Sharp decline in warranty claims against Gabriel

Sean Staley, executive manager of marketing said the reduction in warranty claims is the result of the ongoing success of their customer support and fitment centre programmes. "Because Gabriel products are locally designed and manufactured for South African conditions and adhere strictly to the ISO14001 and ISO9000 standards, we continually focus on quality. Designing for local conditions is contributing to continued high product quality and lower claims," he said.

Gabriel recently launched the Safari HDP 4x4 shock, the locally designed and manufactured 4x4 shock. Gabriel has also launched Safe Zone 2.6, a safety programme educating fitment counter staff, management and motorists about vehicle and passenger safety. This covers responsible driving through education-based branding and training.

"The name Safe Zone 2.6 is based on road tests performed on an average passenger vehicle travelling at 80km per hour with good shock absorbers compared to a vehicle with worn shocks," said Staley. "Good shocks will stop a vehicle on average 2,6 metres sooner than a similar vehicle with worn shocks because with faulty shocks the wheels lose contact with the ground when applying brakes in an emergency."