Tata Motors issues recall for Nano over fire incidents [edit - no recall]
Update - Tata Motors has distributed a press release stating there is no recall. The company will however install safety features (described below) to interested customers, free of cost from the third week of November to make it "even more robust."
click past the break to read the press release
In the wake of several Nanos catching fire, Tata Motors today said some Nano cars will be recalled and installed with necessary safety features to prevent them from going up in flames.
Tata Motors Managing Director ( India Operations) P M Telang -
Yes, customers have been informed. Some have been already recalled. We don't know exactly how many vehicles will be recalled as we have to check how many Nanos have to be rectified.
Tata Motors Group CEO and Managing Director Carl-Peter Forster explained what these specific safety features were -
The company has taken up several corrective measures and will now offer cover tool on catalytic converter to prevent the car from catching fire. It will also install fuse in electrical components to avoid short circuits.
Earlier in the year, Tata Motors had studied the Nanos that were affected by fire and said they were stray incidents and had no manufacturing defects. They claimed the Nano was "absolutely safe".
Press Release
Tata Motors reconfirms robustness of Tata Nano design
Mumbai, November 10, 2010: Basis some media reports on the Nano recall, we would like to clarify that Tata Motors is not recalling Nanos. We would like to state again, as we had done in May 2010, that the Tata Nano is a safe car with a robust design, state-of-the-art components and built with an uncompromising attention to quality in all aspects. This has been re-established through a second analysis, conducted during the months of September and October 2010. Customers can rest assured that there are no generic defects in the Tata Nano.
Besides, our customer satisfaction studies with current Tata Nano owners indicate that about 85% are satisfied or very satisfied with the car, because of it being ‘small yet spacious’, its performance, maneuverability, durability, low operating cost and safety. Some owners have taken their Nanos on country-wide trips or to altitudes like Khardungla, the world's highest motorable road. This adequately corroborates the Tata Nano's reliability and safety, as was seen during the validation of the car with about 300 prototypes which covered more than 2 million km of safe operation before launch.
The investigation, by a team of internal and international experts, has once again concluded that the reasons for the incidents in few Tata Nano cars are specific to the cars which had such incidents. We have noticed instances of additional foreign electrical equipment having been installed or foreign material left on the exhaust system. It is also our belief that as we penetrate deeper, the Tata Nano will be bought increasingly by users in the hinterlands not fully familiar to cars.
Taking all this into account, we have decided to make the car even more robust. We will do this by providing additional protection in the exhaust system and the electrical system.
Beginning the 3rd week of November, each owner will be informed about these measures. Option lies with our customers on whether they would like to avail for these measures. This will be provided at no cost to customers.
These actions do not constitute a recall.
As at the end of October 2010, Tata Motors has delivered over 70,000 Tata Nano cars. The company has already declared open sales in Kerala (since August 2010), and (since October 2010) in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. We are receiving good response from these states. Open sales will gradually be extended state by state.
Source - economictimes.indiatimes.com
