Brands in trust crisis

Automobile complaints on the rise, quality watchdog says

A car tire of inferior quality draws the attention of onlookers. Dozens of car owners showed their defective vehicles to the media in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Thursday. Provided to China Daily

Complaints about the quality of automobiles increased by more than 20 percent last year, China's top quality watchdog said on Thursday.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine received 8,840 complaints involving 148 auto manufacturers and tire makers, said Liu Hongsheng, an official from the administration.

That represents a 20.8 percent increase over the previous year. [Full story]