Report: Mitsubishi Didn’t Learn from Past Scandals

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. responded to scandals over the past 15 years with well-constructed prevention measures. But a report says the company failed to build a corporate culture that enabled employees to follow the procedures.

The analysis comes from an outside, four-member investigative team set up to probe the cause of data manipulation used to overstate the fuel efficiency of four of MMC’s most popular minicars. The company admitted in April that it has cheated on the ratings for years. The disclosure triggered a 45% drop in sales of such models, including two built for Nissan Motor Co.

Nissan agreed in May to invest 237 billion yen ($2.3 billion) to acquire a controlling 34% stake in MMC and take the lead in reviving the company.

The investigative team notes that MMC was rocked by scandals in 2000 and 2004 involving long-running cover-ups of safety defects. The report says MMC responded with laudable programs but didn’t overcome a corporate culture that discouraged workers from speaking up about problems.