[Somas]

Hi Guys,
Take a look at this article I came across this morning. If Toyota has 2.2 million recalls in 2005, I think there is a distinct possibility that certain auto providers in India are also selling vehicles that might need recalling. How many recalls have we actually heard of here though? Possibilities :
A) Vehicles sold in India don't have 'critical' features to begin with, so the question of recall due to faulty critical systems is non existent
B) Our vehicles didn't need recalling because their design was totally sound
C) The Indian consumers haven't been able to spot such flaws and/or get their act together in terms of filing suits.
What do you guys think?
Somas

US: Ball joint prompts big Toyota recall : Automotive News & Comment

19 January 2007| Source: just-auto.com editorial team

Toyota <just-auto.com Factsheet on Toyota Motor Corporation> is recalling 533,000 trucks and SUVs in the US to check for possible steering and suspension <just-auto.com Factsheet on Shock absorbers> problems.
The latest recall includes certain 2004-2007 model year Sequoia full-size sport utility vehicles and 2004-2006 Tundra pickups, the Detroit News reported, adding that a ball joint in the front suspension may be wearing excessively, causing undue noise and making the vehicles difficult to steer. Dealers will replace both lower front suspension ball joints after they were cited as a likely cause of 11 accidents with six injuries.

The paper noted that the recall came a week after Toyota reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed over sludge that was apparently building in the engines of an estimated 3m-4m vehicles sold in the US, requiring the engine to be replaced or repaired.

Toyota had 2.2m recalls in 2005 but reduced that by two-thirds in 2006 and continues to lead the industry in most quality surveys, the Detroit News said.

[rahul_intlad]

If toyota innova owners are following the innova owners thread in the ASEAN countries they would find that at present the innova is facing some axle shaft problem there and toyota is recalling certain batches of the innova there.

The Indian innova's may not be of that batch but how do we know for sure that the Innova's here are free of that manufacturing defect.

[ajmat]

By the time, cars are introduced here, a lot of the teething problems are sorted out.

A lot of times, the dealer merely corrects the faults during service discretely. (honda replacing front suspensions of NHC, Tata revamping indica faults). Only when the recall invloves a life-threatening situation, so recalls have to be noified through the press.

[rkg]

when it comes to consumer protection INDIA is way behind all other countries even some third world countries.
examples
none of the soaps sold in india have the same weight mentioned on them(leading consumer organizations have checked this they found that almost all the soaps are gross underweight. when confronted companies like HLL said the soaps might have lost weight during storage at shops)
recent cola controversy
majority of the super bazaars cheat customers in india in weight/selling seconds products
it is surprising we have seconds outlets here where as seconds are not allowed in to market in USA and other countries.
all the manufacturers try to avoid warranty. earlier we used get guaranty now only warranty.
we r being cheated right /left and center day in and out daily
our govt takes from us more than what it gives( one district collector in AP has put in notice board how much each citizen is paying the govt daily)
indian judicialry is slow and over burdened. its compensation laws are weak. everyone one in the world knows it. so they need not fear for huge compensation claims in india even if they do not recall defective product.

i doubt very much about our car comapanies. are we seeing any action for toyota with respect to black smoke in innova? none. if it happened in usa toyota will paying through their nose by this time . hence they recall there but not in india.
how come union carbide escape form india without any censure and paying compensation till now( 21 years over)can this happen in usa/uk/japan/germany? BIG NO. it can happen only in india.
do any one know how HLL is treating consumers with respect to kwality ice cream? earlier ice cream small cup means 50 ml large cup means 100ml. once amul entered the market with ice cream kwality quietly reduced the volume in both to 40 ml and 90 ml still sold them as small and large cups . similarly it should be called desserts because it is made of vegetable fat not milk cream.only milk cream should be called ice cream.
similarly i saw a thread on premium fuels petrol and diesel. when the bunk wallah can adulterate ordinary fuel can't he do the same to premium fuel?
off late most of have started thinking costlier is better. marketing agents have taken advantage of this and simply looting us.
big bazaar and Bangalore central belong to same group. almost all the products sold are same with different packing and different prices. how one can check and prove the product sold is same? does any one of us have the time and patience to do it? NO. this is what is being taken advantage of by marketeers

[cartech]

As far as I remeber, Maruti had recalled Swifts(ZXI) to replace spare steel wheel by alloy wheel.

