Consumer Laws are poor when affecting car safety

[otherclive]

I read today of the sad story of a motorist who was killed when he swerved on a dark February morning to avoid a BMW that had lost all electrics and power. It seems that in the US, Canada and Australia there was a recall commencing in 2013. Yet even after 2016 meeting with DVSA to discuss the electrical failures BMW UK maintained that it wasn't safety issue as the cars could still steer and brake. If the fault occurred they stated it would stop the car starting in the majority of cases.Yet there had been several reported instances of the failure in UK. The fault was common to cars in USA, Canada and Australia being battery connection, and presumably the same as in Europe and other countries too.

In the case of the VAG emissions saga UK, and Europe were treated far less well than US, Canada and Australia,, and the same for Ford's Powershift problems which lead to a far better outcome in those countries than in UK/Europe.

We clearly lag behind the best when it comes to the motor industries resolution of significant safety or emission problems. Why could this be? Call me cynic but I believe it is because the US, Canada and Australia hit the companies very hard financially with fines and compensation payouts. Look at VAG in the US some 350000 diesels have been taken back and are now laid up on old airfields, and the payouts todate have been $7.4 billion dollars. The risk of measures such as this would surely gain the undivided attention of senior managers in any company.

 

[otherclive]

Deja vu. I read today that DVSA and Trading Standards are pursuing a criminal prosecution over Vauxhall Zafira fires first noticed in 2009. At least the”regulators” are aware that such actions are available to them.

 

[Buckman]

I read today of the sad story of a motorist who was killed when he swerved on a dark February morning to avoid a BMW that had lost all electrics and power. It seems that in the US, Canada and Australia there was a recall commencing in 2013. Yet even after 2016 meeting with DVSA to discuss the electrical failures BMW UK maintained that it wasn't safety issue as the cars could still steer and brake. If the fault occurred they stated it would stop the car starting in the majority of cases.Yet there had been several reported instances of the failure in UK. The fault was common to cars in USA, Canada and Australia being battery connection, and presumably the same as in Europe and other countries too.

In the case of the VAG emissions saga UK, and Europe were treated far less well than US, Canada and Australia,, and the same for Ford's Powershift problems which lead to a far better outcome in those countries than in UK/Europe.

We clearly lag behind the best when it comes to the motor industries resolution of significant safety or emission problems. Why could this be? Call me cynic but I believe it is because the US, Canada and Australia hit the companies very hard financially with fines and compensation payouts. Look at VAG in the US some 350000 diesels have been taken back and are now laid up on old airfields, and the payouts todate have been $7.4 billion dollars. The risk of measures such as this would surely gain the undivided attention of senior managers in any company.

More than likely the UK government is being held to ransom by car manufacturers i.e. if the govt force the manufacturer to implement any safety recalls that costs money, the manufacturer will lay off people creating unemployment or take their business to another country.

 

[Dustydog]

I read today of the sad story of a motorist who was killed when he swerved on a dark February morning to avoid a BMW that had lost all electrics and power. It seems that in the US, Canada and Australia there was a recall commencing in 2013. Yet even after 2016 meeting with DVSA to discuss the electrical failures BMW UK maintained that it wasn't safety issue as the cars could still steer and brake. If the fault occurred they stated it would stop the car starting in the majority of cases.Yet there had been several reported instances of the failure in UK. The fault was common to cars in USA, Canada and Australia being battery connection, and presumably the same as in Europe and other countries too.
But we are I believe the biggest importer of VAG vehicles
In the case of the VAG emissions saga UK, and Europe were treated far less well than US, Canada and Australia,, and the same for Ford's Powershift problems which lead to a far better outcome in those countries than in UK/Europe.

We clearly lag behind the best when it comes to the motor industries resolution of significant safety or emission problems. Why could this be? Call me cynic but I believe it is because the US, Canada and Australia hit the companies very hard financially with fines and compensation payouts. Look at VAG in the US some 350000 diesels have been taken back and are now laid up on old airfields, and the payouts todate have been $7.4 billion dollars. The risk of measures such as this would surely gain the undivided attention of senior managers in any company.

More than likely the UK government is being held to ransom by car manufacturers i.e. if the govt force the manufacturer to implement any safety recalls that costs money, the manufacturer will lay off people creating unemployment or take their business to another country.

 

[otherclive]

I read today of the sad story of a motorist who was killed when he swerved on a dark February morning to avoid a BMW that had lost all electrics and power. It seems that in the US, Canada and Australia there was a recall commencing in 2013. Yet even after 2016 meeting with DVSA to discuss the electrical failures BMW UK maintained that it wasn't safety issue as the cars could still steer and brake. If the fault occurred they stated it would stop the car starting in the majority of cases.Yet there had been several reported instances of the failure in UK. The fault was common to cars in USA, Canada and Australia being battery connection, and presumably the same as in Europe and other countries too.

In the case of the VAG emissions saga UK, and Europe were treated far less well than US, Canada and Australia,, and the same for Ford's Powershift problems which lead to a far better outcome in those countries than in UK/Europe.

We clearly lag behind the best when it comes to the motor industries resolution of significant safety or emission problems. Why could this be? Call me cynic but I believe it is because the US, Canada and Australia hit the companies very hard financially with fines and compensation payouts. Look at VAG in the US some 350000 diesels have been taken back and are now laid up on old airfields, and the payouts todate have been $7.4 billion dollars. The risk of measures such as this would surely gain the undivided attention of senior managers in any company.

More than likely the UK government is being held to ransom by car manufacturers i.e. if the govt force the manufacturer to implement any safety recalls that costs money, the manufacturer will lay off people creating unemployment or take their business to another country.

BMW only build Minis in UK and I'm not aware of any VAG cars built in UK. The Vauxhall Zafira fires are resulting in a criminal prosecution but again these cars aren't built in UK being rebadged Opels. It's interesting to note that the Japanese and Korean makers are more proactive yet no Koreans build in UK. KIa have more than fulfilled any obligations concerning Gen 1 Sorento axle problems. Could it be a difference in culture between the East and West?

 

[otherclive]

I now read that BMW are “voluntarily “ adding a furthe 300000 cars to their U.K. recall. Surprising what happens when some adverse publicity hits the headlines.