Government Newspaper Warns Consumers : Izvestia Looks at Soviet Cars, Sees Lemons

In a pioneering article, the government newspaper Izvestia has warned potential auto buyers that a lot of Soviet-built cars are poorly made.

It is the most candid advice for consumers that regular readers of the state-run press can recall, and it confirms what a lot of people already knew.

A car is one of the biggest investments that a Soviet family can make, second only to buying a cooperative apartment. Although the mass production of autos was started here in the 1970s, there is still only about one car for every 20 persons in the Soviet Union.

The newest Soviet model, a hatchback Zhiguli known as Sputnik, was given the worst rating in the Izvestia review.

‘Big Headache’

“Its electrical components, generator and electronic ignition fail routinely, and so does the window-raising mechanism,” the article said. “Rectifying these problems is a big headache for owners because the service stations have practically no spare parts for this car.”

The Sputnik costs 8,500 rubles, about $13,000 at the official exchange rate. That is about 3 1/2 years’ pay for the typical Soviet worker.

Izvestia said that two other cars, the low-priced Zaphorozhets and the top-of-the-line Volga, are not much better than the Sputnik so far as consumer complaints are concerned.

The Zaphorozhets, which sells for 3,900 rubles, is a subcompact. Soviet drivers say it is “slapped together” with little regard for quality.

The Volga, a roomier, five-passenger sedan reminiscent of the Chevrolet of the 1950s, sells for about 16,000 rubles, or nearly $25,000, but is far from trouble-free.

“Both cars (Zaphorozhets and Volga) have built a long lead in the number of complaints about their quality,” Izvestia said. “For many owners, these cars brought considerable grief in return for a hefty sum. Cases are known when an owner of a shiny new Zaphorozhets or Volga became a regular at the repair shop practically from the very first day.”

Leaking fluids, engines that refuse to start, defective crankshafts and faulty electrical systems are some of the major problems reported by Izvestia. In many cities, it said, entire shipments of new cars have been banned from sale because of low-quality workmanship.

On the other hand, the article said, the much-maligned Moskvich car, which sells for 7,400 rubles (about $11,000), was given good marks for improvement.

Stronger in Body Than Looks

“Moskvich’s reputation is so bad that nothing can improve it,” one Moskvich owner grumbled. He said he seems to spend more time fixing his car than behind the wheel.

Still, Izvestia reported fewer complaints than before about the Moskvich’s poor assembly, breakdowns, defective transmissions and engines.

“The Moskvich is inferior to the Zhiguli in looks, comfort and handling, but it has certain advantages,” Izvestia said. “Its body is stronger and it crosses difficult terrain easier, which makes it a better car for countryside forays and traveling to one’s dacha (country house).”

The article did not recommend any make of car but pointed out that the smallest number of complaints had been received about the Zhiguli Model 7, which sells for 9,720 rubles (about $15,000).

The Niva, a four-wheel-drive vehicle that resembles a Jeep and sells for 9,000 rubles (about $13,500), was not mentioned in the appraisal. Car buffs contend that the Niva is a gas guzzler, has only a tiny trunk and gives a rough ride.

Soviet cars come with an 18-month warranty, and often, a new body, engine and chassis are provided for under this guarantee. Replacement of a poorly made car is conceivable, Izvestia said, but experts can recall only two cases in the last several years in which another car or a refund was given to an unhappy owner, despite thousands of complaints.

The article concluded on a mournful note.

“Perhaps,” it said, “this appalling lack of quality of cars can be explained to a considerable degree by the fact that no other group of consumer goods producers has so many privileges, and rights of the buyers are not as infringed upon (elsewhere) as in the car trade.”