Reliability has become a key factor in the automotive industry. The minimum guarantee period has changed to two years in Europe, and competition, mainly Japanese, is pushing towards a period of 3 to 5 years. In termes of safety, the car manufacturer's responsibility is often incurred. The issue of reliability thus becomes that of durability. The direct and immediate consequence of the extension of the duration of the guarantee period for car manufacturers was an increase in its costs. A more indirect effect, reliability, has become an expectation by the consumer who no longer accepts costly failures, even during the third year or later on. For example, the customer increasingly refuses to replace his engine by a standard part replacement: he demands a new one. The fastest action initiated by manufacturers was to launch reminder campaigns, even beyond the guarantee period, Some still call this "free repairs" as the phenomenon is so new and not yet assimilated. The "guarantee extension" budget of after-sales services therefore becomes more visible. The media has also taken up the topic themselves. They have no hesitation in communicating for a reminder campaign, even sometimes over-killing, because it encourages sales. Specialised journals have created their "reliability" column where letters to the Editor often talk of latent defects, Some automotive publications also draw up a classification known as "reliability" based on MOTs or on surveys conducted with their readers.
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