Report: EPA Orders Tests of Mitsubishi Cars

CARS.COM — In the wake of Mitsubishi’s admission of “irregularities” in fuel consumption for hundreds of thousands of cars worldwide, the EPA is reportedly looking into the automaker’s U.S. gas-mileage numbers. Reuters reports the federal agency has asked Mitsubishi to conduct new “coast-down” tests and provide extra information for its stateside cars.

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The Japanese automaker has reportedly admitted that intentional falsification of its fuel-economy may date all the way back to 1991. Some 625,000 minicars are affected worldwide, but no U.S. models have thus far been implicated.

The EPA has audited coast-down tests, which measure aerodynamic drag and other frictional losses, since 2011. Faulty tests were to blame in Hyundai-Kia’s 2012 mileage scandal. But the agency isn’t the only one investigating Mitsubishi. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also has requested information from the automaker regarding fuel economy, a NHTSA spokesman confirmed.

Spokespeople for the EPA and Mitsubishi did not respond to Cars.com’s request for comment.

On April 20, Mitsubishi told Cars.com that “an independent investigation committee is being established to determine if any overseas models have also been subjected to the same testing procedures.”

At that point, the automaker said it wasn’t aware of any affected U.S. models.