SGS Informs Customers about Product Recalls in the Automotive Industry

GENEVA - March 14, 2013 - PRLog -- Product recall in short

Product recalls happen in every single type of industry. They can be related to problems in the production or stem from the raw material used. To ensure customer security and safety and to comply with the industry requirements, companies and manufacturers perform random product tests at different stages of the production chain.

In a recall, products of a production serial or batch with harmful manufacturing defects   are retrieved from the market. Such a recall can be ordered by official testing authorities or upon a firm’s own request.

A matter of quality and traceability

Product recall is not synonymous with bad corporate image.  Concerned customers asked to either return the product to the manufacturer or the point of purchase, or to simply discard it, usually receive a full refund or a replacement product and may qualify for financial compensation. Although product recalls may raise concerns about manufacturer production capabilities, most consumers respect company honesty and would rather be informed sooner than later.

In that respect, one could interpret product recalls as proof that traceability is working and that companies are ensuring constant quality even after products have been released. To ensure quality and traceability, manufacturers are required to comply with diverse industry-related directives and norms, as well as subject their products to different sets of tests and verification along the entire production chain. External companies such as SGS are there to ensure and certify manufacturer compliance to these rules as well as to examine goods to guarantee customers safety and product quality.

Product recalls in the automotive industry

The automotive industry is particularly concerned about continuously increasing annual product recalls (http://www.sgs.com/en/Consumer-Goods-Retail/Product-Recalls.aspx) causing substantial financial consequences. Possible reasons for recalls run from defective or incompatible chemicals and materials to hard- and software problems. Also, the ever growing number of electronic components being included in vehicles tends to raise the probability of failure or defect. Fast production turnover times, low-priced production and outsourcing have an immense effect on quality.  

As the global leading inspection and certification company, SGS is always looking for quality and integrity. SGS does not only test and certify the products, but additionally provides its automotive customers with a support system to prevent avoidable recalls.  SGS also keeps you updated twice a month on the latest product recalls in the automotive industry by compiling recall cases reported in the EU, US and within the SGS internal worldwide network.

If you want to know more and stay on top of product recalls in the automotive industry, you can subscribe to receive the latest SGS publications (http://www.sgs.com/Our-Company/E-Subscriptions).

Contact details:

SGS Consumer Testing Services

Swati Tyagi
Global Marketing Communications Automotive
t: +91 124 6776205
Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/automotive (http://www.sgs.com/pages/consumer-testing/sgs-consumer-goods-and-retail.aspx)

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 75 000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1 500 offices and laboratories around the world.