The Japanese auto giant Mitsubishi isn't including an earnings forecast in the newest results report, because of a growing scandal.  The company is admitting that it had faked fuel efficiency tests on hundreds of thousands of its vehicles for the past 25 years. 

It follows last week's revelations that the company falsified data on four minicars sold only in Japan.  But the new admission means that Mitsubishi probably has been doing this on many more than just the four models, most of which were sold under the Nissan badge before going out of production.  Takehiko Kakiuchi, chief executive of Mitsubishi Corporation, said he was "aghast" at the scandal affecting its sister company.

Japanese regulations changed fuel economy tests in 1991 to better reflect stop-start urban driving, but Mitsubishi failed to to test its cars according to the new standard.  "We should have switched, but it turns out we didn't," said executive Vice President Ryugo Nakao.

Japanese drivers frequently opt for minicars with 600cc engines for their fuel economy and tax breaks.  But the Transport Ministry says mileage fraud breaks Japan's fuel efficiency laws.  It's not clear what kind of penalties the company will face.

Nor is it certain that consumers will forgive Mitsubishi for a second time.  The company was almost brought down 15 years ago in a scandal about a systematic cover-up of vehicle defects.  That time, some of Mitsubishi's sister companies bailed out the automaker before it could collapse.  This time around, the economy is a lot tighter.