Faults increase
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NEW goods vehicles last year were found by FTA's New Vehicle Inspection Service to be marginally more defective than the previous year.
The average number of defects found per vehicle is up from 8.27 (on the 1976 sample of 323 vehicles) to 9.72 (on the 1977 sample of 438 vehicles).
Potential GV9 defects found are up from 0.96 to 1.38 per vehicle, with the top three placings, as last year, the brake system (this year affecting an average 39 per cent of the vehicles inspected); electrical equipment (an average 26 per cent); and cab body equipment (an average 13.9 per cent). Analysis of the defects common to at least 10 per cent of the vehicles inspected shows significant increases in body mounting security defects and other potentially serious defects from the safety point of view, notably air leaks, pipes and unions, steering rod ball joints, and spring clamp bolts and U-bolts.
Paintwork was the worst area for defects, followed by pipes and hoses fouling fixed members, and transmission system oil leaks.