SUBJECT: NISSAN X-TRAIL, 2005 - external rear vision mirrors are extremely dangerous

• "I recently purchased a Nissan X-Trail 2005 model from Martins Garage - Mansfield. The service was excellent from start to finish, and now also with my complaints, they are fantastic to deal with. My complaint being, the external revision mirrors are extremely dangerous ... the original mirrors allow me to believe that the vehicle in the background is further back than what they actually are. I have managed to cut people off, very nicely ... Travelling home on the freeway from Melbourne has been a nightmare." Janetta, VIC

SUBJECT: NISSAN PULSAR ST, 2004 - wheel bearing - a very bad day!

• "The end of a very bad day! As I drove my children to school this morning before taking myself to work I noticed a loud humming in my relatively new car. Working about 45 mins from Sutherland (where I purchased my car) I decided to drop into the mechanics across the road from work as the noise sounded like a small plane. The very kind mechanic took the car for a drive and told me it was the wheel bearing. At nine am I phoned Nissan, I told the young man on the phone my problem and I also explained that I had a snow trip planned on monday which was non-refundable (it was Friday). He said he couldn't help me but would get his boss. He then returned to the phone and said it couldn't be done until Tuesday. I phoned again this time I had the pleasure of talking to Mark, he said the same thing and added that there was no courtesy car available. One of my work colleagues suggested I ring head office. I rang Victoria but naturally I was put on hold and then told someone would call back ...
• And so the day continued, the car is still not in for repair and I have had to fork out 300 dollars for a Hire car. All of this despite the fact that the character who sold me the car assured me that there would always be a car available for any repairs covered under warranty. Now I am stuck with the problem of having to go back to a place which treated me with total disrespect, because my warranty says so." L Young, Sydney, NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CREWMAN - horrifying amount of problems

• "After experiencing a horrifying amount of problems with my vehicle, I have had some small issues corrected. On major concerns, however, I have had none or disastrous results after repeated attempts to claim warranty. Some of these problems are extremely dangerous. I intend to amalgamate information until I have compiled enough for class action against the Holden motor company.This will enable a successful lobby to government for an improvement of laws to achieve appropriate, responsible, effective etc. compliance by all vehicle manufacturers. I also have the support of two law firms more than enthusiastic to proceed in action against Holden.
• DO NOT ACCEPT DIPLOMATIC RAMBLING AND HOLDEN'S ASSURANCE THAT YOUR VEHICLES FAULTS AND ISSUES ARE NOT RELEVANT.
  I am a qualified mechanic and have found this to be the case. Myself and many others would very much appreciate any information you feel may be relevant from 2002, especially relating to Holden vehicles." A & D Marsh - DAN'S MOULD AND PRODUCTION, 145 OTHO ST, INVERELL NSW 2360

SUBJECT: MITSUBISHI PAJERO EXCEED TURBO DIESEL - noisy car

• "Having brought a new Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed Diesel Turbo we were told that ii was a bit noisy but this will get better. Having had the car for 3 months it is getting more noisy than before. I wish we had never been talked into buying the noisy car. Who said that diesel cars are a lot better than they used to be. I don't thinks so. The Mitsubishi Diesels are the noisiest cars I have ever been in. Is there anything to make this engine less noisy inside that car. We have to have our music full on so we can here it and not the engine." Mrs Clements, Victoria

