POOR PRODUCT QUALITY WITH NO WARRANTY

FAW trucks don't even deserve a 1-star. There should be a negative rating allowed. I’ve had endless problems with the FAW 6.130 Fl F/C C/C truck that was purchased in August 2022 as a new vehicle.

Within the first week of taking delivery of the truck, I expressed concern with the sales rep over how difficult it was to get the truck into first gear. He told me it was normal with new vehicles.

By 26 October 2022, (2 months old) I reported that the clutch was smelling. The clutch had to be replaced and FAW blamed driver error. If the truck had been set up correctly in the first place, there would not have been a clutch problem. The driver was assessed by FAW’s technical team who reported that the driver was quite competent. The driver had been with me for 3 years with no problems on the previous UD 40 truck that he drove. FAW claimed that the truck was being overloaded. The heaviest the truck had been loaded was 3.04 Tonnes with all other collections that we do being about 2 Tonnes. FAW told me that the truck could carry 3.4 Tonnes when I bought the truck. The workshop employee at FAW that deals with warrantee claims stated to me in a meeting that he believed the clutch was not set up correctly in the first place and that they would refund my payment. That has never happened. The clutch incident cost me just short of R20 000.

The driver was then dismissed and I employed a new driver. Within the first week of the new driver starting, he picked up a problem with the tyres and the vehicle “snaking” in the wet weather. We then had an issue with the air pressure in the brakes, raising concerns regarding the safety of the vehicle.

As time progressed, additional faults emerged, such as peeling paintwork on the truck, which I promptly brought to the attention of FAW. Although they committed to repainting the truck, the quality of the job performed was subpar, as the paintwork continues to peel.

A persistent concern has been the unusual increase in engine oil level every time it is checked by the driver. Despite registering multiple complaints with FAW, they have consistently denied any wrongdoing or faults in this matter.

On 5 July this year, the truck went in again with a list of 8 things wrong. FAW disputed our concerns and only replaced the ABS Sensor that was faulty. The full list of concerns was dismissed.

To add to the distress, when the vehicle underwent a Certificate of Roadworthiness (COR) assessment to renew the license, it failed due to a broken cross-member bar and the need for replacement of the rear shocks. Such failures are unacceptable for a truck that is merely one year old.

In November this year, my driver once again complained that the oil level was rising. I took the truck to a different FAW agent in Roodepoort. After analysis, they claim there is water in the diesel. The truck is only filled up at a Founders Shell garage – highly unlikely to be water in Shell diesel. Founders Shell has produced analysis of their diesel that there is no water in the fuel. The cost of this repair is almost R40 000 that I now need to pay to get my truck back. They know they have me over a barrel and bullying a woman is just too easy.

Considering the repeated and persistent faults in the truck, I firmly believe that it is not fit for the intended purpose as promised during the sales process. I am greatly disappointed in the product's quality and overall performance. I have no doubt that I’m not the first person to write a complaint about FAW.

Given the numerous documented issues and the lack of resolution provided by FAW, I am confident that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) is in my favour to pursue this remedy.

China should not be allowed to dump their poor quality vehicles in our country with no consequences.