 In June 2000, Kawasoe was forced to admit that Mitsubishi Motors and its Fuso Truck and Bus subsidiary had systematically covered up reports of vehicle defects from the Japanese Transport Ministry since 1977.The effect on the company's stock was immediate and precipitous, falling 13 percent on the news.As further revelations of "one of the largest corporate scandals in Japanese history" emerged over the summer the stock continued to plummet until Kawasoe was forced to resign on November 1, 2000.