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China bans Renault cars – cites safety issues

By David Twomey |

China’s quality inspection agency has halted the import of several models made by French carmaker Renault, citing what it called “serious safety risks” and failure to meet technical standards.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website (www.aqsia.gov.cn) the ban covered Renault’s Laguna, Scenic, Megane and Megane Coupe-Cabriolet.

“In recent import inspections, we have repeatedly found batches of passenger vehicles made by the French Renault … do not conform with our country’s mandatory standards and relevant technical regulations, and there are serious safety risks,” it said in a statement.

China is the world’s largest market for new-car sales.

Reuters newsagency quotes a Renault spokeswoman assaying the company was “surprised” by the decision as the models cited by the statement were built in Western factories to the same standards as those for other markets.

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She added that their quality had been demonstrated by studies and specialist press reviews.

Every car cited has earned the top rating of five stars from independent European crash test agency EuroNCAP.

AQSIQ also said that in the past year Renault cars “have many times revealed quality problems.”

The statement, however, did not specify what safety problems it had identified.

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The quality watchdog urged Renault to carefully examine all vehicles exported to China to ensure the security of products to Chinese customers.

The Renault spokeswoman said China represented a very small market for the French manufacturer, with fewer than 900 cars sold there in 2008.


 
  • D

    They should look at the safety of their own cars first

    • LessQQ

      Politically motivated.

      The Chinese Government doesn’t like the French Governments’ support of the Dalai Lama, so they retaliate where it hurts most, economically.

      Just like ’08 Olympics when the Chinese boycotted French Supermarket chain Carrefour.

  • Dion

    Hypocrisy at it’s finest considering the deathtraps that Chinese car makers churn out

  • Toxic_Horse

    Haha
    Maybe they should ban all french cars for being peices of crap and for wankers only.

  • smokin’R32

    Too..much..irony… *Head explodes*

  • Pious

    that’s pronounced “wonkaire”

  • Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

    Sounds like someones on the take to me ,whos paying China off not import Renaults?

    Ive heard a lot of excuses from the Chinese but that one takes the cake!

  • Mick

    So China are denying the import of safe cars? Is this so that the Chinese public can’t see how bad their cars compare to the standard of cars around the world?
    5 Star NCAP rating and its banned, go figure?

  • Golfschwein

    Wow. On a positive note, if they’re unsafe, they’re not going to be copied any time soon.

  • Yianni

    This made my day! HAHA Pure gold.

    Renault has a reputation for arguably building the safest cars in the world. Safety is one of their main priorities.

    China and its government is a joke and we all know that.

    The problem is most countries depend on China to boost their economies and export/import goods with them so we tend to not say anything or get involved in their politics so it doesn’t affect our relations with them.

    Basically to sum up my post, China = Joke.

  • Foggy

    It’s all about brown paper bags, not air bags ;-)

  • Danman2

    Should be posted under WTF of the day…

    I tried to read the article in full but a huge,loud fight broke out in my kitchen between the pot and the kettle over name calling and colours…

    My lord.

  • Supply & Demand

    If this decision wasn’t paid for or politically motivated, I’ll eat my hat.

  • Skybreak

    Just recently when the Rio-Tinto / Chinalco deal fell thru the Chinese government expressed their disappointment and dropped some broad hints that this would adversely affect their relationship with Australia.

    I wonder if this is some sort of tit-for-tat response to something France has done to annoy China.

    Perhaps the Dalai Lama drives a Renault…

  • http://www.tuneyoursaab.com Tony

    Hello, pot calling kettle…..are you there! Really, now come on. Wonder what the French have recently done to pee off the Chinese. Could be the French heavy local industry subsidies especially in the primary goods sector???? Hmmmm.

  • Pops

    I heard the real reason they’ve haulted Renault imports was because their cars didn’t adhere to China’s strict melamine substitute standards…

  • eh179driver

    I noted that the Chinese did not specify what the safety issues were. Its probably that the Renaults safety levels were too high and did not acheive the high level of danger expected of a Chinese car in an accident. Are their any little islands of the coast of China suitable for French nuclear bomb testing?
    The problem that we will have soon is that these Chinese death traps will be on our roads sometime this year.

  • Dlr1

    perhaps there was no lead in the paint.

  • SC

    “I wonder if this is some sort of tit-for-tat response to something France has done to annoy China.”
    No doubt… you know it won’t be because of safety.

  • Jake

    China’s own cars managed to score one of the worst safety ratings in the world…this is BS but is also amusing.

  • G6ETURBO

    Is it the 1st of april in the Chinese calander??

  • Brendon

    Haha, when I saw this I laughed so hard.