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER 1.8, 1999 - Horror Story

• "I am amazed that others are in the same boat and Land Rover Australia do NOTHING. Purchased new 1999 1.8 Freelander. $42k. 3rd Week, differential Noise. Land Rover blamed tyres. Wouldn't replace so we agreed to 50% purchase for new set of Michelin Tyres. No change. still noise from rear end. Land Rover couldn't find fault blamed tyres. 4th week. Badge fell off. Air condition blew up. Brakes squealing constantly. Back to Land Rover... not satisfied with outcome. Letter to Land Rover - no answer.
• 7 month service. Unknown to us they changed the head gasket during the service. Hidden on page 5 of service report and never discussed with us.
  Found out when 2nd head gasket blew at 14 months. We were advised that the head had been off before .... Wrote to Land Rover again no action nor reply.
  Visited Land Rover head office Sydney with arranged meeting to discuss issues, Land Rover Mgr "had gone out".
• 2001 Boycott the Land Rover stand at the Sydney Show. Asked to leave. Security called. Trade in value on new vehicle in 2001 $19,0000 car had done 18k kms. Loss of 60% investment on car. Sort legal advise. Took issue to Land Rover through solicitor - no response.
• Differential failed in 2002. Had been wearing for 3 years according to Land Rover expert. fitted wrong. Legal advise to Land Rover- response - Out of Warranty.
• After spending more than $20k on this car with 6 sets of tyres, new differential, services, brake failures, Head Caskets etc we made a huge loss. The car was a lemon from the 2nd week and Land Rover wouldn't accept responsibility, nor would they respond to legal requests. Couldn't afford the cost of court case. so finally sold the car. $10k trade in ... Was in excellent condition, but I would never advise anyone to buy one..
• Land Rover failed it's customers, when they brought out the 2.0ltr engine version at a cheaper price than the poor people who had just invested a fortune on the 8 month earlier model. They couldn't have cared less... SOMETHING should be done to protect the customer base ... it has been a hell period." Sue

SUBJECT: RENAULT SCENIC - Big mistake!

• "We bought a Renault Scenic because we were impressed by the safety features. Big mistake! The car doesn't start properly and during summer goes into limp mode. The computer was replaced but this didn't fix the problem and of course the dealership can't find anything wrong with it. The auto transmission is shonky and we have to wait three weeks for parts to come from france without a lend - vehicle leaving us stuck because we live in the country. We will never buy another Renault. The Renault Scenic has been an expensive mistake. The best response we can get on our problems is - oh yes they don't like australian summers, our summers cook their computer systems. We are unhappy with he response from Renault and the dealership." R Neal, Buninyong VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN COMMODORE VZ LUMINA, 2004 - very dissatisfied

• "We purchased a VZ Lumina 2004 model December 2004. Within the 1000km service noticed the colour (silver) was blotchy all over, some black tinged spots, one being the size of an over grown baseball, the rest blotched to see the undercoat showing. Towoomba Holden drilled a hole in the carpet to fit floor mats and drilled hole in the wrong place, so now have 2 holes in the carpet. They do not want to replace with new carpet, only demo, we got the car tinted twice as it was bubbled and still is. There is a thump noise in the wheel area, they can't seem to find it! There was a recall of our model July 2005 for unsafe brake hoses getting caught in the wheels. Holden Towoomba accepted liability for some blotches we found 1st up and re sprayed front left guard and wing. Then after us pushing got a paint measurement done. It has 110 microns of paint on the car, the approved limit is not under 100 and not over 250, its borderline and Holden Melbourne will not re spray the vehicle, so now we have two well sprayed panels and the rest of the car looks "well" crap. Paid just under $37000 cash for the vehicle. VERY DISSATISFIED AND EMOTIONALLY UPSET THAT NO ONE WILL BACK UP VEHICLE FAULTS AT ANY DEGREE. IF I BUY A PAIR OF FAULTY JEANS THEY ARE REPLACED OR YOUR MONEY BACK, WHY ARE VEHICLES ANY DIFFERENT!" D Aly, QLD

SUBJECT: NISSAN PULSAR, 2003 - City Nissan, Melbourne *GOOD NEWS*

• "No this is good news. We recently purchased a Nissan pulsar sedan 2003 as is from City Nissan in Melbourne.The vehicle was in very good repair except for some stone chips and scratches on front bumper. When we collected the vehicle they had touched up all the chips and scratches and the presentation of the car was of high class.This work etc wasn't requested and we are extremely impressed with the service we have received from CITY NISSAN and in particular Dean Poropat.
• As we do not go to the city very often most of the matters were discussed by telephone and E-Mail. After the purchase we believed we needed an extra key and visited local dealers who did not seem at all interested. I contacted City Nissan and they have arranged for a key at a cheaper price than local dealers indicated and were most obliging and helpful." Tyge

SUBJECT: NISSAN NAVARA STR 3.3, 2004 - after sales service is appalling

• "Recently purchased 04 STR 3.3 Navara. 9 visits and a re-spray later hard cover still not fitting properly. Service from Nissan "Customer Service" appalling. "Warranty" not worth the paper its written on. Don't buy a Nissan. Vehicles are great, just the after sales service is appalling." Cameron

