CCA Publicly Suggests: Strengthening Vehicle Product Recall Through Transaction Transfer
—— 2016-03-14 ——

The vehicle product recall system can effectively eliminate insecure factors of defective vehicle products for the society. In recent years, the Chinese auto market has had several times of vehicle product recall and the effects of recalls are positive to consumers. However, CCA found in its work that some recalls of vehicle products are not put in place, which has become unavailing recalls. Recently, the authenticity of completing recalls has caught attentions of all circles. For instance, FAW-VW has been suspected of falsifying the recall number of the broken shafts of its Sagitar sedan, which has been concerned by consumers.

Unlike Japan and other countries, China does not have forced confirmation procedures for recall implementation situations at the time of vehicle safety inspection and used car transfer. So some car users and consumers buying used cars do not know whether their cars are defective or have completed necessary process of recall for repair. Those vehicles that have not completed necessary process of recall for repair would endanger the drivers’ personal security and property security and bring about hidden dangers to the public if hitting the road.

Given the above situation, CCA suggests that all links and departments involved in vehicle product recall share information and adopt effective measures according to the provisions of Administrative Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles. CCA also suggests them strengthening the supervision and administration on the recall of defective auto products within the scope of their respective responsibilities, and promoting effective implementation of the recall of defective automobiles through social shared governance and supervision. The specific suggestions are as follows.

Relevant administrative departments are suggested to require car manufacturers to establish a recall information inquiry system so that consumers could inquire information about recalls in the system. Car manufacturers should at the same time submit in a real-time manner the information about the completion of recalls to competent authorities. The state should put in place a national unified cross-regional and cross-brand auto product recall database and inquiry platform.

The second suggestion is to share dynamic information about recalls. The state forcibly correlates vehicle recall accomplishment situation with vehicle transfer to ensure that the vehicles that are not recalled for necessary repair cannot be traded and transferred.

The third suggestion is to correlate vehicle recall information with technical inspections of vehicle safety through the recall information sharing mechanism. Vehicle recall is not just the car owner’s own business, and it also involves issues related to public security. Therefore, car owners have the obligation to have defective cars recalled. If a car should be recalled, but the owner fails to coordinate the recall within a reasonable time limit, the institution in charge of annual inspection shall not issue the certificate of technical inspections of safety to the car.

Above suggestions on implementing the recall of vehicle products should be included and defined in legislative works of competent administrative departments, such as in developing the measures for the implementation of the Administrative Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles.