The troubled former executive claims the Japanese government is pressuring Honda into the merger to boost the economy

Nissan and Honda sent shockwaves through the automotive industry on Tuesday with reports of a potential merger. While no official announcement has been made, former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has already voiced strong opinions on the matter.
In a recent Bloomberg interview, the embattled ex-CEO criticized the idea of a Nissan-Honda alliance and the motivations behind it.
“In my view, it’s a desperate move,” Ghosn stated. “It’s not a practical deal because, honestly, the synergies between the two companies are hard to identify. There’s little to no complementarity between them. They operate in the same markets, offer similar products, and their brands are strikingly alike.”

Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn expressed skepticism about the proposed merger between Nissan and Honda, asserting that the two Japanese automakers lack alignment. He suspects Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) is orchestrating the deal to support the nation’s economy, claiming Honda is reluctant.
“Having lived in Japan for so many years, I understand how influential METI can be,” Ghosn told Bloomberg. “In my view, there is no industrial logic behind this. At times, you have to choose between performance and control. Ideally, you’d have both, but METI clearly prioritizes control over performance. They’ve undoubtedly pressured Honda into this deal.”

Ghosn, known for his dramatic escape from Japan while under house arrest facing financial misconduct charges, was Nissan’s CEO for 16 years and remains a polarizing figure in the industry. Given the sour end to his tenure at Nissan, his criticism of the company during his Bloomberg interview was unsurprising.
“You can judge a team by its results,” Ghosn said. “When you look at Nissan’s performance over the last five years, the results don’t reflect well on the leadership team.”
Neither Nissan nor Honda has commented on the potential merger. However, the two companies have been collaborating since signing a memorandum of understanding in August to explore joint projects. A merger, if it happens, would create one of the largest automotive conglomerates in the world, but Ghosn believes the challenges would be significant.
“Honda is an engineering powerhouse, and Nissan takes great pride in its own engineering. The real battle in a merger or alliance would be deciding which technologies the new entity adopts,” Ghosn explained. “I can tell you, it’s going to be very tough.”