New regulations introduced tires and other articles to be included in the recall scope

Since the beginning of this year, more than 8 million Toyota vehicles have been recalled worldwide due to the failure of pedals, and the recall of motor vehicles in China has also shown an increasing trend. Consumers are increasingly calling for recall management of auto parts. Not long ago, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced the "Regulations on the Supervision of the Recall of Automobile Products (Draft for Solicitation of Comments)" (referred to as the "Regulations"). Compared with the "Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products" promulgated in 2004, the "Regulations" have been enlarged. Punishment efforts. For example, if a manufacturer deliberately conceals a defect in an automobile product or the manufacturer fails to recall it in accordance with the requirements of the competent authority, it will be held criminally liable, and the maximum penalty is a fine of 50% of the value of the product. The most prominent change in the Regulations is the expansion of the scope of vehicle recall management. The “automobile” products referred to in the “Regulations” involve safety issues concerning tires, chassis, and child seats, in addition to automobiles, trains, and trailers used on roads. The important parts and components were included in the recall category.

â–  Parts quality complaints increased

According to statistics, in the first half of this year, complaints from Chinese consumers regarding vehicle quality and service increased by 56.4% year-on-year, an increase of 15% from the first half of last year. In complaints concerning vehicle quality issues, engines, transmissions and body accessories became the focus of complaints, accounting for 60% of the total complaints. Among them, the main issues for engine complaints focus on abrupt flameout, idling instability, abnormal sound and cold start difficulties, etc.; the main problem for transmission complaints is shifting difficulties; complaints about the main car accessories are mainly concentrated in rough interiors. , The engine is always on, the water tank and the fan are in trouble. After the onset of the hot summer, complaints about tyres, body accessories and air-conditioning systems showed an upward trend. In particular, complaints against tyres rose sharply from 2.6% in the first quarter to 6.0% in the second quarter. The main problems included tire bulging and tires. Tear cracking and puncture.

This year is the seventh year for the implementation of the automobile recall system in China. The “Recall Bulletin” issued by China Auto Recall Network, a professional website set up by the AQSIQ Defective Product Management Center for the management of automobile recalls, was displayed on June 18, 2004. As of December 28, 2009, China had a total of 214 recalls, of which the average recall rate due to defects in auto parts reached 30%. Due to the small foot pedal quality issue and the global recall measures adopted by Toyota, many Chinese consumers have seen the importance of spare parts to the safety of cars and paid more attention to car recalls.

The reporter learned that in the case of car recalls that occurred in China, the most recalls due to defects in brake accessories involved 18,921 vehicles. In 2009, there were five consecutive cases of recalls involving sunroof glass. The existence of hidden dangers may cause the sunroof glass to detach from the metal bracket, and there is a risk that the window glass will fly out when the vehicle runs at high speed. Other serious parts quality problems include the automobile rear axle production process that does not conform to the specifications, so that the wheels cannot run in a straight line. When the vehicle is driving at a higher speed, the rear tires are prone to puncture, causing the vehicle to lose control.

“Defective parts and components have affected the reputation of automobile brands to a certain extent, reduced the safety factor of vehicles, and directly damaged the vital interests of consumers. The auto parts industry is the most critical link in the automotive industry chain, and it is also a weak link. How auto parts companies effectively control the quality of parts and components is related to the survival of enterprises and the lives of the majority of car owners. It is a good trend to increase the responsibility of auto parts companies in the new “Regulations.” A professional analyst said.

â– The new "Regulations" urges parts and components companies to improve product quality

Since the implementation of the automobile recall system in China for seven years, it has been the recall of the entire vehicle, and there is no recall of the auto parts. A car consists of tens of thousands of parts. Quality problems or design flaws in parts and components can cause safety hazards for the car. At present, the auto industry’s developed countries’ recall of auto parts is very common. In 2008 alone, NHTSA (US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issued a total of 778 auto recall orders, including 20 tire recalls and parts recalls. 66 times. China is already a big country for automobile production and sales. However, on the whole, the auto parts industry cannot fully meet the development needs of the whole vehicle. In this case, it is necessary to strengthen the management of the recall of parts and components.

“The “Regulations” proposed that the parts companies involved in safety are also recalling the scope, which will help the parts and components companies pay more attention to the recall of automobiles and take the initiative to improve product quality and products,” said Tan Xiuqing, a vehicle recall expert from the AQSIQ Defective Product Management Center. The safety and reliability of this is a good thing."

According to Qiu Baochang, the lawyer of Beijing Huijia Law Firm, the recall of automobiles must involve parts and components, even if one of the screws may cause a safety accident. In order to ensure the safety of automobiles and improve the quality of parts and components, companies have an unshirkable responsibility. At the same time, it is also necessary to increase supervision of the auto parts industry at the government level. After the “Regulations” are formally implemented, under the strict requirements of the “Regulations”, parts and components manufacturers should actively eliminate product safety hazards, improve product quality, and work together with vehicle manufacturers to solve problems.

Speaking of how to strengthen the quality management of parts and components, and how to accurately identify problems after a recall incident, Qiu Baochang said: “The quality of spare parts is closely related to the safety of automobiles, and a scientific method must be established to supervise the production, assembly, and sales of products. Information can be traced to maintenance. It is necessary to set up a product information base. Each regular part has a specific number, which should be recorded in the replacement of vehicle maintenance. With such a database, it is very easy to identify problems."