TOKYO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Japan's automaker Subaru Corp. conducted vehicle inspections using uncertified staff for more than 30 years, Kyodo News on Friday quoted a company official as saying.
The uncertified inspections by Subaru were carried out at two of the firm's plants north of Tokyo in Gunma Prefecture, with the executive quoted as saying that inspections had been taken out by trainees and not certified staff.
"This practice has been traditionally carried out for more than 30 years," the executive said.
Following consultations with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Subaru Corp. may announce a recall on the vehicles on which the improper inspections were conducted.
Subaru permitted workers without the requisite certification, who were in training, to perform parts of the safety inspections, and use stamps of authorized inspectors at two plants in Ota in southeastern Gunma Prefecture, insiders with knowledge of the matter said.
They added that temporary permits were issued to workers undergoing training, who carried out final vehicle checks before becoming fully qualified.
Tokyo-based Subaru, whose corporate name was Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. until April this year, is known for producing the popular Crosstrek, Outback, Forester and Impreza models of vehicles.
The scandal at Subaru comes on the heels of revelations that Nissan Motor Co., Japan's second-largest automaker, has been involved in inspection practices that also did not meet transport ministry standards.
The improper inspections at Nissan led to the automaker issuing a domestic recall of some 1.2 million cars sold in Japan over the past three years and a suspension to production of domestic automobiles.
According to industry insiders and reinforced by an internal investigation at Nissan, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that improper final inspections on vehicles has become an inherent practice at the Yokohama-based automaker and dates back as far as 20 years.
Nissan had routinely not been following standardized procedures and protocols for final inspections that are required by Japan's transport ministry to be conducted on all vehicles sold in Japan, it was revealed.
Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa's said recently that the automaker's training system for certifying vehicle inspection staff had not changed for 20 years, with sources close to the matter stating that, in violation of government requirements, final inspections had been routinely conducted by uncertified technicians.
Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii said that such negligence of compliance is undermining the nation's regulatory system and the government has since stepped up its overseeing of a number of manufacturers here, including Kobe Steel, itself mired in a data standard fabrication scandal.
The seemingly inherent culture of lax and neglectful procedures at Japan's once-revered bellwether manufacturers has severely diminished Japan's one stellar reputation as a global leader in the manufacturing industry, industry experts said.
