Now we have Toyota Australia doing a recall of 171,000 vehicle covering almost its entire range (other than the L/Cruisers) for faulty air bags that may not work in an accident after 5 people died in the USA when the air bags should have deployed.
What the hell is going on with new vehicles. Are they now building them to a low cost with inferior parts or what?
After stalling for 3 weeks, VW Australia is recalling 77,00 vehicles covering most of its range to replace the "doctored" board that controls exhaust emissions. They wont start until next year and wont be finished until the end of 2016. We all seem to be banging on about pollution and global warming, so I hope our Govt levies a heavy financial penalty on the company. The USA is still investigating, but have talked about a "fine" around $1.5B for breaching air pollution controls that VW tried to get around.
We seem to be much too weak with these sorts of breaches by companies (and not limited to vehicle makers, and includes misleading and lying to consumers)
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
After seeing the fines that are likely to be levied against VW, I think it will question the very existence of VW. The new CEO has already stated that the rectification costs will far exceed the $7b they had set aside to cover it, it has been reported that they will reprogram the cars here, while it is expected they will replace all or part of the motor in cars in the USA, where they are unable to clean them up enough to meet the regs. Zero yet on what they will do in Europe.
Then you need to be aware of the fines they face, in Australia this is reported to be $1.1m per incorrect claim per model, with two invalid claims (fuel consumption & pollution numbers) per model, this exceeds $20m, then there is a fine of $108,000 per car incorrectly registered, for the 90,000 plus cars that amounts to about $9b, then there are the inevitable class actions which the ambulance chasers are already enrolling members for. This is all for 90,000 cars out of 11,000,000. And it would be a safe bet that other markets will be dearer than we are.
And VW/Audi/Skoda are heading to being out of business I would suggest. Even if they find/have the amount of money it is going to cost in fines and restoration, customer confidence is through the floor. Their's is not a supplier's faulty product ... simply their misplaced (and caught out) deviousness.
I guess all those lovely warm and fuzzy feelings vehicle owners have for the vehicles buy and rave about are not worth a pinch of nanny goat excrement
All manufacturers are, ultimately, cutting cost corners so much we, the customer, are the bunny at the end.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I would happily buy a Volkswagen that wasn't EPA compliant, as its probably more fuel efficient. Storm in a teacup. The vehicles are not unsafe to drive.
Its probably no so much that they are unsafe to drive but that their resale value has crashed - who'd by a used VW or Audi or any of the other cars effected by this?
It is all $$$$$$$$ driven. Cut costs where possible and no one will know, unless someone stumbles upon it.
I have classic example from early 90's as I used to inspect and recommend approval (to our senior engineer) of imported vehicles for road use. Almost all had to be modified to comply with ADR's as at the date of manufacture.
One such car from NZ almost complied, we couldn't believe it. THEN we found the missing "bits".
Inside the rear boot of the sedan, most of the lateral reinforcing double panel was only a single panel ie the outer skin. So at a cost of say 20 cents for materials and 40cents for welding the doubler was not fitted.
BUT HERE'S THE CATCH - if you produce 2,000,000 of that model with out the doubler you save $1,200,000.
Do the sums across 20 models and say 20 million cars and you save a heap.
That my friends in car manufacturer's economics 101.
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Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
They will be for sure around in 3 years time
VW group turns over more than 202 billion Euro's
so nearly 317 billion AU dollars a year
They are Germans they will over come this problem
Most likely they will have some kind of arrangement with all the countries involved
They will be for sure around in 3 years time VW group turns over more than 202 billion Euro's so nearly 317 billion AU dollars a year They are Germans they will over come this problem Most likely they will have some kind of arrangement with all the countries involved
Cheers John
Agree John VW will find a way. GM did in the good ol US of A and repaid the govt loan ahead of schedule.
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Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
I suspect you are right, there probably will be a VW in 3 years, but it will be very different to the company we know today. There will be a lot of pain for a lot of people along the way, all because of one stupid decision not to delay a flagship project.
The Toyota recall for the airbag clock spring has been around for a while. Mine packed it in in 2009 & 35000kms & off to the dealership I went, told it "wasn't warranty" & would cost 7=8 hundred to replace.
My reply was colourful to say the least. Purchased the part online for 200 bucks & fitted it myself. 5 months later they recall but wont pay for the parts I fitted.
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The government cannot give anything to anybody that the Government does not first take from somebody else.
- caused by a supplier's faulty product.
Their's is not a supplier's faulty product ... simply their misplaced (and caught out) deviousness. 
