Auto sales in the country last month fell 1.7 percent from a year earlier, to 372,470 units, dragged down by Nissan Motor Co.'s inspection scandal, industry data showed Wednesday.
The country's second-largest carmaker by volume suffered a 43.0 percent drop in sales of all types of cars, to 22,049 vehicles, following the revelation in late September that its vehicles had been inspected by uncertified workers.
According to the data released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, vehicle sales in the reporting month, excluding minivehicles with engines no larger than 660 cc, dropped 4.7 percent to 231,563 units.