Nissan Inspections Scandal Blows Up

Forget Dieselgate — a new controversy is brewing, and it’s threatening to throw Nissan into turmoil. The automaker shut down production at a plant in Japan, and it’ll continue for a couple of weeks. The cause was an inspections scandal, triggering the recall of 1.2 million Nissans. Now we’re learning the problem is far bigger.

Now, Reuters has relayed information from NHK, a Japanese broadcaster. It claims shoddy inspections at Nissan plants have been ongoing for at least two decades.

What it comes down to is that final inspections were being performed by workers who aren’t certified by the Japanese government.

Nissan top brass is attributing this teensie oversight with the desire to boost inspection process efficiency. That’s kind of like handing guns and badges to kids straight out of high school to streamline law enforcement efficiency.

Before you start leveling off accusations about why your Altima sucks, just know that for now it looks like none of the cars affected by this scandal ever left Japan.

Hopefully this scandal doesn’t spread further. But it could damage Nissan’s reputation, and not just in Japan. After all, it shows management may not have a problem playing fast and loose with the rules.