Nissan says it’s discovered misconduct in exhaust gas measurement within final vehicle inspections in Japan, affecting 19 models.

Nissan said 19 models sold in Japan were impacted by incorrect testing environments

The carmaker said it had discovered “performance of exhaust emissions and fuel economy tests that deviated from the prescribed testing environment” as well as “creation of inspection reports based on altered measurement values”.

It added that it had reported the current facts and investigation results to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The latest findings follow the carmaker’s discovery in September 2017 that it had not been following official rules for the final vehicle inspection process at its plants in Japan, which led to a recall of 1.2 million vehicles. The carmaker said it has been proactively carrying out comprehensive compliance checks of various parts of its operations since.

Nissan has retained Japanese law firm Nishimura and Asahi to carry out an investigation centered on the causes and will implement appropriate countermeasures based on the results.

The carmaker confirmed that all vehicles produced conform to Japanese safety standards and are in line with their official emissions and fuel consumption figures.

The carmaker added: “As a companywide exercise, Nissan will continue to carry out comprehensive checks of frameworks, organizations and processes related to regulatory compliance. Strict adherence to compliance is a top priority for Nissan’s management, and if issues are discovered, appropriate measures will be taken. Nissan is committed to promoting and enforcing compliance and awareness thereof in all operational areas.”