The Indian automobile market might be big but the Indian government hasn’t done much to ensure the customer remains king. Our country is one of the few big auto markets in the world which doesn’t have a watchdog to prevent manufacturers from taking customers for a ride. Although SIAM (the industry body) has set up a voluntarily recall code, many manufacturers choose to ignore proper communication when their product is found with a defect. Now the Indian government is working on a auto recall policy which will make it mandatory for automobile manufacturers to recall vehicles if they are found with defects.
The new automobile recall policy will benefit the end user as any compliant received from customer, dealer or NGO will be strictly taken into consideration. If a defect is found in the vehicle the centre will not only order a recall but will also penalise the manufacturer heavily. The recall of 1.14 lakh units of the Tavera and 1.66 lakh units of the Figo and Classic clearly point to lenient quality control at both the American automobile companies, General Motors and Ford.
However automobile manufacturers are not very keen for a mandatory recall policy. While 4-wheeler companies have still come out in the open and announced recalls, 2-wheeler companies choose to remain mum whenever a fault is detected in their products. The government’s decision is sure to benefit buyers who were left helpless even though it was the manufacturer’s fault. Many companies are using sub-standard components which helps them to save costs and in return boost their profits.
