Following vehicle inspection deficiencies at Nissan in Japan, other vehicle makers there are reportedly checking their own systems in response to a government directive.

The Nikkei news agency reports that the transport ministry has asked carmakers to furnish a report of their findings by the end of this month. The report also said the ministry is not aware of other violations.

Nissan announced at the end of last week it would temporarily suspend vehicle registrations in Japan due to concerns over safety inspections. The automaker said it was concerned safety inspections on some 60,000 vehicles produced in Japan were carried out by unqualified personnel, in contravention of government regulations.

The problem originally came to light in early September following plant inspections carried out by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Nissan hopes to get ahead of the problem by taking immediate action but there is concern this could result in a major recall of vehicles already sold – potentially involving up to 1m vehicles.

The inspection in question happens at the very end of the manufacturing process, with only qualified workers allowed to conduct it under law. At Nissan, the qualification can be obtained after at least three months of training. But probes by the ministry found that employees with just a month of training had carried out inspections in some cases.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The Nikkei report said that Toyota has periodically checked to make sure that only qualified workers are conducting inspections. But it is now checking the status at all of its plants.

Honda also says there is no problem with inspections at its plants, with only qualified workers doing the work. However, the company will check its records to confirm that past inspections were carried out appropriately.

Mitsubishi Motors, which joined the Nissan group after a 2016 fuel-economy scandal, is also looking into its inspection practices, as are Subaru and Mazda Motor, the report added.