Quality problems, false publicity and other old problems account for a relatively large proportion; Shrinking mileage and failure to deliver the car on time have become new problems
The new and old problems of automobile consumption are superimposed, and the rights and interests of car owners are protected?
The "Research Report on Public Opinion on Domestic Automobile Consumption Rights Protection (2021)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"), jointly released today by the Beijing Sunshine Consumption Big Data Research Institute and the Consumer Protection Law Research Center of the University of International Business and Economics, shows that with the substantial increase in car ownership, automobile-related consumer complaints have also increased. Among them, quality problems, false publicity and other old problems account for a relatively large proportion; The shrinking mileage and the failure to deliver the car on time have become new problems.
Quality issues come first
In 2021, 90.48% of the public opinion information on automobile consumer rights protection involved quality problems, 5.47% of false publicity, 3.39% of service problems, and 0.66% of non-delivery on time. Among them, the quality problem is the most prominent, ranking first, followed by false publicity. Among the quality problems, the more prominent ones reflected are brake system problems, body accessories and electrical problems, transmission problems and engine problems, the proportion of brake system problems is as high as 44.9%, and other problems are also more than 10%.
In terms of new energy vehicles, the "Report" shows that in 2021, Tesla is deeply involved in negative public opinion on brake failure, and 90.02% of the public opinion on rights protection throughout the year points to brake system failure and brake failure. In terms of the main domestic brands of new energy vehicles, the public opinion of the 3 new car-making forces to protect their rights is higher than that of the new energy brands transformed by 8 traditional car companies, and the public opinion of Xiaopeng, Ideal and Weilai accounts for more than 15%. Among the traditional car companies, Euler automobile accounted for the highest proportion, accounting for 10.66%; It is followed by BYD with 8.56%; In third place is BAIC BJEV, accounting for 7.28%; Changan New Energy also accounts for more than 5%. Gac Aegean Energy, Geely New Energy, Chery New Energy, Wuling Automobile New Energy, etc. are all below 5%. The content of consumer complaints focuses on aspects such as shrinking mileage.
For example, in September 2021, Mr. Zhang, a consumer in Hubei Province, complained that he spent 200,000 yuan to buy a brand of new energy vehicles, and the sales staff of the 4S store before the purchase claimed that it was fully charged and had a range of 510 kilometers, but Mr. Zhang's actual mileage when he used it was only 300 kilometers. Mr. Zhang believes that the 4S store is falsely publicized, and the complaint asks for help. After the local elimination coordination, the 4S shop replaced the battery for Mr. Zhang.
There are many reasons for the prominent problem of automobile consumption
"As a typical bulk durable commodity, automotive products can be purchased for tens of thousands of yuan and millions of yuan, accounting for a large proportion of personal and family expenditures, and car purchase services and car experience are very important." Some manufacturers one-sidedly pursue immediate interests, deliberately control costs, resulting in problems such as poor quality, which not only affects the driving experience of consumers, but also brings hidden dangers to the personal and property safety of consumers. Su Haopeng, director of the Consumer Protection Law Research Center of the University of International Business and Economics, said.
In Su Haopeng's view, the problem of automobile consumption is prominent, because the car is a complex industrial product, and the quality problems of consumer complaints are mainly concentrated in the engine, gearbox, battery mileage, brake system and so on. These questions are highly professional and difficult to prove. For ordinary consumers, it is often difficult to prove and defend their rights.
In addition, the industry specifications of some models, especially new energy vehicles, are not mature enough. Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles are still in the development stage, whether it is technology or industry standardization, they are not yet mature. Relevant policies are also in the process of gradual improvement, and some technical indicators and testing methods have not yet formed a consensus. Once a problem arises, it is difficult to obtain effective evidence materials, which brings great difficulties to consumer rights protection.
"For the automobile market, the state has issued a series of laws and regulations, has formed a relatively complete system of laws and regulations, on the whole, the legal system related to the automobile market is complete, and the boundaries are relatively clear." The key is that the supervision and punishment are not enough, resulting in some violations of laws and regulations or damage to the rights and interests of consumers have not been dealt with in a timely and effective manner. Su Haopeng said.
Automakers need to raise awareness of responsibility and safety
On January 1 this year, the newly revised "Provisions on the Responsibility for Repair and Replacement of Household Automobile Products" was officially implemented, and the responsibilities and obligations of relevant automobile manufacturers were further clarified, and the protection of consumer rights and interests was further strengthened.
The report recommends that automakers raise awareness of responsibility and safety. Auto products are related to the personal and property safety of consumers, manufacturers must attach great importance to the quality of automotive products, ensure that the production and sale of automotive products meet the requirements of ensuring personal and property safety, and effectively prompt consumers to precautions and safety risks. New energy vehicle manufacturers should truthfully inform consumers of the actual mileage, charging speed and influencing factors of the vehicle to avoid disputes in the later stage. Automobile sales companies should treat consumers in good faith, do not force bundled sales, do not do false publicity, honestly fulfill their promises, and put an end to bullying the weak, cheating and misleading, and illegally charging fees.
Relevant departments should strengthen the supervision of prominent problems reflected by consumers in the field of automobile sales, such as disguised mark-ups, hidden charges, compulsory tying, false publicity, and vehicle safety, and take effective measures to ensure market order and crack down on illegal acts; Guide and standardize the development of the new energy vehicle industry, promote the continuous improvement of battery technology and supporting facilities, and regularly carry out safety hazard investigations to better protect the rights and interests of consumers.
(Source: Workers Daily)