Subaru dented by quality scandal

Automaker Subaru said on Friday that it’s planning to recall roughly 255,000 cars, becoming the latest Japanese firm hurt by a quality scandal. The company said they allowed uncertified workers to carry out inspections on its vehicles at its biggest Japanese factory. CEO Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told reporters that the practice goes back thirty years and that the company didn't realize until recently that it was breaking government rules.  Workers who didn’t have enough experience to do checks borrowed Japanese “hanko” seals from authorized employees and stamped documents to show vehicles had passed the tests. The issues at Subaru were revealed after Nissan reported similar problems last month, which then prompted the Japanese government to request that other automakers inspect their production lines.  The scandals have stunned the public and have questioned the nation’s prized image for “monozukuri” or craftsman-like quality. Subaru expects the planned recall to cost it more than NZ$64 million