China making law to enforce auto recall in 2009

Shanghai, November 13 (Gasgoo.com) Sources from a recent auto product quality forum in Beijing said that the Chinese government is drafting the law for vehicle recall to address the increasing complaints about defective cars, said Beijing Times today. Starting in 2009, any carmakers will be likely forced by law to recall their faulty vehicles, not just on a voluntary basis as to date. 

In China, the vehicle recall has been reported to and supervised by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the country's sweeping quality watchdog, whose rules and regulations concerning the vehicle recall are not specific nor legally valid. Therefore the recall of defective vehicles has been carried out voluntarily by their manufacturers. And this would result in difficulty defining the range and extent of the vehicles defects or problems.

As a better solution to these problems, the Chinese auto authorities are working out a specific and detailed law for legally enforcing the recall of any faulty vehicles in the country, whether imported or locally made ones. Related regulations are also revised to support the enforcement of the new law of auto recall. The law and rules are expected to take effect early next year. The nationwide auto complaint and technical solution networks are also under construction.

China has become the world's second largest auto market and the market is expected to grow faster in the coming years (though now its growth has slowed down amid the global financial crisis). With the car ownership rising rapidly, vehicle defects have been increasing considerably too. It is high time for such a large auto market to have specially made law to manage and enforce the vehicle recall system more effectively.