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New vehicles 'full of faults'

22nd April 1977, Page 5
22nd April 1977
Page 5
Page 5, 22nd April 1977 — New vehicles 'full of faults'
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TRUCK manufacturers and dealers have been slammed by the Freight Transport Association this week over the number of faults in new vehicles.

The criticism follows the release of the FTA's new vehicle inspection service annual report which reveals a national average of eight faults a vehicle, at least one of which could bring a prohibition.

Based on 323 inspections carried out last year the report shows that despite the seriousness of the situation the numbers of faults dropped by 1.5 defects per vehicle over the 1975 figure.

And the figures are to be considered by the Department of Transport with a view to making changes in the type approval regulations, the DTp said this week.

Top of the faults list was braking. Inspectors found that brake pipes were fouling body members and likely to cause failure in the future — and the issuing of 94 prohibitions.

And electrical faults accounted for 85 faults that would cause a vehicle to be issued with a GV9 prohibition; these also include faulty light bulbs and all minor as well as major electrical faults.

The figures are taken from 10 per cent of inspections carried out by the service, and it found that 22 per cent of the vehicles had paintwork faults. Inspections are carried out on new vehicles as they are delivered from the dealer or bodybuilder or the maker.

This week an FTA spokesman told CM. "These figures mean that inspection procedures carried out by the dealers and manufacturers are not picking up the faults. We would advise any operator to have his new vehicle checked by an independent inspector – and not to take it on trust," he said.

"The risks are far too great, not only in terms of unexpected and expensive repair bills. The general public, the driver and the vehicle are at stake."

A British Leyland spokesman accused the FTA of basing the figures on too small a sample. "We haven't yet seen the report but it seems to be a very small sample. Department of Transport standards are very high and these figures could take in something as simple as a failed light bulb.

The figures applied to seven British manufacturers and three continental makers.

A Volvo spokesman said: "I would be the last to say that nothing ever gets through – it's Utopia to imagine that you can always get everything right.

"We test every vehicle that leaves here but the job that's done is only as good as the man who does it," he said.


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