Ford India’s move to recall the diesel version of its EcoSport SUV within two weeks of launch could impact consumer buying behaviour, say auto analysts.
Speaking to Business Line , Puneet Gupta, Principal Analyst, India Automotive, HIS, said: “It impacts consumer sentiment. Nobody would have expected a multinational company like Ford to come up with such issues as this vehicle was a talking point for everyone in the last few months.”
He said if the company does not address the problems quickly, its sales may sufferas consumers have various options.
Unusual recall
According to a senior official at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the recall, right after a new launch, is unusual for the industry .
Some industry veterans said that companies should look into critical components carefully while trying to make vehicles cheaper than rival models.
“Many companies nowadays focus on making price-competitive products, but they should also make sure that components, especially those that are critical for safety, are in place,” he said requesting anonymity.
‘No accidents’
On Thursday, the company said it is recalling 972 units of the diesel variant of its EcoSport SUV because of a fault in the ‘Glow Plug Module’.
The fix will require relocation of the module.
“We are contacting customers to take their vehicles to their Ford dealership to have the work carried out. No accidents or injuries have been reported related to this issue and this is a proactive, voluntary recall action to ensure customers’ safety and satisfaction,” the company said in a statement.
The glow plug module is an internal part in a diesel engine that starts the ignition much like spark plugs in petrol engine vehicles.
ronendrasingh.s@thehindu.co.in