Mitsubishi Calls For Importers To Be Accountable

Media Release
14 June 2004

Mitsubishi Calls for Used Vehicle Importers to Become Accountable

Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand today confirmed that there are a number of recalls occurring in the Japanese domestic market and these are having ramifications in the New Zealand market due to the trucks, buses and cars that have arrived here as used imports.

These vehicles are not exported by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) in Japan, and nor are they imported by Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand (MMNZ)

Today MMNZ notified the Land Transport Safety Authority of some further quality issues of which MMNZ have been advised by MMC and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and the steps being taken by Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand to deal with these.

John Leighton, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand said today: “The domestic Japanese specifications of these older vehicles tend to be very different to those used for the export market. The Japanese market does not normally recall anything over ten years old because they are assumed to have been de-registered.

“New Zealand new vehicle distributors have no legal obligation for the used imports. However, we have always looked out for these vehicles in the past, contacting the owners of affected models via the Transport Registry Centre and have facilitated servicing.

“Over the recent Fuso truck and bus hub recall we have already contacted all the owners and had notified our truck service departments. The parts will be made available to the owners as soon as possible”, Mr Leighton said.

The Japanese domestic recalls that MMNZ has informed the LTSA of are the front hub replacements on 843 Fuso trucks, buses and crane-carriers manufactured between 1983 – 1996. Of these 400 will also require a clutch bell housing rectification, and 47 will require a replacement rear hub.

We have also been working with the LTSA on a Japanese market recall of 1996/97 Galant VR4 automatics with the active stability control option, there are 343 of these vehicles registered in New Zealand.

“The recent recalls, however, have once again highlighted the problem for New Zealand new vehicle distributors who are constantly dealing with the issues raised by used vehicle importers who are prepared to profit from the New Zealand consumers but not prepared to protect them.

“MMNZ will continue to inform the LTSA of any Japanese domestic recalls of which we have become aware. Obviously MMNZ stands 100% behind all the products we import and sell through our dealer network. When we are aware of recalls involving used imports we will seek to trace them through the register, to make the relevant parts available to them, and to facilitate the servicing of these vehicles at the owner’s expense,” Mr Leighton said.

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