  • http://skyline The Salesman says Culture “is” the problem

    So thats why they built that Great Wall. “To keep the Renaults out”

  • Damian

    “Basically to sum up my post, China = Joke.”

    Looks like you’re the butt of all jokes, since the whole world has become reliant on China to drag everyone out of the shi*ter.

  • Frenchie

    Just goes to show how corupt customs and wharfies in China have become.

    Also how Renault has had enough. Must be not making any money on their cars in China.

  • Franco

    maybe if renault built some encap safety 1 star cars then they would pass the chinese safety regulations with flying colours.

    5 star=fail
    1 star=pass

  • Andrew M

    Perhaps they have read the “star” system upside down thinking their 1 star vehicles were the top of the tree, and 5 star at the bottom????

  • Steve-Poyza

    This is very funny. I’m glad we have no Chinese cars on our road (well at least I think we don’t). Renault’s Laguna, Scenic, Megane and Megane Coupe-Cabriolet. Not one of these cars is below 5-stars. The amount of jealousy present is hilarious! They can’t even say what is unsafe about the cars! Haha! :D

  • davie

    The Renault was unsafe as it did not include the “saftey-bag” in the back seat, the one full of yuan and US dollars and marked “Monthly bribe money”.

  • AAA

    I know that Renaults have poor reliability and inconsistent build quality.

  • David
  • Dr Nick Riviera

    Is this a Joke?
    Renault do engineer some very safe cars. Renault go the extra mile and include additional static safety features like being parked up due to breakdowns, parked at the repairers far longer than normal, transported on the back of tow trucks and sitting idle in the corner of car lots with 12month old and faded “This Weeks Special” stickers plastered on the windscreen.
    Did renault post their 5 star rating in green font instead of red or yellow?

    I hope to see a South Park episode of this story.

  • Jason

    It is all politics. There are quite a lot of frictions between France and China at the moment. Renault is just a prawn caught up.

  • Al Juraj

    Talking rubbish in a place where people live to work instead of the other way around…

  • FFS

    FFS. CA – nice “journalism” – how about you do a little checking next time.

    Full details @ Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aCQXH.8mfNk4

    The cars in question were damaged in transit and look to be unsalable stock from 2007.

    “Renault spokeswoman Gita Roux said China’s concerns arose from problems with the transport and storage of a limited number of cars and that there are no issues connected to manufacturing”

  • noidea

    it’s not about the cars at all………….it’s the political issue………….

  • Agree with FFS

    As ffs pointed out, nice journalism. It has nothing to do with Ancap rating on these cars. Only fools would make assumptions and inaccurate comments without knowing all the facts. This article = Phail

  • http://Lancia Ben Larden

    The Chinese commenting on quality, and safety issues, is like them setting the UN human Rights guidelines. Absorute Lubbish!

  • Obvious

    The Chinese decision is just punishment for a grave affront by the Paris mayor. Last week, he made the Dalai Lama citizen of honour of the city. The event got a big media coverage. The Chinese declared this insult would have consequences. People were expecting some major contract cancellation. Instead, they chose Renault whose business with China is nil. So, in their stupidity, they showed some restraint.

  • Lukaas

    yeah a bit unusual.

    Some countries do have certain regulations that vary a lot from western countries, and Renault designs cars mainly for those countries.

    Its probably a minor small “regulation” unfulfilled in Renault’s part and the news got escalated and exagerated…. Because seriously… to ban a car from China for “safety” is a bit wacked.

  • swampdawg

    If Renault remade their revolutionary FT-17 tank it would sell well in China, Renault could make a Tianament square commemorative model with red coloured rubber tracks.

  • Mumble Duck

    I think the Chinese Inspection Agency is full of SH*T!!!!! China should look at their bloody cars!!! Renault quality would crap over ALL their cars for quality.

  • JJ Thomas

    Have you heard of a little event that happened off Brazil recently?

  • http://daimler blitzkrieg

    i think china is jealous that france has mines bigger than yours neuclear weapons

  • aaaau

    Poor aussies…

    China is becoming the world’s no.1 super power. It’s ok to be jealous. But think about who’ll have the last laugh.

    Back on the topic,

    Renault spokeswoman Gita Roux said China’s concerns arose from problems with the transport and storage of a limited number of cars and that there are no issues connected to manufacturing.

    “We’re sending a team of experts to look into it and to make sure we establish the proper processes,” she said by telephone. “Our concern is to ensure that we comply fully with requirements of the Chinese authorities.”

  • aaaau

    Full details @ Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/…..QXH.8mfNk4

    Thanks FFS

  • Argua

    We will see who is still laughing in the end

  • Philippe

    Indeed, French cars are all crap. In France mechanic says ‘citron’, NOT Citroen. They are lemons!