Mitsubishi Motors' Shares Fall Following Raids By German Authorities

Mitsubishi Motors MMTOF shares fell sharply after authorities raided facilities associated with the company’s German subsidiary on Tuesday over suspected diesel emissions fraud, according to Nikkei Asian Review.

What Happened

German prosecutors raided ten business premises connected to the German subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors as part of an investigation into allegations that the Japanese automaker installed illegal software on some of its diesel models to thwart emissions tests, German authorities said Tuesday.

Following the news, the company's stock dropped as much as 7% from Tuesday's close.

The probe mainly targeted Mitsubishi vehicles with 1.6-liter and 2.-liter four-cylinder diesel engines that meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions standards, said the prosecutor’s office.

“It is suspected that the vehicles contain so-called defeat devices that ensure that legal nitrogen-oxide emissions limits are kept during treadmill tests but not during real driving,” the German prosecutor Nadja Niesen told The Wall Street Journal.

Mitsubishi confirmed that prosecutors visited some of their facilities in Germany.

"We are collecting detailed information at this time," said a spokesperson of the company. "We will cooperate with the investigation,” he added.

Why It Matters

Tuesday’s probe mirrors the 2015 raids in the offices of Volkswagen AG VLKAF, following allegations by U.S. authorities that the company used illegal software to cheat on emissions tests.

The German automaker later admitted that they committed the fraud and agreed to pay over $30 billion in fines and penalties.

To date, German prosecutors also raided other automakers like and Daimler AG DDAIF and BMW BMWYY over suspected exhaust gas fraud.