Megan Power
Motorist who escaped a fiery death expected Nissan to
investigate
When it comes to cars, many of us fit the stereotype. We’re largely
interested in how the car looks on the outside and how comfortable it is on the
inside.
But we care little for what’s under the hood. Until things go wrong. Then
consumers become very interested in detail.
Reader Wessel Oosthuizen, who admits to knowing nothing about cars,
certainly did.
It’s little wonder. The retired sports photographer narrowly escaped death
in December when his 2008 1.6 Nissan Qashqai lost power and caught alight while
driving in the Karoo. Within minutes the car was ablaze and less than 15
minutes later it was completely gutted.
Why did the car go up in smoke? Nobody knows. And nobody, besides the owner,
seems to care much either.
Despite Oosthuizen’s efforts, he has no idea why his car, which had recently
had its three-year/100000km warranty service at Nissan, is now a hunk of
charred metal.
His insurer, which didn’t hesitate to cover his loss, blamed an electrical
short circuit but could not determine what triggered it. Because the car was so
badly burnt and no foul play was suspected, it didn’t probe further.
To Oosthuizen’s dismay, neither did Nissan.
“I didn’t ask Nissan for money; I just thought it should look into
it,” the 68-year-old Parys resident said. “But it wasn’t interested.
I called customer care but got no response.
“I then went to Nissan in person and was eventually told it would not
get involved but I could appoint an independent assessor. It said insurance
wouldn’t have paid out if there had been a product fault,” he said.
Oosthuizen asked for this response in writing but didn’t hear from Nissan
again.
When I approached Nissan, senior manager for customer care Jacques Labotsky
said the company’s position had been incorrectly relayed to Oosthuizen. I
didn’t find his clarified version much better.
Labotsky said Nissan would “gladly” conduct an investigation and
appoint an independent fire investigator at a cost of R50000 but – and here’s
the rub – if no product liability was found, Oosthuizen would have to foot the
bill.
So the customer, whose car burst into flames for no reason, should shoulder
the financial burden if no defect is found. Why? “Because the car was
fitted with a tracking device,” said Labotsky. “If the car was standard,
we’d pay.”
According to Labotsky, cars fitted with after-market devices and accessories
such as trackers, alarm systems, radios and tow bars have contributed to fires.
That’s news to me. And to Netstar and Tracker, which with 2.5 million
installations between them, know of no such incidents. Even Oosthuizen’s
insurer Santam has no knowledge of this.
And what about the Nissan service just six weeks earlier? Could there be a
connection? No, said Labotsky, and there was no history of “thermal
incidents” either.
Where an insurance probe determined possible product liability, he said, the
case was referred to the manufacturer for further investigation.
“Unfortunately the insurer opted not to conduct such an investigation
and settled the relevant claim with the client directly … “
Head of Santam corporate affairs Donald Kau said an independent
investigation would not have resulted in a different outcome, based on how
badly the vehicle was burnt.
“As we did not investigate the possibility of a defect being the cause
of the fire, we cannot comment on the liability of the agents towards their
customers,” Kau said.
Would Sanlam cover the costs of a further probe at Oosthuizen’s request?
Unfortunately not, Kau said.
“In this instance, the option is open for the client but it would be
for his own cost. We have paid out in line with the client’s policy after our
own investigation. The car is available for such a probe should the client or
manufacturer wish to assess it further.”
Oosthuizen, who “meticulously” serviced his car with Nissan, is
not amused. “I’m lucky my doors were unlocked because the car’s power died
when the fire started and the smash-and-grab protection on my windows would
have prevented me breaking the glass,” he said.
Indeed, it could have been far worse. Nobody can forget the 2009 death of
satirist Justin Nurse’s two-year-old daughter who died when the family’s Honda
Jazz caught fire in the driveway of their Noordhoek home.
The cause was indeterminable but an investigation showed that water intrusion
into the power window switch housing could cause a short circuit. As a
precautionary measure, Honda recalled all 2002-2008 year model Jazz units in SA
to inspect and modify the switches.
It’s the kind of response consumers expect when things go so terribly wrong.
Although upset at Nissan’s failure to inspect his car, Oosthuizen remains
surprisingly loyal to the brand; he’s already replaced his Qashqai with a
second.
In the interest of consumer safety, I believe Nissan had a duty to rule out
a defect in Oosthuizen’s car, at its own expense. It chose not to.
And Oosthuizen understandably isn’t able to take a R50000 gamble.
So we’re all none the wiser. Heaven help Nissan if another car burns.
Sunday Smile
At Pick n Pay, Carnival Mall, for delivering a R49.99 replacement bottle of
Preen prewash to shopper Sheila Paterson’s door after a faulty cap led to
spillage in her shopping bag. Considering her home is 35km from the store, it
was a most welcome gesture.
Sunday Snarl
At Patrick Holford’s Mood Food which,
according to the Advertising Standards Authority, made an unsubstantiated claim
to the effect that it was able to “support mood and mental vitality”.
Isn’t it time for the marketing and promotion of complementary medicines to be
more strictly regulated?
Click here to Book Accommodation in Cradock, Graaf Reinett, Hofmeyer or surrounds.
Article source: http://www.businesslive.co.za/experts/2012/02/04/no-probe-after-man-s-close-shave?mode=all