Japan’s Hitachi Astemo flags lapses in quality tests over decades

Japanese automotive supplier Hitachi Astemo said on Friday it found misconduct over testing and other procedures for components had lasted as long as four decades, affecting a much wider range of plants and customers than previously disclosed.

The comments come in the wake of news last month that Toyota affiliate Daihatsu rigged safety tests for 88,000 small cars.

Hitachi Astemo, which makes car and railway parts ranging from brake and damping systems to powertrains, worked with customers to redo tests on nearly two dozen affected products following an investigation, Chief Executive Brice Koch told reporters.

“We have now taken all the relevant measures to improve, to increase the robustness of our system and our company,” Koch said, saying he did not expect any impact on growth or costs.

None of the customers involved were paid compensation and all of the costs associated with renewed testing were booked in the previous financial year.

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