Japan’s transport ministry on Friday stated assessments at 5 of 6 plants making Nissan Motor cars found stamps of certified professionals on documents signing off checks by non-certified specialists on vehicles for the domestic market.
The remark comes as Japan’s second-biggest automaker the very same day recalled all 1.2 million vehicles sold locally over the past three years because of the issue.
Vehicles destined for the local market needs to go through an extra final procedure carried out by certified specialists before being registered with the transport ministry.
Uncertified specialists at Nissan consisted of contract workers, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Keiichi Ishii stated at a regular news briefing on Friday.
“It’s very regrettable, causing anxiety for users and shaking the foundation of the certification system,” Ishii stated. The ministry is working to determine whether and how commonly the practice was known, he included.
Using uncertified workers constitutes the second significant circumstances of misconduct involving Japanese automaker in these two years, after Mitsubishi Motors stated it tampered with fuel economy tests of some domestic-market models.