1991 Mitsubishi Montero Rs Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Carlos Ghosn's son predicts surprises at ex-Nissan chief's day in court

PARIS — The son of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn said in an interview published Sunday that people will be surprised when his father, detained since Nov. 19 for allegedly falsifying financial reports, recounts his version of events to a Tokyo court on Tuesday. Anthony Ghosn, 24, told France's Journal du Dimanche that his father — who will remain detained until at least Jan. 11 — will get 10 minutes to talk at the hearing, being held at his own request. "For the first time, he can talk about his version of the allegations against him," Anthony Ghosn said in the interview with the weekly paper Journal du Dimanche. "I think everyone will be rather surprised hearing his version of the story. Until now, we've only heard the accusers." The son has no direct contact with his father, and gets information via lawyers. He said his father, who for decades was a revered figure in the global auto industry, has lost about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) eating three bowls of rice daily, but he reads books and "he resists." Ghosn refuses to cave in, said his son, contending that he would be freed from detention if he admitted guilt to the prosecutor. "But for seven weeks, his decision has been quite clear ... He won't give in," Anthony Ghosn said, adding that he would be wearing prison clothes and handcuffs in court. Countering media portrayals, he insisted his father, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, is "not obsessed by money." "He always told us that money is but a means to help those you love, but not an end unto itself." Ghosn is charged with underreporting his pay by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) in 2011-2015, and faces a breach of trust allegation. He led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and helped save the Japanese automaker from near bankruptcy. He remains head of France's Renault car company, which owns 43 percent of Nissan. Another Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Ghosn on the underreporting of income and was freed Dec. 25 on 70 million yen ($635,600) bail after more than a month in detention.Related Video:

Mitsubishi recalls 141,000 Lancers, Outlanders, and Outlander Sports

Mitsubishi issued two recalls this month, one big, one small, that affect several cars from the brand's past and current lineup. The major recall covers old Lancers, Lancer Sportbacks, Outlanders, and Outlander Sports that might have an issue with corrosion weakening the suspension. The second recall affects the current-generation Outlander and Outlander PHEV that have improperly built seat belt assemblies. NHTSA campaign No. 20V279000 states that Mitsubishi is recalling 141,200 2008-2010 Lancers, 2010 Lancer Sportbacks, 2008-2013 Outlanders, and 2011-2016 Outlander Sports due to the possibility that the front cross member on these vehicles might be damaged. If these vehicles encountered road salt, snowmelt water, and anti-freezing agents, the cross member could corrode. If the cross member corrodes, there is a slight possibility the front control arm could detach and create an extremely dangerous situation.  This recall only pertains to vehicles in the Salt Belt region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C. Mitsubishi dealerships will inspect affected cars and make a judgment call from there. If the damage is minimal or non-existent, Mitsubishi will spray and seal the cross member with new anti-corrosion protection. If the cross member is damaged, Mitsubishi will replace it for free.  NHTSA campaign No. 20V280000 affects 3,238 2019-2020 Outlanders and 2019 Outlander PHEVs due to potentially faulty seat belts. On these vehicles the seat belts for the second-row passenger-side seat might have the wrong part. "Due to inappropriate manufacturing process at the supplier, the guide piece (which is a component part of the second-row seat belts’ anchorage) for the left side seat belt was mistakenly assembled with the right side seat belt, causing seat belt restraint efficiency for vehicle occupants to decrease in the vehicle collisions," a recall document states. Mitsubishi dealerships will inspect the seat belts in affected cars and replace them, if necessary. It is believed only 1% of the 3,238 vehicles have the defect. Visit the NHTSA for more information.

Mitsubishi North America distances itself from mileage scandal

Mitsubishi's US operations are keen to distance themselves from the falsified fuel mileage scandal that has brought the whole of Mitsubishi Motors under scrutiny. In a statement released Thursday, MMNA announced that the internal audit of US market vehicles dating back to 2013 has uncovered no wrongdoings. Mitsubishi Motors R&D North America has verified the data previously submitted to EPA, and no vehicles sold in the US from 2013 to 2017 are affected with the fuel data irregularities. According to Mitsubishi, the testing data for the US market vehicles complies with EPA procedures and a different method is used in the United States than Japan to gather fuel mileage figures – something the EPA calls "Road Load Coefficient," and the data is independently verified before submitting. So far, the scandal seems to center on Japanese market cars, even if the findings date back to 1991. Related Video: Mitsubishi Motors North America Statement Regarding Fuel Consumption Testing Data April 27, 2016 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Tokyo recently announced irregularities concerning fuel consumption testing data. To confirm that U.S. market vehicles are not affected by this issue, Mitsubishi Motors R&D America, Inc., working together with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, proactively conducted an internal audit of U.S. market vehicles going back several model years to check previously submitted data to the EPA. After a thorough review of all 2013MY – 2017MY vehicles sold in the United States, we have determined that none of these vehicles are affected. Our findings confirm that fuel economy testing data for these U.S. market vehicles is accurate and complies with established EPA procedures. An entirely different system is used for the United States market to determine what the EPA calls Road Load Coefficient, strictly adhering to EPA procedures. The data generated is then independently verified for its accuracy before being submitted to the EPA for their fuel economy testing. MMNA has shared this information with EPA, California Air Resources Board and DOT. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has acted quickly to address this issue and is putting in place a committee of external experts to thoroughly and objectively continue this investigation. The results of the investigation, once completed, will be made public.