The Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) decided on Wednesday to halt the production and sale of the Chinese Komodo brand automobile--locally produced by the Automotive Egypt Company--following the discovery of several potential safety flaws. The ban is set to remain in place until the company makes the necessary modifications to the automobile in accordance with standards set by the Egyptian Organization for Standardization so as to ensure that the rights of Egyptian consumers--especially in regard to to safety--are protected. In a statement issued Wednesday, Said al-Alfi, head of CPA which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the decision had been taken following numerous complaints about Komodo vehicles from local consumers. He went on to say that a technical assessment prepared by Helwan University's center for engineering had found a number of manufacturing defects that posed a potential threat to drivers and passengers. Based on these results, said al-Alfi, a meeting was convened between heads of the Automotive Egypt Company and a legal adviser from the Trade Ministry, which resulted in the decision being adopted. According to al-Alfi, the CPA has received 91 complaints to date related to the Komodo brand automobile, 51 of which have already been processed. He went on to note that 17 cars had so far been returned to the manufacturer, while four more would be returned imminently. The CPA, he added, was currently looking into an additional 17 complaints. The company currently has an inventory of 331 locally-produced Komodo cars, which include 182 four-wheel-drive vehicles and 149 two-wheel-drive vehicles.
