Greater Manchester car dealer Lookers has said the publications of its annual results will be delayed again due to the investigation into potential fraud in its accounts.
The troubled company said today it has widened its investigation into the saga, and that it was "no longer possible" to publish its 2019 results by the end of August.
It comes after the Altrincham firm said in June that it would have to book in a £19m hit to correct inaccuracies, and that the investigation by Grant Thornton found "misrepresented and overstated debtor balances".
A statement to the stock market on Thursday said: "Following review of the final report from Grant Thornton LLP on August 3, the board and its auditors, Deloitte LLP, extended the scope of the 2019 audit at consolidated group and individual entity level.
"The extended scope of the audit has identified further work on the group’s corporate leasing division and vehicle financing arrangements and the 2018 and earlier balance sheets to ensure correct identification and allocation of adjustments.
"Further work is ongoing to finalise the 2019 accounts."
Shares in the group were suspended in July after the company failed to deliver the results on time.
The statement added: "The Board remains committed to ensuring the issues identified in the report are fully considered and addressed and continues to work with the auditors to progress the finalisation of the 2019 audit as quickly as possible."
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Despite that, the firm said it believes the "magnitude of the potential restatements" will not stop 2019 from being a profitable year.
The company also provided a trading and operational update for the two months to July 31, which showed strong trading since showrooms opened earlier in summer.
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In July, the group invoiced and delivered over 14,000 new retail and used units exceeding last year by 17%, and said underlying profit before tax for the two months was "materially ahead of last year".
Despite that, the group said it expects to make a first half pre-tax loss, even after the firm received £29m from the Government's furlough scheme.
That's as well as a difficult lockdown period, which saw the company make 1,400 people redundant, and close 12 dealerships.
Mark Raban, CEO, said: "This has been a very challenging period for Lookers, but it is encouraging that we are beginning to see some healthy signs of recovery in vehicle sales since the easing of lockdowns.
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"I would like to thank all my colleagues for their amazing commitment in difficult circumstances and the efforts they have made to adapt, innovate and improve our physical and online proposition to customers, ensuring a safe and smooth retail environment.
"I am also extremely grateful to all our other stakeholders, including our brand partners, for their support through this period.
"We remain cautious about the future given ongoing uncertainties in the wider environment, but confident in the opportunities for the Lookers business moving forward."