FAW - a large number of models deep in the "fire door"

Since the beginning of this year, more than 120 owners in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, have reported that FAW-Volkswagen’s new Bora, Magotan, Sagitar and other models have all experienced flameout failures in varying degrees when accelerating start-ups, making small turns, and moving brakes.

A person handling the complaint file pointed out in a telephone interview that after more than two months of negotiations and exposure, FAW-Volkswagen acknowledged that the idle speed had yet to be adjusted, but so far no mention of recalls was made.

In an interview with reporters, Zhang Xiaoyu, vice president of the China Federation of Machinery Industry, pointed out: “FAW-Volkswagen must not use such a 'private' approach to resolve quality disputes. Owners should report to the local Quality Supervision Bureau and be judged by a third-party testing agency. If the above complaints are true and belong to the same batch, and there are obvious design defects, FAW-Volkswagen must initiate a recall procedure."

The inexplicable extinguishment allowed the owner to have a hard time. Mr. Wang did not believe his eyes. With 13 years of age, he just stepped on the brakes and FAW-Volkswagen New Bora turned off. "This happened three times in a row. Fortunately, there was not much traffic on that day. If this happened on the highway and was rear-ended, what should I do?" Mr. Wang still has a fear.

“I have been a driver since 1997, low-end vehicles such as Chang’an vans, and high-end vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz S600. I’ve been driving through them. The automatic car brakes are off and it’s hard to hit again. I’ve met for the first time. Mr. Wang feels incredible.

As a negotiator for consumer rights defenders in the current round, he revealed that in more than 120 complaints, a large proportion of owners of vehicles with more than two years of age are considered to be “old car owners” for the new Bora, and “failures can basically eliminate driving skills”. s reason".

The negotiations between owners and car companies and dealers did not go smoothly. In the consultation meeting at the end of May, Liu Haibin, the representative of FAW-Volkswagen's technical department, emphasized that 90% of the vehicles with breakdown were oil deposits caused by poor oil. Mr. Wang said, “I was asking back then. Did you test the road before leaving the factory? They said that they measured 100,000 kilometers. I asked again, what kind of oil are you using? They said that they used PetroChina and Sinopec. I said that we Also used is the 'two barrels of oil'. Why should we say that our oil is not good?"

After more than two months of exposure and negotiations, on June 13th, FAW-Volkswagen's three factory representatives publicly replied to the “fire-off” failure for the first time. Director Guo Tong of FAW-Volkswagen Market and Derivatives Department, FAW-Volkswagen dispatched 7 staff members of the Quality Assurance Department, Technology Development Department and other departments to inspect the vehicles in question, and admitted that the simulation data during the test showed that the new Bora's idleness The value can also be adjusted."

According to Liu Haibin, because of the "equipment and time constraints," only 9 vehicles have been subjected to complete detailed simulation tests to simulate a one-time flameout. FAW-Volkswagen explained that if the idling value is set relatively low at the factory and the throttle valve has carbon deposition, the engine load will increase at idle and cause the flameout.

FAW-Volkswagen has promised that if the “problem vehicle” is in the warranty period, as long as there is a flameout, the factory will provide free testing and adjust the idle speed. However, Mr. Wang pointed out that he had spent 280 bucks for four Bosch-made spark plugs to ensure that the new Bora no longer had flameout failures; and the replacement of the activated carbon tank solenoid valves “had to be a hundred to two hundred bucks”.

Liu Haibin once said that through FAW-Volkswagen's technical department's verification, after increasing the idle speed, the actual fuel consumption has only increased by 0.1-0.2. Mr. Wang pointed out that his new Bora drink "No. 97 oil" for about 1,000 yuan per month, and after spending an increase in idle speed, he spent more than 100 yuan per month, which is equivalent to an increase of 4 yuan/100 kilometers in operating costs.

Quality inspection department: recall conditions are not yet clear. A person handling the complaints file disclosed that among more than 120 vehicle owners who have reported failures of FAW-VW's models, among them, more than 110 were local owners in Hangzhou, and owners of Shaoxing, Ningbo and Jiangsu in Zhejiang Province. 10 cases below.

