazaki would continue today.
It was Japan’s worst automotive recall scandal at the time.
Mitsubishi said in a statement that affected vehicles include the eK Wagon and eK Space, both of which are mini-car models sold in Japan under Mitsubishi’s brand.
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In 2014, South Korean auto makers Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Motors Corp paid penalties amounting to $350 million to the United States government for overstating the fuel economy ratings of their vehicles. The former also said that Mitsubishi had admitted to them that their data had been intentionally falsified. It also said that it would “sincerely respond” to customers who purchased the affected vehicles and would also discuss with Nissan regarding proper compensation. Volkswagen AG is perhaps the biggest example of an automaker caught cheating on emissions tests, but others have been accused of overstating fuel efficiency as well.