SUBJECT: FORD BA FALCON WAGON, 2003 - diff noise - Watch out Ford

• "I've recently purchased a 2003 BA Falcon Wagon with 104000kms on the clock. I bought it from a used car dealership (not Ford) and once I got it home I immediately took it to my local Ford Dealership to get it checked over. They told me that it has a whining and banging noise in the diff and that it needs urgent attention. I've looked on the internet and found that this is obviously a design fault as there are many BA owners claiming to have the same problem with their cars with as little as 20000kms on the clock. So I contacted ford warranty and they were willing to help until they realised that I was not the original owner of the vehicle and told me to go back to where I bought it from. The car yard where I bought it from tell me that Diff noise is common in a car with 100000kms on it and the car is still running fine so please go away. I spoke to Ford again and they are standing adamant that they will not help and that this is not a common problem with the vehicle. A car with 100000kms on the clock should not need the diff replaced at all and Ford should honour the warranty based on the fact that there is definitely a design fault with this model. I don't see why if I was the original owner or not should make any difference. Watch out Ford, I will not stop until I get a satisfactory response." Mandy, Riverview QLD

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 1999 - from the first week it has been a disaster

• "My complaint is about the Kia Carnival, purchased new in Dec 1999 for $32000 and from the first week it has been a disaster.
  1 The first problem was it would accelerate without putting your foot on the pedal, this was fixed under warranty by a special cable which they manufactured
  2 In the first few months we had to have the brakes replaced, again under warranty
  3 The brakes locked whilst going across a railway bridge at Allawah, car had to be towed to the garage. During the next few years we had continuing problems with the brakes and the leads. These two items were replaced at regular intervals, however worst was to come.
  4 Early in 2004 the car dropped all the coolant onto the floor of the Westfields car park at Miranda. NRMA towed it to a local garage, they pressured tested the radiator and found nothing they replaced the radiator cap. We had to keep topping up the coolant, you could check it after the drive and all would be ok; come out 1 hour later the coolant would be on the ground. We took it back to the KIA dealer who would "Pressure" test it; he says its fine, charge us the $200 and send us on our merry way to start the whole thing again.
• In July 04 the car overheated on King Georges Rd, the NRMA was called. They checked the coolant - gone, despite it been checked 10 Ks before. NRMA
  advised there was water in the engine and it was towed to a garage. The garage confirmed that the engine had to be replaced. I contacted Kia and after some insistence on my part they replaced the engine for free. There was 47000 on the clock. The car was returned in late September. No courtesy car was provided.
• In Jan 05 the same thing started to happen - loss of coolant. Returned to the Kia dealer; they pressured tested it; said they couldn't find any problem; charged
  me the $240 and sent me home to start again. I organised a technical inspection by the NRMA and asked them to concentrate on the cooling system. GUESS what they did? they pressured tested it and found no problem. I drove from North Strathfield to Miranda and by the time I reached the Kia dealer there was no coolant left. At my insistence the dealer got the NSW service manager out to inspect the car and after some deliberation they agreed to replace the engine.
• I was given a courtesy car during the works and I got the car back last month. I have traded it in on a new car, not a Kia. I didn't have the heart to sell the car privately as I couldn't inflict that car on any family. It was very stressful, with 4 children you never knew when it would break down. It was the worst car I have ever owned and the service centre was not very sympathetic" T Kenny

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CREWMAN - a lot of trouble

• "CREWMANS STAY AWAY FROM THEM - STAY AWAY FROM CALOUNDRA CITY HOLDEN!: We bought a new holden crewman and have had a lot of trouble. Had to have new diff rotors, have machined twice and now they tell us that they are no longer under warranty as the car has 64000 on the clock and the warranty only covers 60000. Personally I think they should of replaced but they say no. The last time they machined the rotors they told us this is just out of courtesy. We haven't even been through a set of brake pads so you tell me! Caloundra city holden were not helpful - only patronising. If you want to know more please feel free to contact me" K Birch QLD
• "I have had many more problems than you with my crewman and it has only done 20000ks. The brakes on your vehicle have badly designed calipers that flex under braking. Holden have a full report suplied by brake specialists after my insistance.You will most likely have much more trouble than this. I would be interested to find out about any results you may have after your email" D.MARSH

SUBJECT: TOYOTA HILUX DUAL CAB SR5, 2004 - rear spring problem - we have had enough!

