Mitsubishi admits fuel economy rigging

Mitsubishi has admitted rigging fuel tests, which could affect around 625,000 Mitsubishi-made cars, including vehicles produced for Nissan.

The issue applies to four models, available only in the Japanese domestic market. These are four superminis – the eK Wagon and eK Space fall under the Mitsubishi brand, while the Dayz and Dayz Roox are manufactured for Nissan.

All four models are 'kei' cars – models with small-capacity engines and compact dimensions that are extremely popular in Asia. Of the 625,000 affected, 468,000 units are Nissan models, while 157,000 are Mitsubishis.

Mitsubishi said it had "conducted testing improperly to present better fuel consumption rates than the actual rates; and that the testing method was also different from the one required by Japanese law". It added: "We express deep apologies to all of our customers and stakeholders for this issue."

The company has stopped production and sales of the cars affected, and has announced that it will conduct an investigation into products manufactured for overseas markets. Mitsubishi in the UK is yet to comment on the news.

Shares in Mitsubishi Motors fell by more than 15% in Japan following the announcement, the biggest one-day drop in almost 12 years.

The admission from Mitsubishi follows Volkswagen’s emissions scandal last year, which shook the automotive industry, with 5.6 million cars affected globally. This month the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) finished its testing of diesel vehicles and found that only Volkswagen Group diesel cars used the devices to manipulate their emissions.

South Korean car makers Hyundai and subsidiary Kia agreed to pay $350 million in penalties to the US government in 2014 for overstating their vehicles' fuel economy ratings.

Affected cars taken off sale

Mitsubishi has confirmed that all of the affected cars have been taken off sale in Japan, and production has been halted pending a full investigation. In a statement, the firm said it has "discovered fuel consumption testing data submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has been improperly presented in order to improve fuel consumption rates."

The company's statement also apologised to customers and stakeholders, and promised that a panel of experts was being assembled to investigate the problem.

Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi UK's managing director, said: "Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has acted quickly and decisively. We understand that such issues are of great concern to consumers. I would like to reassure everyone that there is no evidence to suggest that UK or European models are affected". 

In a similar statement, Nissan said that it "recently became aware of discrepancies in data obtained from Mitsubishi concerning our Mitsubishi-sourced, Japanese-market kei cars.

"This discovery was made during Nissan’s assessment of data from the current model as part of our development of the next-generation vehicle. We immediately brought the discrepancy to the attention of Mitsubishi, as they are responsible for the development and homologation of the current vehicles. In response to Nissan’s request, Mitsubishi admitted that data had been intentionally manipulated in its fuel economy testing process for certification."

Nissan said it is "working on solutions to support impacted owners. Nissan remains committed to providing complete and accurate information to our customers.

"Nissan understands and regrets the inconvenience and concern this will cause our valued customers.”