Proton to provide lifetime warranty on power windows

25 April 2011 - Proton will offer lifetime warranty covering the power windows of all Proton models, Proton Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir revealed at the launch of Proton’s campaign for quality. The terms and conditions governing the proposed lifetime warranty would be announced by the end of the month.

The Proton boss assured that power windows on all new Proton units do not suffer from the systematic defects that have plagued many of the first-generation Proton models, especially the Proton Waja. Despite now being defect-free, power windows have become symptomatic of Proton’s quality issues.

Proton managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said Proton power windows now had zero defects although people still thought otherwise. “We have improved the quality by leaps and bounds, but the negative perception lingers,” he said after launching Proton’s campaign for quality here yesterday. The perception of the public at large is very important, and it is our biggest challenge,” Syed Zainal said.

He chose to tackle the most widespread misperception – the infamous power window problem that had plagued Proton in the past. However, he said, there would be conditions attached to the life-time guarantee and the guidelines would be out by the end of the month.

Syed Zainal also shared an interesting personal experience. The Proton boss related his experience from the back seat of a Proton Waja airport limo from KLIA to his house in Subang Jaya.

“The driver would open his door instead of using the power window when we stopped at the toll booth. My wife was giggling and poking fun at me. So I asked him if the window was spoilt. He said no. He said his friend told him that if he used the power window too much, it would break down!” Syed Zainal said to laughter from the crowd.

“I gave the taxi driver my card, and asked him to do me a favour by using the power window. I told him to call me on my mobile phone if the window breaks down. He has yet to call me,” he said. “Some people, although they have never driven a Proton, are saying Protons are not good. We want to put a stop to that,” he added. We take that he meant recent Protons under his watch – they’ve certainly improved by leaps and bounds!