Mitsubishi Motors Corp. on Thursday reported to the transport ministry that it will recall 140,301 Pajero Mini and Pajero Jr. sport-utility vehicles, bringing the number of recall cases it was hiding to 20.

MMC had known earlier about defective air bags in the two models produced between October 1995 and March 1998, it said. The recall brings the total number of units involved in the coverup scandal to about 760,000.

The automaker also reported recalls of four other models to the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry.

MMC changed the contents of its previous recall reports regarding six models of passenger car, or 236,420 units, such as the Galant and Eterna, and two models of Fuso trucks, or 4,452 units, produced between March 1992 and this month.

In addition, it found faults in the fuel tanks on 2,188 Pajero Minis produced between October 1998 and November 1999 and engine problems in 17,745 Pajeros made between September 1999 and December 2000.

MMC President Takeshi Sonobe told a press conference that the company will reduce the number of models as much as possible to enhance quality control. He also said his company will use knowhow of DaimlerChrysler AG, which acquired 34 percent of MMC last year, for quality control.

Automakers are obliged by law to report to the ministry consumer complaints about defects.

MMC concealed customer complaints about vehicle defects from around 1977 until the coverups came to light last summer.

Last October the Tokyo District Court fined Mitsubishi Motors 4 million yen for covering up auto defects.

The ministry has filed a criminal complaint on the case.

Police sent papers to public prosecutors on MMC and nine of its executives earlier this month on suspicion of systematically concealing customers' complaints and defects in 1999.