Faulty Wheel Bolts Cause Recall
The possibility of faulty wheel bolts being fitted to Honda vehicles has prompted the company to recall all vehicles manufactured between 9 January and 20 April. Defects have been found in 37 cases. Honda is investigating whether cars produced in North America or Europe are affected.
Continue ReadingConcern Over Asian Auto Sales – Report
A recent report from autopolis, the organisation offering strategic advice on the worlds auto industry, expresses some concern about future vehicle sales in Asia. It forecasts reduced sales in markets other than China for this year and next, picking up in 2003. Long term, says autopoliss Graeme Maxton, Asias auto sales will grow by nearly five million units over the next ten years.
Continue ReadingQuality Recognition For Hayes Lemmerz Facility
Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., a leading global supplier to the automotive and commercial highway industries, announced that its Montague, Michigan Operations has been recognized for achieving a flawless quality rating from DaimlerChrysler Corporation. The facility received a 100-percent quality rating for the left and right exhaust manifolds it supplied to DaimlerChrysler during the 2000 production year. These components are used on a variety of light-truck V-10 engines.
Continue ReadingAdditional Orders From Ford For Continental
Continental has announced that it has received an additional order from Ford for over 2 million car tyres. Whether or not this is at the expense of Firestone is unclear. Continental now claims to be one of the biggest tyre suppliers for Ford in Europe, if not the biggest. In the US the tyre manufacturer is in dire straits. The Continental General tyre company is facing a loss in the US this year of up to 100 million Euro despite the fact that Continental also took advantage of the Firestone recall on the US replacement market. It is expected that Continental General will make another loss next year of up to 50 million Euro. The company also announced a restructuring program for the North American tyre market, aimed at saving costs of 90 million Dollars within 3 years. Presently Ford is not accepting General tyres as OE in the USA after the NHTSA said that the claim rate of the General Ameri 550 S is much higher than the Firestone tyre, which it replaces.
Continue ReadingIAA In The Shadow Of Terror
The tragic terrorist attacks against the United States had an effect on the 59th International Automotive Exhibition (IAA), which took place in Frankfurt from 13th to 23rd of September. For a moment it seemed that, as a reaction to the catastrophes in New York and Washington the whole event would have to be cancelled. However, the authorities decided to continue with the show at a subdued level – which meant that exhibitors cancelled their music and showcases, reducing the programme to pure product presentation level. It was a quiet show, is how Prof. Dr. Bernd Gottschalk, President of the German Car Manufacturers Association (VDA) summed it up. The official opening ceremony with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was also cancelled. At noon on Thursday 23rd a five minute silence was held over the whole exhibition area in memory of the victims. The first press day of the IAA was attended by around 10,000 journalists who came to report on the 57 world premieres at the show. The news of the apocalyptic terror attacks spread very quickly amongst press representatives and exhibitors alike. In some areas of the exhibition, for example, hall number 10, which was occupied by the garage equipment suppliers, exhibition activities immediately broke down completely. Groups of visibly shocked people followed the TV transmissions. The shadow of extremist terror had touched even this event.
Continue ReadingRequest To Postpone Crash Testing From Ford
Ford has asked the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to postpone crash testing of the 2002 Explorer to allow the manufacturer to make structural changes to the vehicle. Ford is making the changes after two of its trucks received poor or marginal ratings in crash testing.
Continue ReadingCART Series To Use Bridgestone Potenza Tyres
From 2002, cars in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) competition will be racing on Bridgestone Potenza radials instead of Firestone tyres. The company says that the Bridgestone brand has had limited exposure to racing fans in the US up till now but, with CART evolving into an international program, it is appropriate to capitalise on Bridgestones reputation as an international race brand.
Continue ReadingGibara Claims Pirelli Comment “Misrepresented”
In an interview with the German magazine Wirtschafts-Woche, Goodyear CEO Sam Gibara is reported as saying that Pirelli would make a good fit for Goodyear, if the Italian company was planning to sell all its tyre interests, rather than merely its truck tyre business. A subsequent statement from Goodyear says that Gibaras comments were misrepresented and that he did not say that Goodyear was interested in acquiring any of the Italian manufacturers business.
Continue ReadingService From Vredestein
With its Tyre Information Center, Vredestein is offering a special service for tyre specialists. Under the e-mail address info@vredestein.com, the service provides speedy and competent answers to technical questions regarding tyres.
Continue ReadingDeath Toll Linked To Firestone Rises
In the USA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency has reported another 29 deaths linked to alleged failures of Firestone tyres. This raises the total of fatalities under investigation to 148 and injuries to 525. Five of the 29 deaths involved Firestone tyres not included in the voluntary recall.
Continue ReadingCost-Cutting Proposals Rejected By Michelin Workers?
A report in the local paper, the Burnley Express, quoting an anonymous worker, says that workers at the Michelin tyre plant in the town have rejected cost-cutting proposals put forward by management. These proposals are said to include a 25 per cent reduction in shift allowance and some workers moving from a four day week to three days. However, a union spokesman said that proposals have been neither accepted nor rejected and unions and management will meet on 29 January to discuss the situation. Around 450 workers would be affected at Burnley, where truck and bus tyres are made.
Continue ReadingDetroit Motor Show: Concerns About The Economic Situation In The USA
Almost all car manufacturers are offering new SUV models. While sales figures for December last year fell dramatically for the big three, the European, Japanese and Korean producers were very successful. Analysts are worried because they expect a price war in the till-now-profitable SUV segment, caused by growing over-capacity. Products from Chrysler especially, but also from GM to some extent, are under growing pressure. So far, the big three have cut back production in order to avoid a costly incentive programme. During press conferences in Detroit, high ranking managers were unable to dispel these concerns and thus analysts do not recommend GM and DaimlerChrysler shares as a buy; in fact, quite the contrary.
Continue ReadingRubberNetwork.com Joined By Yokohama
Within days of RubberNetwork.com receiving the all clear from the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), Yokohama Rubber Co has joined Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Sumitomo and Cooper in the global electronic purchasing and procurement market. The RubberNetwork marketplace will be open to all tyre and rubber industry manufacturers and suppliers. The European launch of the market is scheduled for early July.
Continue ReadingVW Sets Aside DM 1bn For ELVD
The European End of Life Vehicle directive (ELVD), due to come into force in 2007, has threatened to be expensive for car manufacturers. Just how expensive is shown by press reports that Volkswagen has announced that it will be setting aside DM 1 bn in order to comply. BMW has already set aside half this figure and Daimler/Chrysler up to DM 400 m. Other manufacturers are expected to wait until next year
Continue ReadingDecline Forecast In European Truck/Bus Market
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, the commercial vehicle unit if MAN AG, expects to see a flat 2001 and is cutting 1,200 jobs in Germany and Austria. The vehicle manufacturer expects to see a 5-8% cut in the European truck and bus market in 2001 but intends combating this by increasing its own market share.
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