According to the source, this round of complaints was mainly based on the new Bora models, and there were 70 to 80 local vehicles in Hangzhou, in addition to a small number of Magotan, Sagitar and other models. The source pointed out that the above complaints were mainly concentrated on the stalling failures that occurred during the start of the vehicle and the small turning.

The person lamented that all previous complaints, including vehicle owner contact information, were fully reflected to the AQSIQ News Office and its China Auto Recall Network. However, it was followed by “no response” until the manufacturer subsequently contacted us. The quality supervision department also did not have any action.

In response, a staff member of the Quality Supervision and Inspection Department of the AQSIQ responded by saying, "We already know that" a certain Hangzhou radio station has been complaining to more than 100 cases of complaints to FAW-Volkswagen. However, when a reporter asked whether the incident had met the recall criteria, the person said that the China Auto Recall Network had not “received further reports to us” on the matter.

The AQSIQ said that an important condition for the recall is defective automotive products belong to the same batch, that is, "batchability", but whether the three or four defective vehicles count "batch", or more than a dozen count "batch "And depending on the specific circumstances," "If the defective product management center under the AQSIQ confirms that the material of the complaint is true and involves security issues, it will immediately request the experts to invest in the first-line investigation."

According to Hu Yongxin, director of the Yingke Law Firm, there are 780 cases of complaints in the same city and the same model, which have already constituted the conditions for the quality supervision department to initiate the defect investigation. “How did you know if there were any problems with the investigation?”

Difficulty in vehicle rights protection for consumers, Xiaowei Zhang believes that for car companies, the recall cost is not necessarily greater than the “private” cost. If the “problem vehicle” is tested and replaced with parts and then returned to the consumer, it will not only save many hidden costs, And for the company to restore the social reputation.

According to the above-mentioned complaint agents, “If one company is more than one FAW, it would rather spend tens of millions of dollars to open up relations, launch advertisements and lawsuits, and do not want to improve quality issues.”

Hu Yongxin pointed out that "private" is equal to the owner of the "problem vehicle" who is unaware of the potential danger.

The "Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") was promulgated in 2004. The so-called "defects" refer to automotive products that are in a batch, model, or category due to design, manufacturing, etc. There are identities that pose an unreasonable risk of jeopardizing the safety of people and property, or do not meet the national standards for car safety.

Hu Yongxin said that the current regulations, on the one hand, lack of quantitative standards for the initiation of recalls, and that the quality supervision department has a greater discretionary power; on the other hand, the manufacturer’s intention to conceal the seriousness of defects and evade supervision of the competent authorities, etc. A fine of 30,000 yuan was imposed. The cost of non-compliance was "significantly low" compared with the illegal income.

In July last year, the AQSIQ announced the draft of the “Regulations on the Supervision of the Recall of Automobile Products” (hereinafter referred to as the “new regulations”). The regulations stipulate that producers intentionally conceal, misreport or improperly dispose of defects in automotive products. Even if they do not constitute an illegal act, they must impose a fine of up to 50% of the value of the goods. One year has been soliciting opinions, but there are still no signs of formal introduction.

The new regulations stipulate that the competent authority may initiate a defect investigation when it is informed of possible defects in the automotive products, or when there is evidence that it is necessary to initiate a defect investigation. However, Hu Yongxin pointed out that it is difficult to judge which cases will enter the “eyeball” of the AQSIQ expert group.

Hu Yongxin pointed out that no matter whether it is the “self-inspection of auto enterprises” stipulated in the new regulations or the “defects investigation” by experts in the quality inspection department, consumers are passive, “can only wait for notifications”, and many auto consumption rights protection incidents that they handle are also “No complaints”, even if the complaints were accepted, the survey results are often “bad condition, poor road conditions, poor oil products, poor driving skills”, and few car companies are willing to admit their own Design flaws.

Hu Yongxin proposed to increase the clauses in the automobile consumption rights protection lawsuit in the new regulations and support the “group lawsuits” of the consumer rights protection groups.