Nissan Motor has admitted it had improperly measured exhaust emissions and fuel economy for 19 vehicle models sold in Japan, the second case in less than a year where misconduct had been discovered in its inspection processes.
According to Reuters, the automaker said it had found sample test environments for emissions and fuel economy in final vehicle inspections at most of its factories in Japan were not in line with domestic standards, and that inspection reports were based on altered measurements.
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The news agency noted the incident was the latest in a growing list of data tampering in Japan which had tarnished the image of the country's manufacturing industry, known for high-quality, efficient production.
The latest misconduct does not impact vehicles exported overseas, as it applies to requirements intended specifically for the Japanese market, Nissan told Reuters.
Nissan said in October that for decades uncertified inspectors had signed off on final checks for cars sold in Japan, triggering a domestic recall of 1.2 million vehicles.
"This is a deep and serious issue for our company," chief operating officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi told Reuters.
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By GlobalData"We realise that our compliance awareness remains lacking," he said, adding the company would carry out an investigation into the issue to determine the root causes, which it expects will take a month or more.
Reuters said the issue was discovered during voluntary compliance checks it launched following last year's vehicle inspection scandal, and affects models including the Note, Nissan's top-selling model in Japan, and the Juke crossover.
Of around 2,200 sample tests performed at six plants producing Nissan vehicles, 1,200 at five locations showed some form of falsification, Nissan told the news agency.
The automaker discovered incidents in which vehicle driving speeds and durations, along with external temperatures, had not been in line with Japanese regulations for emissions testing, while testing equipment had not been calibrated properly. In addition, mileage data were overstated in some cases to make them appear more favourable.
No recalls were necessary as the misconduct did not compromise the safety of the affected models, and mileage readings were in line with levels presented in product catalogues, Nissan told Reuters.
According to currently available data, tampering incidents date back to 2013 and involved 10 employees, although Yamauchi told the news agency it was possible that older data may show the problem could go back further.
Nissan said in a statement: "Nissan understands and regrets the concern and inconvenience caused to stakeholders as a result of its kanken issues last year. Proactive initiatives to prevent recurrence of such issues have led to the discovery of this misconduct, for which the company is regretful.
"A full and comprehensive investigation of the facts outlined above, including the causes and background of the misconduct, is underway. Nissan has retained the leading Japanese law firm Nishimura and Asahi to carry out an investigation centred on the causes and will implement appropriate countermeasures based on the results.
"Following re-verification of reliable log data, Nissan has confirmed that all vehicles produced, excepting GT-R, conform to Japanese safety standards and also that the Nissan vehicle-type approval average measurement values guarantee the catalogue specifications for exhaust emissions. Similarly, Nissan has also re-verified log data to confirm that all models subject to sampling tests guarantee the Nissan catalogue specifications for fuel economy, meaning there are no errors within the fuel economy figures disclosed by Nissan.
This issue came to light during the course of voluntary checks conducted by Nissan. As a company-wide exercise, Nissan will continue to carry out comprehensive checks of frameworks, organisations and processes related to regulatory compliance. Strict adherence to compliance is a top priority for Nissan's management, and if issues are discovered, appropriate measures will be taken. Nissan is committed to promoting and enforcing compliance and awareness thereof in all operational areas."