Also they recalled Swifts to replace the power window mechanisms as there was rattle.

Recently Toyota quality seems to be slipping as no of recalls are very high.

[GTO]

Couple of points with Indian recalls:

1. There have already been some for e.g. the Honda Accord with its faulty fuel pump.

2. As Ajmat mentioned, some teething problems are already sorted out by the time that the cars arrive here.

3. A lot of "silent" recalls take place whereby defective parts are changed during the scheduled services. Most owners arent made aware of this.

[chanapli]

Option C Anytime.

rkg, well written.

I never heard anything that sort. Heard earlier Sumos and Safaris had suspention and gearbox problems, but never heard of anybody recalling the damaged product.

The question is how many knows their rights as a tax paying citizen.

[Technocrat]

Yamaha had recalled their RXGs models for replacinga part which was causing some performance issues as well as was related to some emission norms. People were sent letters to get the part replaced(cant remember the part). I know of people who dismissed this letter as a regular letter from company & regretted later when told by others.

I belive the front suspension of 1st lots of Indica were faulty & though the company didnt send recall to most of the owners I belive whoever complained at servcie centers were given free upgrades atleast thats what my friend had got.

The recent recall by MUL for giving alloys as stepney could'nt be called as fault but it was done by intimating all costumers

Otherwise the reason for no recalls would be as others said i.e. there are no Made for India products most of the products launched here are already in production elstwhere & land here after thourough beta testing

[namit]

I read somewhere that Honda CIVIC also had some initial problems with noise from the engine bay which was later on found to be an issue with some nut / joint used in the engine bay.

Dont know if Honda made a recall.

[hellspawn]

Originally Posted by namit

I read somewhere that Honda CIVIC also had some initial problems with noise from the engine bay which was later on found to be an issue with some nut / joint used in the engine bay.

Dont know if Honda made a recall.

that was a unique case and happened only with one consumer.you would have read it in one of the car magazines.

[rajismine]

Tatas call it "Retrofits".

Tata Safari DICORS have been recalled a number fo times and there have been many things in vehicles changed or added "Free of Cost". Here are a few:

1.) Break Boost Cylinder
2.) Clutch Asembly
3.) Gear rod. Some design change
4.) New DVD music system
5.) EGR
6.) Air Filter

you can say that except the Body Shell, the Chasis and the Core Engine, almost everything has been changed. He He he

however the DICOR now is really really good and u can trust me on that

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by rkg

it is surprising we have seconds outlets here where as seconds are not allowed in to market in USA and other countries.

Not true.

Originally Posted by rkg

similarly it should be called desserts because it is made of vegetable fat not milk cream.only milk cream should be called ice cream.

Actually they advertise it as frozen desserts. You'd be hard-pressed to find them calling it icecream. I HATE Walls!

[Sahil]

MBIL once recalled my car for a complete bootlid replacement and new lazer cut keys.
They claimed that my batch of mercs were prone to leakage into the boot hence the entire thing was changed.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Not true.


Actually they advertise it as frozen desserts. You'd be hard-pressed to find them calling it icecream. I HATE Walls!

Kwality started calling them as frozen desserts only after Amul launched an ad campaign about it. earlier they used to call it as ice cream only.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by rkg

Kwality started calling them as frozen desserts only after Amul launched an ad campaign about it. earlier they used to call it as ice cream only.

i started reading about quality falls, and ended reading of kwality walls...

Boy, am confused... What are we talking of here???