Mitsubishi Motors Corp. was ordered Monday by the Tokyo District Court to pay a fine of 4 million yen (about $37,400) for violating the Road Vehicles Law by covering up auto defects.
The Transport Ministry on Sept. 7 called on the court to fine MMC for secretly conducting repairs on defective vehicles between 1997 and May this year. MMC was aiming to hide four types of defects, including gearbox and brake hose problems, affecting a total of 800 vehicles, including its Debonair luxury car and Fuso truck.
The ministry has also filed a criminal complaint against MMC for falsifying reports concerning vehicle defects, and police are now investigating the case.
After Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., MMC is the second automaker to be fined for failing to meet the ministry's product recall requirement.
The disclosure this summer of the defect coverup led to the resignation of MMC President Katsuhiko Kawasoe last month.