Mitsubishi admits employees cheated on fuel mileage tests
Mitsubishi Motors President Tetsuro Aikawa speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Wednesday it used improper testing methods to make some of its vehicle models look more fuel efficient than they actually are. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) - Credit: AP
Mitsubishi says it has found evidence that its employees falsified fuel mileage test data for several models of vehicle.
The maker of the eK wagon and Outlander sports-utility vehicle said the inaccurate tests involved 157,000 of its own brand light passenger cars and 468,000 vehicles produced for Nissan.
Company president Tetsuro Aikawa said the misconduct had been reported to the transportation ministry.
The problem was discovered after Nissan pointed out inconsistencies in data. Mitsubishi conducted an internal probe and found data was falsified.
The company's shares plunged after the news.
Mitsubishi Motors struggled for years to win back consumer trust after a scandal in the early 2000s over cover-ups of problems such as failing brakes, faulty clutches and fuel tanks prone to falling off.
The Tokyo-based car maker said the inaccurate tests involved its own-brand eK Wagon and eK Space light passenger cars, and 468,000 Dayz Roox vehicles produced for Nissan.
Most Read
- 1 Woman in her 20s dies in A47 crash
- 2 The school where boys can wear skirts - but not shorts
- 3 Woman in her 50s who died in A11 crash named locally
- 4 Redundancy leads to Norfolk mum earning up to £3,000 a month
- 5 Train travellers set for another weekend of rail disruption
- 6 Woman in serious condition in hospital after crash between two cars and van
- 7 Cyclist in her 50s dies in A11 crash
- 8 Abnormal load to travel through county on first day of Norfolk Show
- 9 Breckland builder dumped toilet cisterns and bathroom items in front garden
- 10 Car seen driving on the wrong side of the A47
Mitsubishi found that tyre pressure data was falsified to make mileage appear better than it was.
The company said it would investigate whether data was altered for vehicles sold overseas.
