THE KOBE STEEL SCANDAL-10 Years of Falsified Quality Control Reports have Endangered Our Highway

BY DR. LOUIS ALPERT

Ombudsman

This newly released information was released by Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky of Illinois, who was recently credited by OMBUDSMAN ALERT along with Congresswoman Nita Lowey, for co-sponsoring  HR 3449, the “Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act.”

Schakowsky in two separate but identical letters written to Mr. John Bozella, President & CEO of Global Automakers and Mr. Mitch Bainwol, President & CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, atates, in part:

“Kobe Steel disclosed on Sunday, October 8, 2017, that it had faked inspection certificates for some aluminum and copper products, and admitted today that data on iron powder and a fourth product may have been falsified as well. The falsification was intended to make the products look like they met customers’ quality standards when, in fact, they did not. Some of the standards for which fake inspection certificates were provided address vital properties such as durability and tensile strength…the practice may have been occurring for the past ten years.

Kobe Steel has stated that that the substandard products were delivered to more than 200 unidentified companies . Four Global Automakers members-Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru have already confirmed that they may be affected. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Subaru have said the substandard aluminum may have been used in their vehicles’ hoods which could affect safety in a crash According to Kobe Steel, its iron powder is used in a wide range o

f vehicle components, including brakes, engines and steering mechanisms….customers wonder if the vehicles they are driving may be unsafe. I therefore request that you provide by October 27, 2107, a list of Global Automakers member companies that use or may have used affected materials from Kobe Steel in vehicles for sale in the United States for the past en years”

Congresswoman.Nita Lowey stated, “Safety is a paramount concern, and I’m deeply troubled that Americans and even constituents in my congressional district may have been put at risk by the deception and fraud of Kobe Steel. I’m pleased that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the deepening Kobe Steel scandal. We do not yet know the extent of  Kobe Steel’s wrongdoing, including data falsification, and whether any compromised metals may ultimately expose American consumers to serious safety risks. My constituents deserve answers, and Kobe Steel must be held accountable if any civil or criminal offenses are found to have occurred.”=

OMBUDSMAN ALERT intends to diligently follow up on the answers received by Congresswoman Schakowsky and will directly ask her to report to our readers in  an OMBUDSMAN ALERT article devoted to this very critical matter after October 27, 2017.

Please direct all comments and questions to: [email protected].

  Allliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Mitch Bainwol, ombudsman, Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act