Al-Zarou: Matching Chinese Vehicles to Gulf Specifications Requires Millions of Dollars
Al-Taj News – Representative of the Association of Automobile Agents and Distributors, Mohammad Al-Zarou, said Sunday that manufacturing errors and defects are possible in all types of vehicles around the world, noting that the issue gained momentum in Jordan after a relatively large number of complaints were recently filed with the Consumer Protection Directorate, revealing a common defect in a number of vehicles of the same type.
Al-Zarou added that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply’s measures in this regard come as part of consumer protection, explaining that problems with a vehicle are possible in the automotive industry and that global companies resort in such cases to recall procedures to address manufacturing defects.
Al-Zarou said that matching a Chinese vehicle to Gulf specifications requires millions of dollars per model.
He continued: “Investing millions in a single model means that this car will pass all the tests, and the manufacturer, as an investment, will not spend these millions unless the car is suitable for sale for many years and is of high quality.”
He added: “The specifications currently in place in Jordan protect the consumer.”
The Consumer Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued 53 violation notices to the relevant parties in the case of “JAC E10 X” and “JAC E10 SEHOL” vehicles, as part of measures taken under the Consumer Protection Law. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply also approved the executive plan for corrective measures announced by the directorate to address the issue and ensure the rights of those affected.
He noted that the scale of the problem involving modern vehicles is relatively unusual in the Jordanian market, but is not surprising in the global automotive sector, stressing that manufacturing errors are “possible.”
Al-Zarou explained that the agent’s responsibility is limited to vehicles it officially imported from the manufacturer through authorized channels, while the manufacturer bears the ethical and general responsibility toward the brand.
He noted that global companies with strong reliability and established reputations are keen to preserve their reputation by providing after-sales services and addressing defects in their vehicles, pointing out that Jordan has witnessed recalls involving used vehicles imported from the United States, including Japanese, Korean and European brands, even when the vehicles had been in use for around 10 years.
He said those vehicles were recalled to carry out the necessary safety repairs and replace defective parts with new ones at the manufacturer’s expense, stressing that such measures are “possible and normal” in the automotive sector.
Al-Zarou pointed out that the agent also has an interest in carrying out recall campaigns, given that repair costs are paid by the manufacturer, allowing the agent to perform maintenance work and sell spare parts to the manufacturer rather than charging the consumer. He explained that “the consumer, the agent and the manufacturer are all in the same boat,” as the consumer benefits from having the vehicle repaired, the agent benefits from the maintenance work, while the manufacturer preserves its reputation.
Al-Zarou distinguished between vehicles directly imported by the agent from the manufacturer, which are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty as part of the vehicle purchase process, and vehicles that are personally imported or imported by traders from foreign markets.
He said that some vehicles were imported from the Chinese market as new cars, had their manufacturer’s warranties canceled in China, and entered the Jordanian market under the category of used vehicles.
Al-Zarou explained that this process is subject to laws and regulations governing the mechanism for exporting vehicles, noting that the Chinese manufacturer sells the vehicles to an agent in China, after which the cars are registered before being sold to a Jordanian trader and exported to the Kingdom.
