Great Wall and Chery

FYI -

They're cheap, but almost 25,000 Chinese cars are expected to be recalled for breaching a ban on the use of asbestos.

Almost 25,000 budget-priced Chinese cars are expected to be recalled in Australia to have asbestos components replaced.

The importer of Chinese brands Great Wall and Chery could be forced to recall 21,500 and 2250 cars respectively that contain the potentially deadly material in engine and exhaust gaskets.

The recall would affect almost all of the vehicles sold by the two brands – among the cheapest in their respective categories - since they went on sale here in 2009 (Great Wall) and 2010 (Chery).

The importer of both brands in Australia, Ateco Automotive, has known about the issue for "a period of months" and has been working with various government departments including Work Cover and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to determine a course of action, which is expected to be announced within days.

Despite the sensitivities surrounding asbestos – known to cause asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer – it is understood some of the asbestos gaskets may not be replaced due to the complexities with replacing them and the likelihood many will never need replacement through the life of the vehicle.

Instead customers and the service industry may be instructed on the safe disposal and removal of components if and when necessary.

Ateco is refusing to speculate on what course of action will be taken, saying it is "waiting on the final ACCC ruling" and that it will comply with whatever measures are required.

The ACCC is refusing to comment on the likely course of action and even whether the car components contain asbestos. A spokesman said: "We are discussing a possible recall of some Great Wall and Chery vehicles but at this stage there is no recall in place. We anticipate the situation will be clarified in coming days."

As with the building industry, asbestos was commonly used in some car components and would still be in thousands of older models. As well as once being common in brake pads, it was also used in various gaskets, but as with all asbestos products has been banned since 2003.

An assessment commissioned on behalf of Ateco by occupational health and safety consultants Hibbs and Associates concluded there were "negligible" health risks for drivers, passengers and mechanics working on the cars.

"Even if carried out in an uncontrolled way, handling and removing these gaskets constitutes a very low asbestos related health risk," the report concludes.

However, the report acknowledges that in severe cases there is still some risk of breathing in asbestos fibres: "During replacement of gaskets containing asbestos severe mechanical abrasion would be required to release measurable quantities of respirable asbestos fibres."

The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 5000 Victorian automotive businesses, confirmed asbestos was commonly used in older cars.

"On these vehicles, service and repairer technicians replace old asbestos parts, when needing replacing due to wear, with non-asbestos parts, taking precautions and following approved procedures in the workplace, including wet down processes and wearing safety clothing, using appropriate equipment and disposing of asbestos parts in designated bins," said David Purchase, VACC executive director.

The anticipated recall is a further blow to the credibility of Chinese car makers, which have already raised the ire of safety authorities that have criticised the occupant protection of some Chinese vehicles.

Before signing on as the exclusive Australian importer, Ateco said it was given "written assurances" from Great Wall and Chery that their vehicles complied with Australian regulations and did not contain any asbestos.

It is understood Ateco uncovered the presence of asbestos in various gaskets and notified Great Wall and Chery but was given further assurances it was not used in the production process.

It was later proved that there was asbestos in as many as eight gaskets in each vehicle (some vehicles have only one or two gaskets containing asbestos).

Ateco says it froze stock and asked the brands to stop production and replace the affected components, which has been done on newer models.

However, the fact the recall impacts two non-related brands brings into question the Chinese supply chain.

Was sent to me via email.

Haha surprise surprise...

Parts not being replaced. http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/asbestos-parts-in-recalled-cars-wont-be-replaced-20120815-247jv.html

Also, that egg on the face ad cracks me up. You'd need egg in your head to get one of them!

Get what you pay for...

In this case you Pay peanuts and get a white elephant...

So they will be a decent buy second hand. How many owners of modern cars change gaskets?

There is a huge over reaction when it comes to asbestos. People seem to be more afraid of it than plutonium. The fact is most people who have succummed to asbestos related ilnesses have worked closely with the stuff for many years and most of them were heavy smokers.

Sure there are the unlucky ones here and there but there are hundreds of thousands of people like my dad who was a builder, worked closely with the stuff for years before anyone talked about how it can kill you. He is still going strong at 77 and its fairly likely something else will kill him, like old age rather than an asbestos related illness. I've worked with materials containing asbestos too in the past when working as a labourer and so far so good.

I've just never understood why people would buy these vehicles in the first place; their ancap rating is what you'd except from a car designed in the '80's maybe and for the cost, surely their are quality second hand vehicles in that price range.

.....and then there is the funeral I'm going to on Friday for an old guy I worked with years ago who has put up with meso/asbestosis for the last 10 or so years. He picked it up from the transport of asbestos. Where did you pick up the fact that most were heavy smokers ??? I think you made that fact up !!!

There is NO over-reaction Mobydisc when it comes to asbestos in the workplace - remember that the owners may not change a gasket but some mechanic might. A bit like the mechanics who got a regular dose from the old style brake pads without knowing there was a risk involved.

There isn't any excuse for using the stuff now......

I agree , absolutely no over reaction with any asbestos!!
My father was a damm fit and healthy 70 yr old , with hardly a sick day in his life , never smoked, I will never forget that day he told me that he had 9 mths left . He had very little exposure to asbestos when younger!, it only takes one breath of that sh.t!

It is the most painfull miserable way to die, and unfortunately for most it takes 20yrs or more to become a health issue.
AVOID any use or contact you can with this terrible product.

We even need to look past new cars because in 10 or 20 years time some poor bugger will be wrecking these cars and will also need to deal with the situation.
If it isnt fixed now the ramifiactions will go down the line in the automotive trade.

Spot on.
They are****** ****e. If you had to buy one you'd definitley want one with plenty of warranty on it and make sure you get rid of it with quite a bit of warranty left so you've got some sort of selling point.

Tyson would be spewing hey Doggie. He took Chery on. Haha!!

Cheers for that sn

I'm in the market soon for a new ute.

I'll buy a Hilux.

Nissan has had their 2.5% finance, Holden 0.5% finance.

I know it's still cheaper long term to get a Toyota. Check Car sales, 4 or 5 years old still for 30-35K.

You can get a new one for $45.

$2000 per year depreciation, fixed price servicing. Cheapest car on the road.

So what? They will replace the asbestos contaminated parts and it will be done with it!
I have one, had it for 3 years, pull my boat in and out of the water great never missed a bit (also have a Holden company car, 6 month old and.... let not start that....) payed $25,000-00 for it has all I could expect it to have, great value....
In another hand I could have bought a Toyota LC could have done the same job than my GW burning double the fuel and costing me $ 60,000-00
In 10 years I will sell it (maybe) and will probably get little for it taking my lost to $ 23,000-00. If I had bought a LC would sell it for (let be optimistic) $ 35,000-00 that is a lost of 25K so??????
Also enter the running cost and put the figures on paper for 10 years and ask yourself who is the idiot????

So, how do you know him? How do you know that I know him.......

Very small
You were in service then. Was I there when you were working there?

Yeah mate.
Not until I did some investigationing did i put two and two together but.

A quick comment on the Great Walls. The company I work for has an owner that is very fond of buying cheap Chinese products and he insisted that we buy Great Wall vehicles for use around the refinery.
As I write this, 30% of them are off the road for repairs!
These are vehicles that are driven mostly on sealed roads with a 25kph speed limit (not used in a mine).
Asbestos gaskets or not, I wouldn't recommend driving them any further than you can walk back from....