• "My husband and I bought a Toyota HiLux Dual Cab SR5 in 2004 and we have experienced nothing but grief since buying it. When we first received the vehicle the air-conditioner was not connected, and then at 3000km the rear springs needed replacing. Since then we have had nothing but problems with the rear springs. My husband works at Woolloongabba so has been taking the vehicle to Southside Toyota for services and to get the rear springs fixed. The last time they were supposedly “fixed” within 24 hours they were squeaking again, “like a group of XA Falcons” as my husband compares them to. Southside Toyota told him the noise was because the springs were getting dirty and they just needed cleaning more often. Is this a joke?
• We have spoken to Toyota Customer Service and our problems have been taken on board. However we have had enough! We have a towbar fitted but with the rear spring problem we are unable to tow anything. And the main reason for buying the vehicle was to go 4WDing which we have only been able to do twice, again because of the rear spring issue. What would happen if we were out bush and they completely broke? What is the point in buying a new car if they have more problems than older, worn in vehicle?
• We have tried to sell our vehicle back to Toyota and the offer given was ridiculous… obviously they even realise what a lemon it is! " S Johnson, QLD

SUBJECT: NISSAN NAVARA STR 3.0 TURBO DIESEL, 2002 - knocking noise in the gear box

• "I own a 2002 Nissan Navara STR 3.0 Turbo Diesel. Until last week it hadn't missed a beat... It then got a knocking noise in the gear box. I have been told that
  it's a gear box bearing (2,500 - $3,000 worth of repairs). This vehicle has not been off road, only has 85,000kms on it, has a full service record and is 6 weeks out of warranty (of course!!!). Nissan don't want to know about it as it's out of warranty, which I think is down right disgusting and I don't plan to leave it at that. So, I would like to hear from anyone that has had similar gear box problems so that I can further pursue this issue with nissan." J Stockl

