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Ken Gratton22 May 2014
NEWS

Foton Tunland recalls

New distributor plans three recalls for Tunland pick-up; due diligence reveals ADR non-compliance
Ateco Automotive, distributor of the Foton Tunland pick-up, has issued a recall notice for the jacks supplied with the vehicles sold since the brand's launch late in 2012.
And there are two other recalls in the pipeline for the Tunland, according to Ateco spokesman Daniel Cotterill.
The first recall applies to 318 vehicles, each sold with a lower-capacity jack than the unit supplied with the vehicle since Ateco assumed distribution of the Tunland. Until last month the Tunland was distributed by Queensland-based company, FAA. Ateco is contacting owners and indicating they should have the existing jack replaced with an upgraded unit.
"In doing our due diligence in taking over the distribution of [Foton], our technical folk have worked through the homologation and approvals for the vehicle – and they found the jack, as fitted to it previously hadn't been complied to Australian standards," Cotterill explained to motoring.com.au today.
"So they set about complying it... arriving at a jack that would comply to Australian standards. It went from a two-tonne non-compliant jack to a four-tonne compliant jack."
Cotterill is not aware of any incidents involving the two-tonne jack supplied, simply stating that Ateco is "tidying up approvals and details." For the engineering staff at Ateco involved in the process of ADR homologation the lack of compliance in the paperwork for the Tunland "jumped out" at them, Cotterill says.
The Tunland will also be subject to two more recalls over the next few weeks. The first is for ISOFIX child safety seat anchorage in the rear of the dual-cab models. While the ISOFIX system is compliant with legislation in other markets, it isn't approved for the local market. This is yet another red flag in the ADR approvals process discovered by the technical people at Ateco, says Cotterill.
"They found ISOFIX points fitted to the lower part of the rear cabin, with labels that suggested this is an ISOFIX point – 'please use it' – when in fact the car isn't approved for that, and would require some engineering changes to be approved for that.
"It's not a new situation; we encountered that with Great Wall early in the piece too.
"So that's been rectified; you'll see a recall issued for that soon."
The Ateco exec was unequivocal that the ISOFIX system in itself wasn't unsafe – it just doesn't comply with Australia's unique ISOFIX ADR.
"My understanding is it's an issue that's peculiarly Australian; to do with Australian Design Rules," he stated, whilst acknowledging that "you have to comply to the market you're in."
Ateco intends for the Tunland's ISOFIX anchorage to be legally operational in Australia, but it is taking time to resolve those engineering changes – which will only apply to new vehicles sold, not the vehicles already in the hands of owners.
"There are two efforts under way at the moment. One may see a local solution; but the Chinese – Foton – are already at work on one of their own. It will just remain to see which is the most sensible path to take."
It doesn't end there for the Tunland, however. With the change of jack and the non-compliance of the ISOFIX system in the dual-cab models, which clearly doesn't affect the single-cab models (pictured), Ateco will recall the Tunland a third time to replace the existing owners manuals with an updated edition. That will be a separate recall, Cotterill says.
"My understanding of it from our service manager is that they are sequential recalls; each as a separate issue, handled in its own way. I think that's just part of the process."
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Written byKen Gratton
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