Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced a set of measures Friday that it said it will implement in an effort to improve the quality and information-management of its product-recall system.
The plan stems from a recent scandal involving a decades-long policy of covering up information on defective automobiles.
The measures -- including free inspections for any Mitsubishi Motors vehicle owner from November through June -- will cost at least 10 billion yen.
"The effect (of the scandal) has been really grave," said Corporate General Manager Naomitsu Umino. "Our auto sales in September were 75 percent of those the previous year, while the industry's sale was 96.5 percent."
In an attempt to regain consumer trust, Mitsubishi will strengthen its internal inspection committees, set unified criteria for vehicle recalls and create new positions to check quality management, Umino said.
In another move, beginning this month and until March, new buyers will be given three free inspections, Mitsubishi Motors said.
The company will also try to improve the handling of consumer complaints, numbering each chronologically to make for a more transparent system.
After the scandal broke, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. officials admitted the firm had been systematically separating and hiding vast amounts of user complaints from inspection authorities for at least 23 years.
Also on Friday, Mitsubishi Motors submitted a report on these measures to the Transport Ministry, which approved the plan and resumed model registration of new Mitsubishi vehicles.
The ministry had suspended new model registration since Sept. 8, when it ordered the auto manufacturer to report on how it would improve its recall system.