Suzuki, Mazda, Yamaha Admit To Emission Falsification

There seems to be no end to scandals in the automotive industry the world over. After German giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, it’s now the turn of Japanese auto giants to brought to task for misappropriation of emission data. Last month it was Nissan Motor Co. who admitted to falsifying emissions data on cars produced in Japan. This prompted Japan’s ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism (MLIT) to order an internal probe into 23 car and motorcycle manufacturers to determine the extent of the scandal.

In the latest development, Yamaha, Suzuki and Mazda have come forward to admit that they were involved in the falsification of emissions and fuel economy data. The companies admitted to conducting various tests on some of their vehicles incorrectly.

Of the 12,819 cars Suzuki, Japan’s fourth-largest carmaker, sent as samples since 2012, it is estimated that nearly half were not tested properly. According to the ministry, it found irregularities on the data of 4 per cent of Mazda cars and 2 per cent of Yamaha’s vehicles. All three companies have apologised for their actions. Mazda, however, has issued a statement saying that it did not deliberately falsify the emission end efficiency data. The 72 irregularities in a sample of 1,472 vehicles were due to speed trace errors, which basically means that the vehicle deviated from the specified speed during the test cycle. The resulting errors should have been identified by inspectors. According to Mazda, its folly was not having a system that invalidates results automatically in case of errors.

The company also stated that upon re-examination, it found no irregularities in specification, fuel efficiency and emission figures. The company also intends to put an automatic system in place that invalidates any test if it deviates from preset parameters. In addition, according to reports, most of the 20 remaining manufacturers have found nothing of suspicion in the internal probe so far. But the investigation isn’t complete yet.

Despite Mazda clearing its name and most others coming clean, the scandal still stands. It is a serious blow to the Japanese auto industry that was known for its ethics and product quality. This scandal can prompt action from governments around the world, including India, which happens to be one of the biggest markets for Japanese automotive manufacturers.

Source: Automotive news/ Mazda