SUBJECT: HOLDEN COMMODORE - excessive rear tyre wear

• I have major issues with the disgraceful conduct of Holden refusing to honour their own warranty on a vehicle I purchased new. The basis of my complaint is that Holden has not been able to stop the significant and excessive rear tyre wear problem present on my car from day one, caused by the design fault they clearly knew about. The design fault in the vehicle has been present since the vehicle was new. Holden has been incapable of rectifying the fault. There was no camber adjustment fitted at the factory. Deleting it was a production cost cutting measure. The result of this omission by Holden causes excessive tyre wear to the inner aspect of the rear tyres. I went through my first pair of rear tyres in just 7,000km! The tread depth proportionally deepened from the inner aspect of the tyre to the outside. The inner aspect was bald, where the outside was virtually like brand new.
• After much complaining, they finally authorised a Camber Kit at 28000 km after chewing up 4 pairs. Due to the number of complaints, Holden then modified the Series II to address the exact issue, so it is clear an engineering fix is available. I've discovered the same problem was present in the VT and Holden’s long history of fobbing people off with this problem dates back to 1998. I also discovered several options to address the problem, put them to Holden. Holden refused to do any of them. I have had more than 20 phone conversations with disinterested, ill informed, deceptive, apathetic Customer Service staff over a period of more than 2 years, whereby every trick in the book has been used, to avoid accountability and to delay action by Holden. If the same issue arose in many states of the USA, consumer protection laws would have guaranteed me a new vehicle after my 3rd or 4th presentation (at about 6 months old in my case)
• In Victoria and Australia generally, consumer protection is so pathetically inadequate when it comes to Car manufacturers Breaching the Trade Practices Act that the only option for consumers to receive what they paid for, is to spend thousands of dollars on a Solicitor and Barrister taking Holden to court. This situation simply serves to encourage dishonest conduct of big car companies. From the beginning Holden has continually delayed further action, undertaking to a.) come up with a fix and b.) consider pro rata reimbursement for tyres chewed every 7000km – 12,000km up as a result of the fault they admitted was present.
• Eventually (very begrudgingly) they did another camber kit and rear coils under warranty at the 60,000km service. This was in 11/04. Problem still not fixed. Despite numerous presentations to dealers, dealer only servicing and the fact the vehicle is not modified, previous failed attempts to fix the problem, 11,500 km after the last attempt, Holden refused the dealership permission to fix the problem under warranty without explanation. (I refer everybody to section 9-4 in the Commodore owner’s manual.) This work is supposed to be covered by either the remainder of the new car warranty or a 2 yr 50,000km warranty, whichever is the greater. If covered by the 2 yr 50,000 km warranty it is covered by whichever occurs first.
• I wrote to the head of Holden on 19th May 2005. Almost 5 weeks later, he replied in a very brief 1 page letter and advised he'd appointed a Senior Executive to oversee my case. As of August 5th 2005, that un-named person hasn't bothered to contact me and identify themselves as the person whom has taken ownership of the issue. Following a phone conversation with the Holden Call Centre Mgr (whereby she repeated Holden's refusal to fix the car) I advised her I would return their defective product. Holden have justified the tyre wear by stating that I must have contributed to it by driving the car with 5 people in it! The ID plate certifies it as a 5 seater!! Appalled and disgusted at inaction and Holden's approach, failure to supply a vehicle of merchantable quality or a vehicle fit for purpose and therefore having never received what I paid for, I returned the vehicle later that day to Holden Head Office, handing over all keys, advising that Denny Mooney’s office and the Call Centre Manager Genevieve Hunt needed to be advised the vehicle had been returned.
• Holden's response? They had their security call the Police some 27hrs plus after I returned it, advising Police the car was abandoned! The Holden Call Centre Manager phoned me a day or so late, threatened to have the car towed away if I didn't come pick up the car, (without it being fixed.) After repeating to her that the car had been returned to Holden as a faulty product, as a direct consequence of their refusal to honour warranty, she hung up on me.
• A few more days later, another male from Holden called me up, told me I had no right to be unhappy with the product or return it. I was then told the faulty product I returned will be towed away and stored at my expense! A friend owns a S/C VX Series 1 Exec, also with FE2, which is fitted with S Pack rims. It has towed over 10 times the km my car has. It has Goodyear Eagle GSD directional tyres (unable to be spun around on the rim) on it and have experienced VERY MINOR (barely noticeable) inner aspect tyre wear over their 40,000km (set of 4) tyre life. Why is getting what you paid for such a difficult ask?
• Based on the advice I’ve received, the model has a significant design fault that causes excessive tyre wear when you use the vehicle for its designed purpose (carry 5 people or tow a trailer) I know of people easily getting over 65,000km out of a set of 4 tyres on Series II sedans, yet the best fix Holden has come up with for my car, gives me 15,000km out of 2 on the rear only. Once they start to wear unevenly I've been told not to use them on the front for safety reasons. What happens if this car gets used for carrying 4 or 5 people regularly? If it wasn't for the availability friend's cars, mine would regularly carry 4 people. But because of the fault I can't afford to use the car for the purpose it is designed for and I have always made arrangements around using another vehicle automatically when going out in a group, so I’ve not been able to freely enjoy use of the car either.
• Apart from the Holden Chief advising me in a very brief reply to my first letter he'd delegated somebody to manage my case, (without naming that person) and some brief letters threatening to tow the car away after I returned the car, Holden have failed to respond to the concerns raised in EVERY single one of the complaints contained in each of my letters. (8th posted 25th July 2005) This whole issue boils down to Holden failing to honour their own warranty; Holden's strategy to delay or if possible avoid fixing warranty faults; Holden’s history of producing cars with design faults. (Current example VZ Ute fuel gauge/sender problem which there is still no fix for). In my case there was an aftermarket fix available, made by Whiteline Suspension Products for my car's problem. The fix was released BEFORE I purchased my car, yet Holden CHOSE not to make the modification back at the factory, meaning they considered it reasonable to produce & sell a vehicle with a design fault; Holden failing repeatedly to respond to my complaints.
• Unless any of you consider, threats to tow away the vehicle after it was returned, to be a response to numerous letters of complaint, it is safe to say Holden has ignored me. Holden was extremely reticent to attempt to fix my car and begrudgingly did so at the insistence of myself and a dealer both times and failed dismally to fix the problem. They undertook to issue a pro rata refund on excessive tyre consumption, given the tyres were prematurely worn out due to their design fault. Then they refused to do so (after over 6 months of stalling) without explanation. Then they turned around and refused to honour their own warranty again without explanation.
• Holden has failed to respond to 8 letters of complaint, one of which sought a response from them as to why they breached the privacy Act and illegally released my personal details to a third party. So based on their actions Holden believes that they are above the law and that unhappy/ripped off customers are simply to be ignored if they stand up for themselves. Holden acting without explanation is a consistent trend and it's time they entered the 21st century. I'm tired of the Holden's lies, arrogance and also fed up with not ever getting what I paid for. I never received it at the time of purchase and I've never received it since. Holden is currently claiming they haven't been given fair opportunity to fix it! I've given them 3 1/2 years to get their act together, but according to Holden that isn't enough time!" Rowie

