The U.S. Government Takes Interest in Mitsubishi's Manipulation of Fuel Economy Tests

The automotive world sure does move fast. We just learned about a future resolution for Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating scandal and now, Mitsubishi has just admitted to cheating. Unlike VW, however, Mitsubishi cheated on fuel-economy numbers and—as of now—claims that all of the vehicles included are sold in countries other than the U.S.

According to Mitsubishi, the total number of cars involved reaches as high as 625,000, including the eK, which is also sold under the Nissan DayZ nameplate. Lucky for us, neither of these models is available in the U.S. According to the report, Mitsubishi manipulated the load placed on the tires, leading to higher recorded fuel-economy numbers.

Despite the only cars initially mentioned in the announcement not being available here, Reuters is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now getting involved. The government agency has “requested information from Mitsubishi about this issue,” but there are no accusations of cheating in the U.S. yet.

If Mitsubishi is found to have manipulated fuel-economy numbers in the U.S., it would be far from the first time it’s happened. Hyundai and Kia got busted manipulating fuel-economy data a few years back, which resulted in hefty fines and forfeiture of its emissions credits in 2014. Ford also ran into an issue, and it was required to just adjust the fuel-economy claims its hybrid vehicles.

If the possibility of flubbed fuel-economy numbers doesn’t scare you off, Mitsubishi actually provides a lot of value for the money these days. While its lease deals aren’t too strong, it offers great programs for buyers. One of its strongest offers is 0 percent APR for 84 months on the 2015 Mirage with $1,500 in bonus cash. Also available is 0 percent APR for up to 72 months with up to $500 in bonus cash on the 2015 Outlander Sport.