Their duplicity has cost the company much. Japan's normally toothless Transportation Ministry, in response to public outcry, has had to take a bold stance on the Mitsubishi issue. The agency has so far threatened to remove its safety approval ratings on all Mitsu vehicles, which would cause consumers to shy away from buying the company's vehicles. The Ministry has also discussed the possibility of shutting down the company for the remainder of the year. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Katsuhiko Kawasoe resigned in disgrace in early September.
More resignations are likely to follow.
Japanese police raided Mitsubishi headquarters in late August. As a Web site that takes a proactive stance on matters of quality and safety, we're appalled at Mitsubishi's arrogance and willful disregard of the public trust. Mitsu officials claim that the company's sales have been unaffected in the U.S., but in our opinion it's too early to tell. See what a Mitsubishi spokesperson says about our feature regarding the similarities between Mitsubishi and Homer J. Simpson by clicking here.