FRANKFURT — Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi is being probed by German prosecutors for suspected use of illegal defeat devices installed in its diesel engines, the Frankfurt prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. The Japanese carmaker is the latest manufacturer to be investigated on suspicion of hiding illegal levels of pollution following a regulatory clampdown on toxic fumes triggered by Volkswagen's 2015 admission that it had cheated emissions tests. Carmakers used engine management software to detect when a car was undergoing an emissions test cycle, and throttled back toxic fumes to hide the vehicle's real-world pollution levels. The prosecutor's office said in a statement that officials are investigating a member of staff at an international carmaker for fraud, as well as a unit of an international car dealership company, and two auto suppliers.

Source: International New York Times January 21, 2020 18:11 UTC