Major Japanese engine maker IHI announced on Wednesday that a subsidiary had falsified fuel efficiency data for 4,361 engines, mostly marine engines, produced for domestic and international markets since at least 2003.
According to IHI, the data fraud was discovered at IHI Power Systems plants in Niigata and Gunma prefectures, where data had been falsified during testing to make fuel efficiency appear better.
According to IHI, 2,058 of the 4,361 engines did not meet specifications set under customer contracts.
IHI's Senior Managing Executive Officer Hideo Morita said at a press conference, “This is an act that betrays the trust of our customers.'' “We are in a serious situation that is shaking the very foundations of manufacturing.”
IHI Senior Managing Executive Officer Hideo Morita speaks at a press conference regarding the fuel economy data falsification issue in Tokyo on April 24, 2024 (Kyodo News)
According to IHI, some of the affected engines are used on Japan Coast Guard patrol boats, as well as on Hokkaido Passenger Railway trains and fishing boats owned by some local governments. .
This fraudulent activity was discovered in February through a whistleblower within the subsidiary.
On the same day, Japan's Ministry of Transport instructed IHI and its subsidiaries to investigate the matter and take measures to prevent similar accidents from happening again.
In 2019, IHI admitted to misconduct in the manufacturing process of aircraft engine parts, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued a business improvement order to the company.
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