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL 2000 - has sent us broke

• "Our 1999, 2000 model KIA Carnival Has been a lemon from the first day we bought it. It spent most of the first 3 months at the work shop getting little things fixed such as aerials, seats, stereos etc etc. The mechanics at KIA then managed to smash our car into the workshop wall. The front bumper had to be fixed and re-sprayed which is now peeling off. They told us we could not have a courtesy car during the 3 weeks they had it. After all this the bigger problems started occurring such as the head gasket, engine mounts for second time, engine seals and now I'm replacing the auto transmission which has sent us broke as there is no longer any warranty. This KIA Carnival has cost us well over $10,000 to keep on the road and has now left our family with 4 kids without any form of transport." M Ashcroft

SUBJECT: NISSAN NAVARA - PR is atrocious

• "Nissan. I can not understand the attitude of this company. Whilst I cannot complain about the product, the PR is atrocious. The web page has no ''contact us'' ... so you have to make an STD call. It is a month since I took delivery of my new Navara, 900 km's up and I am still waiting for the fuel card to be sent from Nissan so that I can get my $1000 worth of free fuel" P Ogborne, Albany West Australia

SUBJECT: FORD AU II FALCON FUTURA, 2000 - cabin filled with smoke

• "I have owned a 2000 AU2 Falcon Futura since August 2003. Generally not a bad car until 21 Dec 04 when my wife was reversing, luckily at low speed, from a parking spot when the cabin filled with smoke, emanating from under the steering column. She got the 3 & 5 yr old daughters out pretty quick and was not injured/burnt herself but gave her and myself a hell of a fright, not to mention the kids. We took the car to the local servo, they had a local auto electrician look at it. He'd never seen anything like it so I contacted the Ford CRC - a 1800 number I found in the owners manual.
• After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing they asked me to take the car to the nearest Ford dealer to have an inspection/repair job done which we did. Ford repairer contacts us and tells me that the loom is burnt from the ignition switch thru a earth wire travelling the distance of the loom down into the fuse box-half the dash has to be removed - BIG JOB. I requested that Ford take a look at the wiring loom as I believed, and still do, that if something is going to arc it should pop a fuse, not set fire to the loom as it had!
• This is a 4 year old car with 140,000 k's on the clock. Ford contacts me and tells me that as the car is out of warranty both in k's and years that it is "fair wear and tear", they are not prepared in this case to cover the cost. I explain to them that the cost would be nice to recoup; $325 local auto elec/towing bill plus $1600 bill from Wonthaggi Ford. I would really like to know what caused the burnt loom so I can be sure it wont happen again - possibly next time at 100 km/h and enough of a burn to deploy the airbag and kill my wife and 2 daughters in a resulting accident. It seems that all the "fairly worn and torn" Falcons out there are going to suffer from a loom arcing up for no apparent reason and Ford are not going to do anything about it.
• Ford CRC request the dealer send them the parts, they have their warranty department look at it, engineering dept look at it. Then it is sent to the loom manufacturer, Sumitomo, who state that they cannot make a definitive diagnosis as not all the parts were sent to them, but based on what they have seen before with similar cases it most likely was caused by some wires being crimped by a retaining screw causing a short and therefore the burning.
• By now it is 8 - thats right - EIGHT months later, and based on a non definitive diagnosis Ford is not going to accept it as a defect they are prepared to cover and have offered me $500 and 2 free services. This car has had no modifications other than factory gas -Tickford - fitted, and the the petrol gauge was shared by the gas. I feel pretty ripped off, I don't have a problem with any car having glitches and requiring repairs - but I think it is unacceptable that they should turn a blind eye to a potentially lethal problem. In case you are reading this, Ford, you have not heard the end of this ..." M Flower, Cowes, VIC
  

