Subaru CEO Steps Down Amid Emissions Data Scandal

Subaru’s CEO has stepped down from his role with the Japanese automaker in the wake of the automaker’s emissions data scandal.

Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, 64, will step down from the leading role at Subaru and will be replaced by 58-year old Tomomi Nakamura.
Yoshinaga was expected to be named the company’s chairman at its shareholder’s meeting on June 22nd, but will now serve as a nonrepresentative chairman of the board following his withdrawal as CEO. Yoshinaga has served as Subaru’s chief executive since 2012.

In April, Subaru admitted that workers at its Gunma and Yajima plants in Japan, which build the Forester, Impreza and Outback models, among more, altered emissions data on 903 vehicles. This week it was revealed that an additional 927 vehicles were affected, bringing the total to 1,551 vehicles.

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An investigation into the matter found that employees at the plants input speed and humidity levels that were out of line with Japan’s standards when conducting emissions testing on certain vehicles. The affected vehicles were for local consumption in Japan only.

The problem was first discovered during an investigation into a separate problem in which unqualified workers were conducting final tests of Subaru vehicles for the Japanese market. That investigation resulted in Subaru recalling over 400,000 vehicles in its home market.

In a statement made on Tuesday, Subaru said the problem was localized to a small number of vehicles and stressed that such a situation won’t happen again.

“There is no chance that the problem will become bigger than this,” Yoshinaga said.

[Source: Nikkei Asia Review]

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