BMW ends up on Chinese national TV for its defects
BMW has been featured in an annual show on national TV in China that airs consumer complaints about technical problems and poor service, even as traditional automakers battle intense competition from local rivals.
The television program – called the "315 Gala" which takes place every year on World Consumer Rights Day – criticized the German automaker for the technical defects of its BMW 530Li, China Central Television broadcast on Friday. The criticized high-end German sedan was designed specifically for the Chinese market.
Consumers have made strong complaints about abnormal sounds coming from the model's crankshaft, the broadcaster said. The company and local dealers have not provided satisfactory solutions to the problem, which has led to safety concerns and potential reductions in resale value.
The “name-and-shame” show aims to uncover bad business practices in a nation of 1.4 billion consumers and is widely followed by foreign companies. In addition to being a public relations headache, the program has also sparked regulatory investigations and public apologies from executives in past years, including Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook and Jaguar Land Rover parent Tata Motors Ltd.
BMW responded on its official Weibo account – the equivalent of X in China – saying it had carried out technical checks on the reported problem to ensure it does not affect driving safety. The company is investigating the issue further to give a "satisfactory response" to consumers, it said, and apologized for the inconvenience. It seems that designing a proper crankshaft, something quite basic in an engine, is becoming outside of modern engineering.
While Gala 315 prides itself on being a watchdog for consumer interests, it is also seen as a yardstick for greater scrutiny or displeasure from the Chinese government.
BMW sold nearly 825,000 BMW and Mini vehicles in China last year, accounting for nearly a third of global deliveries. Even as deliveries have increased, international automakers including BMW are losing market share to local manufacturers such as BYD Co.
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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/bmw-finisce-nella-tv-nazionale-cinese-per-i-suoi-difetti/ on Mon, 18 Mar 2024 06:10:40 +0000.