45 percent of all new cars faulty?
Around 50 years ago, a major study on the quality of new and used cars was carried out in the USA (Missouri). Around 10,000 vehicles were examined.
The fact that 90 percent of all five-year-old cars had dangerous defects was perhaps somehow expected, but the fact that 45 percent of all new cars (maximum mileage 800 km) had defects that impaired driving safety was alarming. A quarter of the faulty cars had incorrect wheel alignment or the wheels were not correctly balanced, and three percent even had faulty brakes.
No wonder Dr. Robert Brenner, the head of the American safety authority, came to the conclusion that a not inconsiderable proportion of the 10,000 motorists injured every day in the USA could be prevented if cars were built more carefully. After all, it is obviously not always the driver's fault if an accident cannot be avoided.
ADAC Motorwelt, which reported on this in September 1969, said that the quality in Europe was certainly much better. However, the fact that Ford had just recalled 56,000 new Capris because the brake hoses were in danger of wearing through was also food for thought.
