The key facts
- According to Andrei Belov, the term 'reliability' is inapplicable to Russian cars: vehicles often signal malfunctions already on the way from the dealership to the fleet.
- Among Chinese cars assembled in Russia there are examples with mileage of up to 500 thousand km without an engine overhaul.
- Dealers of Russian brands, the expert claims, often refuse taxi drivers warranty repairs even with obvious design flaws.
Why taxi drivers avoid Russian brands
For taxis, the key factors are the car's reliability, after-sales service and support from the manufacturer. Russian automakers, according to Andrei Belov, a member of the Public Council for Taxi Development in the Northwestern Federal District, have major problems in this regard. In a comment to Gazeta.Ru, he stated that the term 'reliability' is inapplicable to Russian cars: according to him, in half of the cases a car from the dealership cannot reach the fleet without a malfunction warning or stops altogether. Therefore, the expert noted, taxi drivers 'despite all their patriotism' are forced to buy cars of Chinese origin assembled in Russia.
Experience with Chinese brands assembled in Russia
Belov clarified that among Chinese cars assembled in Russia there are examples that have covered up to 500 thousand kilometers without an engine overhaul or other costly investments. Another feature of brands with Chinese roots, he said, is their attitude toward the customer: according to him, 'the customer orientation of Chinese brands is off the charts,' and clearly non-warranty or borderline-warranty cases are, as a rule, resolved in the customer's favor.
Warranty problems with Russian dealers
In contrast, Belov concluded, dealers of Russian automakers often refuse taxi drivers warranty repairs, even when a design or assembly defect is obvious. The publication also contains a reference to an earlier article about which cars are more profitable to buy not new but used. The assessments given belong to one expert and reflect his position.
