Reports have surfaced that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recalled over 23,000 Chery and Great Wall cars over concerns that their engine and exhaust gaskets contained asbestos.
The heat-resistant carcinogen has been illegal in Australia since 2004, although the ACCC concedes that since the gaskets are sealed tightly in the components, there are no immediate health risks.
Dealers have been told to stop selling the cars in question, and owners have been warned not to tamper with the gaskets. Upon recall, warning stickers will be placed in the engine bays of the affected vehicles, and the contaminated parts will be replaced with asbestos-free ones when they eventually wear out.
A Great Wall spokesman told Bloomberg that the recall “won’t have much impact on our export and overseas expansion plans.”
Great Wall began exporting vehicles to Australia in 2009; Chery followed suit two years later.
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1. Another ‘black heart’ product from China.
2. If alternatives available, always opt for NON-China product. Nobody else from other races do unethical things to the extreme.
3. Earn money through proper ways. Cost saving has a limit. Listen ya kings & queens of cutting corners/cost cutting.
I wouldn’t worry about reputable company manufacturing in China. The problem lies within Chinese company making stuff in China.
I’m avoiding them like a plague. Even my late grandfather, who came from China, warns me that there are hardly any honest merchants in China.
Hahaha. No surprise when it is made in China or made in Taiwan. Quantity over quality.
these problems are “standard” in china products.
BE it in toy cars, or real cars.
They should have been replaced asap, not “when eventually wear out”….
This is really a big fuss over nothing.
Asbestos is banned in Australia since 2004. How many pre-2004 vehicles are still on the road? How many hundreds of thousand Aussie houses have some asbestos in the insulation, cement boards, heater devices, etc? Asbestos has been in use for well over a century. It is still legal and safely in use in some form here in Malaysia as well as in most other countries worldwide.
Finding some asbestos in engine and exhaust gaskets is nothing to be scared of. I’d very much drive such a car than to smoke even a stick of cigarette. This is another Western idea to demonize Chinese products. They never give up.
Asbestos as mentioned in the article, a potent carcinogen. Do you want to haul around in a potential cancer-mobile?
This shows the honesty of China automakers commitment on having a good quality car for their customers…something that never gonna happened to malaysian automakers.
Read the article please before commenting.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) make the decision to recall those china’s car, not the chinese manufacturer them self.
So they NOT honest since they know asbestos already being ban at that country. They just try to beat the system ( or they don’t even care) and they fail.
It not surprising because even their baby’s milk got problem(MELAMINE) . If they don’t bother about baby’s safety, putting asbestos in car must be just a really small matter to them. Money first, live second.
Use chinese good at your own risk. :)
Agree with you bad bet..there is no way in hell the Chinese automakers will do a recall on their own. It’s cost to them. Their philosophy is just profit at all cost.
My bet is that these Chinese manufacturers are not aware
1. that asbestos is used in some engine/exhaust gaskets;
OR
2. that Australia, unlike most other countries has a TOTAL ban on asbestos products;
I bet you that those same cars are perfectly OK in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries just as in most countries around the world. Over here in Malaysia most houses are still built with asbestos cement ceiling boards. People have knee-jerk reaction with asbestos. In many form asbestos can be quite harmless in normal use.
Asbestos is still being mined and used around the world. In the USA today even asbestos automotive brakes are legal at least until 2014. Asbestos brakes can spew brake dust compared to mere gaskets in the engine.
Australia had a history of extensive asbestos use, because the mineral is plentiful and mining is a major industry there. The resulting health issues had resulted in a total ban in Australia by the year 2004.
Where are you from? Beijing? No wonder.
aya, y waste time selling in strict market like australia. sell in malaysia la, no regulataries, got also can kow tim one, all can kow tim here one, no need to recall.
how about chery cars in Malaysia? no recall?? Malaysia bulih??
LOl.. How a bout Proton cars? R there any asbestos used in Proton?
From what I can remember, in 1993, when Proton launched Wira, there’s mentioned about asbestos-free brake pad.
But sadly it’s not selling point then.
Well that’s 19 years ago, and Proton already had awareness, then.
No Malaysian worth its salt care to mention.
My neighbor fed up with Proton Exora trade in for Chery Eaststar and in 3 months he already replace the battery thrice due to electronic issues.Now engine squeaking after 5 months and aircon compressor gone case already.So much for value for your damm money.I would avoid Chinese cars for now at all cost.Continental,Japanese,Koreans,Americans are the best buy.Malaysian is the last option.