New distributor Ateco recalls all Foton Tunlands

NEWLY appointed distributor for Chinese-made Foton light commercials, Ateco Automotive, has issued a recall on every Tunland ute sold by previous distributor FAA since launch in November 2012 over what it calls a non-compliant jack.

All 316 Tunlands sold to date under FAA were fitted from the factory with a two-tonne jack that does not meet Australian Design Rule certifications.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a recall notice that calls the jack a potential “crushing hazard”.

When it took over the distribution at the start of April, Ateco had this jack replaced by a four-tonne unit and will now retro-fit this item to all Tunlands currently on the road, according to the importer’s Asian brands consultant Daniel Cotterill.

An additional recall on all dual-cab Tunlands will soon be announced, relating to the lack of a top tether point alongside the ISOFIX child-seat anchors in the base of each outside rear seat. ADRs require the fitment of both.

In the meantime, Foton dealers will cover or ‘plug’ the ISOFIX anchors until an engineering solution can be found to fit the required top tether point, either in Australia or China.

Ateco is an experienced vehicle importer that presently manages Great Wall, SsangYong and Chery, and is tied in with Maserati and Lotus through related business European Automotive Imports (EAI), took over Foton importation in April.

Previous distributor FAA Automotive Australia, based in Queensland, was a relative start-up with less experience navigating the web of ADR requirements on bringing an overseas vehicle here.

According to Ateco’s Mr Cotterill, the company is close to making an announcement on where it plans to take the Foton business, its plans for the dealer network and its re-cast sales projections.