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Monday, July 21, 2008

The PROTON Saga...Is the Very Name a Curse?

I am against any government company that is not operated on free market principles unless it really is for national security reasons.

Now we all know that our car company has been protected from competition since its conception and the car buyers have been made to bear its inefficiencies as described in this letter from malaysiakini:

"Proton will not change for the better"
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/86371

I don't really know much about the products and the company; just 2 examples indicate the calibre of people we have at the top management:

  1. The purchase of MV Augusta shares for a few hundred million ringgit and then selling it off for one Euro.
  2. The changing of "the power windows four times (driver's side) and once each on the other doors. I paid RM430 for the first two replacements. The cables would snap or the plastic material would break and you cannot replace the single part. You have to replace the whole unit. I resorted to opening the door to pay my toll or parking tickets instead of winding down the window".

The next time you are waiting to pay your toll just observe what brand of car is involved when you see the driver open the door to pay toll instead of winding down the window! I drive a 10-year old Camry and still wind down the power window although I do not pay as much toll as Klang residents.

Maybe the name Proton is not apt as a modern car manufacturer. It appears way too primitive. I guess with all their ISO certs, the proton quality people may be too busy filing complaint feedback to do anything serious about improving the product quality.

Just imagine that. They should put back the mechanical windows and that will/should last the lifetime of the car and also reduce costs.

4 comments:

PeterP said...

If a company just cannot or will not solve the power window issue after so many donkey years, I just wonder how they have been able to get their ISO certification renewed year after year.

yellowkingdom said...

My brother-in-law's 5-yr old Proton Waja has the same problem of malfunctioning power window (driver's side). He has resorted to open his car door to pay toll.
The Trengganu MB's explanation for 14 Merc Kompressors and strong endorsement against Proton Perdana speaks volumes.

H J Angus said...

peterp
IIANM ISO certification really does not guarantee the quality of the product.

It is just a system to ensure that proper documentation is done when people complain

H J Angus said...

as the purchase of the Mercs it is a powerful statement but I think 2 Mercs would do.
Let the others drive something like the Camry.