Toyota Motor Corp, Japan’s biggest carmaker, said on Friday it will recall 1,489 Lexus sedans (高级轿车) sold in China. "It will take us some time to ship the fuel tanks and vent pipes to China to change those in these Lexus sedans for customers free of charge, if problems are found," said Yang Hongjian, a spokes- woman of Toyota’s China representative office.
The expected recall will affect Lexus LS430 sedans made in Japan from July 29, 2003 to January 14, 2004, the representative office said in a statement. Toyota has not received complaints from Chinese customers, according to the statement. The move will be part of Toyota’s global recall of 18,200 Lexus LS430s. It will be the third car recall in China in two weeks. Although automobile recall is a common practice in developed markets, it remains new to Chinese customers. The Chinese government published long-awaited automobile recall rules on March 15, which will be officially carried out at the beginning of October.
China’s auto market is forecast to reach 10 million units by 2010. Automakers, especially Chinese producers, will face greater pressure from automobile recalls, which could be very costly sometimes, and should be in full preparations, according to the expert. The Japanese carmaker sold 1, 549 Lexus vehicles on the Chinese mainland during the first five months of this year, according to Yang. Lexus sales on the mainland reached 4,000 units last year, up from 1,600 units in 2002. (China Daily July 3, 2004)
1. What can we learn from the text?
A. Chinese customers are not satisfied with Toyota Lexus LS430 sedans.
B. Chinese car market has seen car recalls three times so far.
C. Toyota will have a worldwide recall of Lexus LS430 sedans.
D. Toyota Motor start to recall Lexus Sedans due to the problems with fuel tanks.
2. The carmakers were unwilling to recall their cars in the past mainly because ______.
A. they were not fully prepared
B. they couldn’t afford the cost for their car recalls
C. their products could not meet the required standard
D. there were no related rules and little pressure
3. It is implied in the passage that ______.
A. sales of homemade automobiles will grow even faster
B. automobile recalls will take place in China more frequently
C. China’s car market is forecast to be the biggest by 2010 in the world
D. Toyota is likely to sell the most Lexus Sedans in China in the future
4. Which of the following is the best tide of this passage?
A. Toyota to Recall Its Lexus Sedans Sold in China
B. China Prepares to Recall Cars
C. The Problems in China’s Car Market
D. Costly Japanese Car Recalls
