2:09 pm, August 14, 2012
CHINESE car manufacturer Great Wall has moved to reassure dealers and drivers that there is no asbestos contained in any of its vehicles in the UK.
Several media outlets in Australia are reporting that there may be a safety recall of Great Wall vehicles down under as many vehicles on the roads there do have asbestos components.
The Sydney Morning Herald says a recall is expected to be announced in the next few days, with the affected parts being various engine and exhaust gaskets.
An independent assessment commissioned on behalf of the brand’s importer to Australia concluded there were negligible health risks to drivers, passengers and mechanics working on the vehicles.
Anyone connected with Great Wall in the UK need not be concerned. In a brief statement issued to Car Dealer, the company said: ‘None of the Great Wall vehicles imported into the UK have asbestos parts.’
Great Wall, one of the most successful car manufacturers in China, became the first Chinese car brand to commence volume vehicle sales in the UK earlier this year, with the launch of the 2012 Steed pick-up. It has around 45 dealerships in the UK.
In the past, asbestos was widely used in vehicle manufacture, as well as the building industry, until the dangers associated with inhaling its fibres became widely known.
