1. Home
  2. TRID
  3. View Record
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

DEFECTS IN AUTOMOBILES AND THE QUALITY OF REPAIR WORK

INDEPENDENT DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC TESTS ON THE CONDITION OF 10,000 CARS IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA SHOWED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CARS TESTED, ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE NEW CARS AND MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF CARS FIVE YEARS OLD, HAVE ONE OR MORE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DEFECTS. ANOTHER MAJOR FINDING REPORTED WAS THAT ONLY 65 PERCENT OF THE REPAIR WORK CHECKED AND FOR WHICH THE OWNERS WERE CHARGED WAS SATISFACTORILY PERFORMED. IN ONE SERIES OF TESTS, THE CLINIC INSPECTED 7,804 CARS AND FOUND "POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DEFECTS" IN 5,842 (75%) OF THEM. (IN THIS STUDY, THESE DEFECTS WERE DEFINED AS THOSE WHICH REDUCE THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO SEE ADEQUATELY IN AN EMERGENCY, PREVENT HIS WARNING OTHER DRIVERS OF HIS INTENTIONS, REDUCE MARKEDLY THE DEGREE OF THE DRIVER'S CONTROL OVER HIS VEHICLE, OR INCREASE THE RISK OF FIRE OR CARBON-MONOXIDE). THERE WERE ONE OR MORE SUCH DEFECTS IN 90 PERCENT OF 1963 MODELS; IN ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF BOTH 1964 AND 1965 MODELS, 75 PERCENT OF 1966 MODELS, IN 60 PERCENT OF 1967 MODELS; IN 50 PERCENT OF 1968 MODELS; AND IN ALMOST 45 PERCENT OF CARS DRIVEN LESS THAN 500 MILES. THE MOST COMMON DEFECT WAS IN WHEEL ALIGNMENT AS MEASURED CAMBER AND TOE-IN, WHICH WAS FOUND IN 25 PERCENT OF THE NEWEST CARS AND INCREASED TO MORE THAN 40 PERCENT IN CARS OF 1966 AND EARLIER. THE SECOND MOST PREVALENT DEFECT WAS FAULTY BRAKES, WHICH WERE FOUND ON ONLY ABOUT 3 PERCENT OF THE NEW CARS, BUT ON 30 PERCENT OR MORE OF CARS OF 1966 AND EARLIER MODELS. EXHAUST LEAKS, PRESENT IN ONLY ABOUT 2 PERCENT OF THE NEW CARS, INCREASED TO 20 PERCENT IN CARS MORE THAN THREE YEARS OLD. DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE FOUND ON ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF THE NEW CARS INCREASING TO NEARLY 15 PERCENT OF THE OLDER CARS. OTHER LESS FREQUENT DEFECTS FOUND, ALL OF WHICH TENDED TO INCREASE WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR, WERE IN STEERING LINKAGE, WASHERS AND WIPERS, LIGHTS, AND GASOLINE LEAKS. THE REPORT CONFIRMS EARLIER TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE ANTI-TRUST AND MONOPOLY SUB-COMMITTEE WHICH INDICATED THAT, "CUSTOMERS DO NOT ALWAYS FULLY UNDERSTAND THE WARRANTY, AND SINCE GARAGES ARE OFTEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN PURSUING A CLAIM TO THE FACTORY, THEY ARE UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT CUSTOMER'S CLAIMS." MOREOVER, WARRANTLY WORK PAYS LESS THAN NORMAL WORK, SO IT IS DONE UNWILLINGLY, AND OFTEN BY LESS SKILLED MECHANICS. THE REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THE ATTITUDE OF THE PUBLIC IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE CONDITION OF THE AVERAGE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. MOST PEOPLE TREAT THEIR CARS AS APPLIANCES, AND GIVE THEM ABOUT AS MUCH ATTENTION. MANY PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL SUPPLIED BY THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEREFORE, DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE CAR SHOULD BE SERVICED /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • 58 Pp, 3 TaB
  • Corporate Authors:

    Automobile Club of Missouri

    ,    

    Senate Judiciary Committee

    ,    
  • Publication Date: 1969-5

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00220636
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 19 1970 12:00AM