Japanese cars and pollution

I refer to the article by Marisa Micallef Leyson where she denigrates the imported second-hand cars from Japan. I usually make it a point to read her articles but in this case I was dismayed at her complete lack of knowledge about cars and emissions.

There is much blatant pollution deriving from never-ending building projects, creating dust and diesel fumes throughout the day, and foul smelling emissions from hotel boilers, usually because the wrong type of oil is used or the wrong mixture, while the neighbours either have to seal their house completely or leave, as I have done on a couple of occasions for the safety of my children.

So why does Ms Micallef Leyson have to throw the blame for our polluted air on imported second-hand Japanese cars whose emission levels conform to EU standards? I purchased an economical car from Japan with full extras, with only 30,000 kilometres on the clock and am completely satisfied. My car does not leave a trail of black fog like some European "clean" diesel turbo cars do.

I am sorry, but to blame second-hand Japanese cars for our pollution seems like pointing a finger of blame at a minority when we all know the true source of pollution lies elsewhere, such as from "new flash cars" with high horsepower engines, our good old buses, St Luke's Hospital's chimney, the power stations which do not have filtered chimneys, the unbearable stench of used fuel from hotel chimneys due to negligence (I have a certificate from the air control unit in agreement with this) and our good old mount Maghtab, apart from construction sites that do not conform to safety standards, with any amount of dust left to blow about for years.

Has she never followed a construction truck overloaded with building debris and covered with a flimsy green cloth used for windbreakers, blowing dust away throughout the journey.

New cars in Malta are the most expensive in the world and with our salaries, which are highly taxed, one has to be certain of one's choice before buying a new car.

My experience when buying a new car was disastrous to say the least. I purchased a car in 2000 and was told that it would do 40 mpg but in reality it did 30. The car skidded dangerously as the new tyres were cheap Korean ones derisively called tas-sapun in local slang. I had two near collisions at the Msida roundabout due to these defective tyres on a "new" car. Booking the first "free service" was a farce as my engine oil wasn't even changed and I had to request the mechanic to do so.

When spraying a scratch on the car (at the agent, of course), a hullabaloo arose as apparently by "mistake" low costings were made with the agent and the surveyor. The insurance was subsequently billed for an extra Lm150! For this service I waited two months and the work was defective and had to be redone.

When I wrote to the importer of my new car about all the shortcomings, which included a disastrous anti-rust treatment that left my car in a mess, I did not even receive a reply. So much for customer care which in Malta is non-existent anyway!

However, my "new" car would not be accepted by European standards of emissions, but my second hand Jap would.

Now, to top it all, at the last trade fair I ventured to buy a "new" car from the same importer as my previous one. The car was purposely marked down by Lm1,000 to "entice" me to sign an agreement. Next day, after paying my deposit, the manager said that because of a mistake the car really cost Lm1,000 more but I could be given some extras or a discount.

I was furious as this was no mistake for I witnessed another unsuspecting customer who had been the victim of the same trick, the only difference being that he ultimately bought his new car and I did not.

Apart from this, I found the sales people at all the new car importers really unprofessional. One is left waiting for ages and if one opts for a more economical make, the interest wanes immediately.

When you ask for details you are handed a bad photocopy of the car's specifications and given the salesperson's card, unless the aggressive approach is used and you are suddenly a best friend and you feel so pushed into buying what you do not really want but which the company needs to get rid of that you marvel at the subtlety of it all!

So, I would urge any would-be buyer of a Japanese car, whether new or second-hand, to definitely go for it! As for the association of importers of new vehicles, please get your act together and stop whining about lost sales when you only have yourselves to blame for poor service, non-existent customer care and overpriced cars.

The Maltese are much shrewder than Ms Micallef Leyson and the facts speak for themselves. Incidentally, we had a Japanese national staying with us for three weeks and we were informed that apart from having the most stringent rules with regard to safety and exhaust emissions, cars are cheap in Japan, especially when compared to salaries, and they change their car every year or two not because they are dirty but because they want the newer version of the old model.

Malta is a mess, with the worst roads in Europe and definitely the filthiest environment. If only we cared about our country, but instead we treat it like a lost cause, expecting the European Union to solve our problems. So much talk - so little action!