DPA
Continental tires at the company’s plant in Hanover (archive recording)
The auto supplier Continental has sold for many years many electronic components with too high a lead content. The company has itself the “marginal excess” of the legal limits determined and reported in early June, the competent authorities, said Continental on Friday evening in Hannover. The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment made it clear that there was no danger to humans and the environment. “The affected components are permanently installed in the vehicles and are not exposed to wear,” explained the ministry.
It was initially unclear whether the affected cars threatened a regulatory recall. The components in question with the heavy metal were mainly used since 2016 in printed circuit boards, for example, as capacitors, said Continental. According to information from the newspaper “Bild am Sonntag” the components can be found in vehicles of almost all car manufacturers worldwide. It should therefore act on several million cars that were produced after 2013.
The Continental spokesman told dpa that the company could not yet name a number because the limits for heavy metals in various components in 2013, 2015 and 2016 had changed. Formally, Continental violated the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, which sets limit values depending on the date of type approval of a vehicle model.
Capacitors come from China
A company spokesman said, “It was our mistake, we overlooked the legal requirements, we will not take legal action against the supplier.” Continental had purchased capacitors from a Chinese supplier and then installed them in components for cars.
The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment pointed out that the same components in commercial vehicles over 3.5 tons are likely to be installed legally. One is “concerned with the clarification of the facts” and is in contact with Continental. “Continental was asked to come up with a plan of action to ensure the fastest possible reduction in the lead content of the affected components to the permitted level.” This plan was received on Friday and will now be examined. Continental claims to reduce the amount of lead in its electronic components beyond the legal requirements.
After presentation of the “Bild am Sonntag” is the type approval for new car models in danger. Accordingly, the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) of Continental and the manufacturers now requires affidavits and opinions that the lead content in all components is in conformity with the law. Continental, however, said that according to the current state of knowledge, “imminent new start-ups of vehicle series are not endangered by the changeover”.
The Continental spokesman did not want to comment on possible recalls. That’s a matter for the Federal Motor Transport Authority. He pointed out, however, that the limits had been exceeded only slightly. The product quality and the safety of the vehicles are not affected. According to the Group, the amount of lead is on average around 0.0003 grams per affected component above the limit.
Bernd Röder, dpa