Mitsubishi Fuso said on Wednesday it plans to recall 112,000 trucks and other large vehicles because of a faulty wheel part that police are investigating in connection with dozens of accidents.
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According to Associated Press (AP), the recall is due to what Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. acknowledges is a design flaw, and involves mostly freight trucks – the firm will replace front wheel hubs.
AP noted that Mitsubishi Fuso had previously denied any error in the production and design of the vehicles and pointed to faulty maintenance, but on Wednesday admitted that its hub lacked durability and could crack, and in worst cases could cause wheels to come off.
Local media reported that Mitsubishi Motors had for decades covered up customer complaints regarding other models to escape having to recall them and that authorities are investigating those cases though Mitsubishi officials have denied any cover-up attempts.
AP noted that, under an earlier voluntary replacement scheme, the Tokyo-based company repaired some 75,000 vehicles and the planned recall comes after the company reopened an investigation into some 50 cases in which wheels came loose from heavy-duty trucks due to damaged hubs. Police are also reportedly investigating the incidents.
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By GlobalDataIn one case, AP added, 29-year-old Shiho Okamoto was killed and her two sons injured in January 2002 when a wheel rolled off a Mitsubishi truck and hit them as they walked along a footpath in Yokohama, west of Tokyo. Investigators found the hub linking the axle to the wheel was broken, the report added.
“Among major management issues, quality control is the most important. We’ll learn the lesson from the hub problem and will take necessary steps as soon as possible,” the company reportedly said in a statement. “We’ll take seriously the process that led to our latest recall.”
The company said it will set up an investigation team that includes independent experts, AP added.
