According to the regulations, a consumer or vehicle owner has the right to report or lodge a complaint about a car defect to the relevant government authorities, manufacturer, seller, car rental company or importer. Suggestions can also be made to the authorities concerned to start investigations relating to the recall of defective automobiles. Vehicle owners should actively cooperate with manufacturers in facilitating a recall.
A quality control executive of Shanghai GM said that the implementation of the recall policy has helped China’s carmakers to develop and compete better with global companies, and more importantly it has urged car manufacturers in China to ensure public health, public safety and public benefits.
The policy requires that vehicle owners should actively cooperate with manufacturers in facilitating a recall. “Consumers’ proper understanding of the vehicle recall has guaranteed the smooth implementation of the recall system,” said an official from China’s quality control authorities.
But it’s also undeniable that the recall policy has some negative impact on China’s local auto industry in the short run, said an industry expert. “Because local Chinese vehicles and their components are of relatively low quality and therefore will more likely incur large recall risks.”
Over 1.5m China car recalls in four years
Since China’s vehicle recall policy took effect four year ago, automakers in the country have issued over 120 recalls for defective vehicles, involving a total of more than1,5 million individual vehicles.