JLR Looks East For Supplies

Cammy Corrigan
by Cammy Corrigan

DNA India reports that Tata is making a concerted effort to source parts for Jaguar and Land Rover from low cost countries like China, India (duh!) and Poland. DNA’s source for this claim said: “Earlier, Ford used to procure 17 percent from low-cost countries like Poland, China and India, whereas Tata Motors is planning to increase it to 35 percent.” Tata has buys more than just cheap parts. They outsourced low-end design and development work to lower-wage countries. But before you start the “If you thought JLR reliability was bad now…” don’t get too carried away.

BMW recently signed a $170m contract with the Mando Corp, a South Korean company to supply brakes to the Munich based car maker. This is in addition to 11 other South Korean suppliers which BMW already has on their list. Cars from nearly all manufacturers are up to their headliner full of Asian parts. Suppliers from low cost countries are here to stay. The question is, will their customers keep the quality of the items supplied in check? After all, if you make something to specifications, you’ve been set, what else can a supplier do?

Cammy Corrigan
Cammy Corrigan

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  • Gardiner Westbound Gardiner Westbound on Sep 08, 2010

    Lowest cost country manufacturing has heavily impacted the automotive parts sector. Even OEM parts are made in China. Though they may look alike all parts are not created equal. Chinese white box parts are ill-famed for skimping on specifications. Who stands behind them is more important than where they were made. I prefer OEM parts. In recent years, however, certain automakers have seriously downgraded parts quality. Some aftermarket items are higher caliber, have a superior warranty and are better priced. GM and Chrysler brake components among others are suspect. I trust and heed my mechanic’s advice.

  • M 1 M 1 on Sep 08, 2010

    Anybody who owned a mid-2000's Benz can tell you just how horribly wrong the switch to Asian electronics can be.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Sep 08, 2010

    Anybody who owned a mid-2000′s Benz can tell you just how horribly wrong the switch to Asian electronics can be. Thats when Lexus, Infinity all were inside the big gate after crossing the Chappadiquick moat.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Sep 08, 2010

    I am pretty sure that BMW is watching them pretty closely after having to replace all the wiring for my tail lights in my 2004 325i after it started melting. The front turn signals were just starting to go when I dumped it uhm, traded it in on a new one, just before the warranty expired. On another thread ve talked about vibrating sensor that're self powered. So it better be something from Elvis or Jerry Lewis' song " A whole lot of shakin goin on " I guess the engineers just figure out how many strands of copper wire they can skimp out before it will heat up maturely in 3 yrs. Dont laugh at that, Chrysler used to build trans that expires before the 3yrs up so they had to fix them under W, then they make the brass ring ( or whatever crucial component ) thicker so it can be extended to 4 yrs, and they're off the hook.

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