TOKYO, May 19 Reuters Japanese automotive supplier Hitachi Astemo said on Friday it found misconduct over testing and other procedures for components had lasted as long as four decades, affecting a much wider range of plants and customers than previously disclosed.

The comments come in the wake of news last month that Toyota affiliate Daihatsu rigged safety tests for 88,000 small cars.

Hitachi Astemo, which makes car and railway parts ranging from brake and damping systems to powertrains, worked with customers to redo tests on nearly two dozen affected products following an investigation, Chief Executive Brice Koch told reporters.

We have now taken all the relevant measures to improve, to increase the robustness of our system and our company, Koch said, saying he did not expect any impact on growth or costs.

None of the customers involved were paid compensation and all of the costs associated with renewed testing were booked in the previous financial year.

The company, a joint venture between Hitachi Ltd and Honda Motor Co Ltd, found that employees had wrongly handled test and other procedures at 11 domestic and four overseas plants, in China, Mexico, Thailand and the United States.

The misconduct affected 22 products for 69 customers, including rear shock absorbers and brake systems for cars, railcar dampers and connecting rods, as well as other components, the company said.

About threefourths of the customers were Japanese and the rest from overseas, Koch said….