Toyota wants ban on older imports

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Toyota New Zealand wants the Government to ban used imports older than seven years.

The company's managing director, Bob Field, said such an age limit would mean vehicles brought here would not be more than one generation removed from the latest technology advances in safety and emissions.

The average model cycle for Japanese vehicles is four years. But 56 per cent of used imports last year were eight years old or more, up from 44 per cent in 1998.

Field said that while older cars cost less to import, they did not last as long and had to be replaced more quickly.

"The disposable car syndrome is a very inefficient use of foreign exchange," he said.

Toyota, through its second-hand Signature Class outlets, was one of the biggest importers of used vehicles.

"As such, we remain acutely aware of the overall national costs and benefits from this open-door policy of used vehicles," he said.

The trend towards older used imports had a serious impact on the overall public benefit, Field said, particularly in regard to safety issues, exhaust emissions and fuel consumption.

"The older a vehicle, the less acceptable performance can be expected in these key areas," he said.

"Older vehicles arriving in New Zealand have a shorter economic life before they become a disposal problem.

"With the low level of recycling capacity in this country, the long-term environmental cost of older used imports has yet to be properly accounted for by the current generation of car owners."

Toyota has commissioned a study by Massey University into the problem.