No answers from Toyota on fire-plagued Probox

No answers from Toyota on fire-plagued Probox

By Aye Nyein Win   |   Thursday, 05 June 2014

Outbreaks of fire in Toyota Probox cars are the result of poor maintenance and botched repairs, not faults in vehicle design, industry professionals say. They say media reports speculating that Toyota would recall the vehicles are untrue and instead blame drivers for causing the fires by overloading the cars, or by botched home repairs.

In March, a Probox in Insein township sustained K6 million worth of damage when it caught fire due to an overheated engine, according to police. In North Dagon, a Toyota Succeed, a more advanced version of the Probox, caught fire for the same reason on April 30. Seven days later, a grey Probox caught fire on Kabar Aye Pagoda road when its engine overheated.

And these were not isolated incidents. From January to May, police figures show eight cars were seriously damaged by fire in Yangon Region, of which seven were Toyota Probox or variant models.

It remains unclear, however, why Probox cars are susceptible to fire in Myanmar.

Mechanic U Han Shein of Toyota Tsusho Asia Pacific (TTAS), one of two Toyota-affiliated service centres in Yangon, insisted there was nothing wrong with the design of the cars. "Some newspapers have reported that Toyota will recall the Probox. It is not true," said U Han Shein, who has worked at TTAS for the past 17 years.

Ko Myo Myint Thein, the general manager of TTAS, which is based in Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone, said Toyota's head office had been surprised to hear about the problem. So far, they have not issued any warning or notification to drivers, and the main Toyota service centre, on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in Yangon, has not received any formal complaints from owners about the problem.

"I asked [Toyota in] Japan and they said they had never experienced this in Japan. They said that if a customer submits a complaint to the Toyota [workshop on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road] then they can look into the problem," Ko Myo Myint Thein said.

Toyota Probox and Succeed models, which generally have a 1300cc or 1500cc engine, are widely used as taxis and some experts say it is way they are being used that makes them more likely to overheat.

"There is no particular reason why Probox cars catch fire. Some owners overload their vehicles, putting a strain on the engine. They neglect maintenance," said car dealer Ko Zaw Wait.

Botched amateur repairs and inadequate maintenance are other reasons. A blocked catalytic converter can lead to engine overheating, or a cracked oil pipe can drip onto a hot exhaust pipe.

"People don't maintain their cars properly," said U Han Shein. "Some people replace the original parts [with poor quality substitutes]. They get petrol mixed with the brake fluid and they leave scraps of cloth in the engine compartment. All these things can cause fires. If you're going to do your own repairs, at least use authentic parts and clean oil."

With no licensing or testing to ensure car workshops meet minimum standards, poor repair work is not uncommon, said Probox taxi driver U Myint Naing. "When people buy a second-hand car they sometimes find the previous owner has installed spare parts incorrectly, making the car dangerous," he said. "Others overload their vehicles, causing a risk of fire."

Mechanical engineer Ko Myo from Yankin township, a Probox owner who also runs a car workshop, agreed poor maintenance was the likely cause. He has covered more than 40,000 kilometres in his own Probox in the past 10 months, including trips to Shan State.

"Nothing bad happened – certainly nothing like a fire – because I always make sure it is properly maintained," he said. "Toyota has been producing the Probox since [2002]. Nothing has happened [in other countries] until now and it has a good reputation."

But the spate of fires has made many wary of the Probox, which is fast becoming the workhorse of Yangon's streets.

"'Now the weather is very hot so I dare not hire a Probox taxi in the middle of the day," said Ko Aung Kyaw from Latha township. "I only take a Probox if I have no other choice." – Additional reporting by Toe Wai Aung

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2014/06/06/no-answers-from-toyota-on-fire-plagued-probox/