High number of vehicle recalls blamed on insufficient manufacturer testing

Shortened development periods likely to be behind recalls increase, safety chief says

High number of vehicle recalls blamed on insufficient manufacturer testing
Shortened development periods could be responsible for the spate of recalls plaguing various manufacturers.

The number of vehicle recalls is on the rise and Euro NCAP has suggested that pressure to constantly refresh model line-ups is causing manufacturers to cut the time spent on developing new cars.

Data released by the DVSA this week shows that during the 2016-2017 financial year the number of recall campaigns went up – rising to 440 in total over the 333 recorded between 2015 and 2016.

Speaking to The Press Association, Michiel van Ratingen, the head of vehicle safety testing organisation Euro NCAP said: “Development times have decreased significantly over the last decade.

“On average, you have a manufacturer developing a vehicle in 18 to 24 months, whereas before it would be three years.”

When asked what could be done to prevent issues such as the battery and fuse box connector on certain BMWs wearing out, he said: “I think the only recommendation would be to do more testing before they release new components, which is a shared responsibility between the manufacturer and supplier.

“Unfortunately, what we see happening is the opposite.”

Related: BMW recall delay contributed to driver death, report finds

Euro NCAP’s secretary general said: “It’s all this pressure that’s on the vehicle supplier to come up with new models and variants, and you have to keep renewing your vehicle fleet otherwise you’ll be seen as a weak manufacturer.

“That’s driving them to short-cutting the development times needed for some of these systems and parts.

“And we clearly see more failures in our testing as a result, at which point manufacturers have to change their vehicle.

“That’s something that we can clearly see happening, which we didn’t have so much of in the past.

“It’s again the same reason.

“They don’t really test very carefully – they don’t have the time to do that anymore and they just launch it under the pressure of the market.”

“They don’t really test very carefully”

However, Mike Hawes, the chief executive the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “Safety is the number one priority for the industry, which spends billions developing and extensively testing vehicles, and to suggest otherwise shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the vehicle development process.

“Manufacturers do not cut corners on safety testing, which is, in fact, being undertaken with ever greater intensity due to a growing number of new safety systems and legal standards, and as the industry strives to get the latest technology to market and make our roads ever safer.

“Recalls are further evidence of manufacturers’ dedication to safety, with ongoing in-service monitoring and testing helping to keep the now 34.7 million cars on our roads safe and reliable throughout their life cycles.”

Why do think there’s been a rise in vehicle recalls in recent years? Share your comments below.

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