TOKYO, May 20 (Xinhua) -- A subsidiary of Japan's heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. has falsified fuel efficiency data for 4,361 engines, mostly for ships, produced at least since 2003 for the domestic and overseas markets, the company said recently.
The Japanese leading engine maker said the data-rigging was found at IHI Power Systems Co.'s plants in Niigata and Gunma prefectures, with data doctored during tests to make their fuel economy look better.
Of the 4,361 engines, 2,058 did not meet the specifications set under contracts with its customers, IHI said.
Among the affected engines, some were used in Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels and Hokkaido Railway Co. trains and likely in fishing boats owned by some municipalities, according to IHI.
The misconduct came to light after a whistleblower within the subsidiary reported the wrongdoing in February.
IHI said data falsification may have taken place since the late 1980s at the Niigata plant and since 2001 at the Gunma factory.
"It is a betrayal of our customers' trust," IHI Senior Executive Officer Hideo Morita said at a press conference. "We are in a grave situation in which the foundation of our manufacturing has been shaken."
Following IHI's announcement, Japan's transport ministry instructed IHI and the subsidiary to look into the matter and come up with measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again and conducted on-site inspections of the two plants, according to Kyodo News.
The inspections come as another blow to IHI, which admitted in 2019 to misconduct in the manufacturing process of its aircraft engine parts, which prompted the transport ministry to order the company to improve operations. ■
