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Nissan Routinely Falsified Vehicle Inspection Documents – Japanese Media

The Japanese automaker Nissan has routinely falsified inspection documents for new vehicles, Japanese media reported on Wednesday, as the Japanese company faces a new scandal following the announced recall of vehicles due to questionable inspections.

Nissan announced on Monday that it would recall 1.21 million cars in the domestic market after it was revealed that final checks before delivery to dealers and customers were carried out by unqualified workers.

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Today, the Asahi Shimbun reported that Nissan’s factories issued documents with the names and seals of authorized inspectors “to make it appear that the vehicles were inspected by authorized personnel.”

– “This is a significant problem if it turns out that the documentation was falsified to cover up illegal activities,” the newspaper quoted a transport ministry official who wished to remain anonymous.

A government investigation found that the company used unauthorized personnel to inspect vehicles at all six domestic factories, according to Kyodo News.

– “If the documentation was indeed falsified, it would mean that workers in the factories were deliberately trying to conceal this practice rather than ignoring the regulations regarding inspector qualifications,” Kyodo reported.

Nissan stated that the transport ministry conducted inspection oversight at all six factories in Japan.

A company spokesperson declined to comment on media reports, stating that the internal investigation announced by the company could take a month.

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Transport ministry officials also declined to comment to AFP regarding media reports on the status of official investigations at Nissan.

Company president Hiroto Saikawa admitted on Monday that lower inspectors were performing tasks for which they were not authorized, calling it “a very serious problem.”

– “This was not an isolated case,” Saikawa said, adding that he was not sure how and when this practice began.

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The disputed vehicles were produced between October 2014 and September 2017, the company stated. Saikawa said it would take the company at least a month to investigate what happened, adding that the vehicle recall could cost the company around 25 billion yen ($222 million).

Nissan is already among a group of global automakers, including Toyota, General Motors, and Volkswagen, that have faced massive vehicle recalls due to faulty airbags from Takata.