Japanese firms hit by quality-control crisis

A series of leading Japanese manufacturers have been mired in recent quality scandals, damaging the once-revered "Made in Japan" reputation and reflecting a lack of supervision on a national level.

Subaru is the latest manufacturer to come under fire. The company said on Monday that it would move to recall 255,000 vehicles next week after it was revealed that final vehicle inspections had been carried out by uncertified staff.

The scandal came on the heels of revelations that Nissan, Japan's second-largest automaker, has been involved in similar practices. The improper inspections led to the automaker issuing a domestic recall of over one million cars sold in Japan.