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER - “worst mistake of our lives”

"When reading the T Edwards email about his Freelander problems I thought someone was telling our story on my behalf. We have had the EXACT same problem, same car, model, engine, the mechanical explanation for the engine failure has been word for word identical. It did exactly 60 000km and needed a brand new engine. We also approached Landrover Australia, which was an absolute waste of time and effort. Perhaps the most infuriating part, (besides the $7000 repair bill) was their blatant ignorance to the engine problem. Many mechanics including 20 plus Australia wide Authorised Land Rover Service Dealers I spoke with when looking for a new car engine all openly described it as “a common problem with this make and model”. We have contacted the ACCC and are still not ready to give up so if we have any success we will be sure to let you know. Right now we are trying to get rid of the “worst mistake of our lives” but strangely enough no one wants to buy it!" D & C Olsen

SUBJECT: FORD XR8 BA - transmission problems

• "I am on my second ba xr8. They took the first one back I have had transmission, diff, engine and electrical problems. I am now having trans problems again. I had it a week and they had to replace the transmission. I had the first one about 3 months and they replaced trans and diff and computer and on and on. Now I am going to fight them with everything I have. I would like to hear from anyone else having these problems" Steve

SUBJECT: HYUNDAI GRANDEUR, 2000 - This car was a lemon

• "I bought a Hyundai Grandeur, in 2000. I should have suspected it was a dud from day one, when the sales person from Suttons Chullora told me that they filled the petrol tank as a gesture of customer service and within a day I ran out of petrol (having driven 100 kilometres) and discovering there was a fault with the fuel gauge, which incidentally took two service visits to rectify. Thankfully the car performed well since then until I had to transfer the service to Bankstown Motor Group. In late 2002, I discovered why Hyundai's do not retain their resale value. This car was a lemon ... Every problem I encountered it took at least two visits to get it right, or an explanation that they did their best, and lets see what happens next.
• The car broke down on numerous occasions since then. I believe in 2004, we had the car in Bankstown Motor Group for problems longer than I had it garaged at home. I got so frustrated, I wrote to Hyundai themselves, only to get palmed off back to Bankstown Motor Group.
• This was totally unacceptable, especially knowing that the 5 year warranty was due soon.
• Backtracking for your information the following problems raised their ugly heads
  A) Ignition failure
  B) car switching off and cannot be restarted…. This happened a number of times in peak hour on the M5!
  C) Electronics failure
  D) Music system failure (it took over 12 months to obtain a replacement)
  E) electronic window motor failure (NB the car kept blowing fuses do to a window motor malfunction. Once the warranty expired we were told that the same motor was faulty and a new one was required at a cost of $350 plus labour…… )
• Please note that the car was at Bankstown Motor group for the above problems longer than it was garaged at my home address!
• When all avenues to rectify the problems dried up, and the warranty period expired I sold the car for approx $10,000 LESS THAN MARKET VALUE. (the car was never involved in an accident and the paint work was in pristine condition as was the interior and had only done around 95,000 kilometres in 5 years).
• Please take care. I will not ever purchase another Hyundai. Their service and commitment to providing an acceptable and safe vehicle are all just words. Their 5 year warranty is wonderful, but you really need it as I have found out. KEEP AWAY FROM HYUNDAI'S AND BANKSTOWN MOTOR GROUP ... They have no idea what they are doing!" T Ruppas

SUBJECT: NISSAN NAVARA STR 3L TURBO DIESEL, 2002

"Nissan Navara STR 3 litre Turbo Diesel - I have just traded my Navara STR purchased in 2002, 70000 km for the current series two model. So I must be quite happy with the vehicle. One complaint is that I cannot contact Nissan Australia by email. Another is the lack of information regarding the horrible noise the comes from the front end when the steering stops make contact. If Nissan told us that a smear of Never Seize will cure the problem it would nice. Also the standard tyres are worn at 41000 km, again I have changed to BF Goodrich A/T." P Ogborne, Albany WA

SUBJECT: MAZDA E2000 LWB, 2000 - MAZDA (A Dirty word in our House)

• "MAZDA (A Dirty word in our House): In November 2002 I purchased an E2000 LWB Mazda (first registered December 2000), with 24,000km on clock, still under Manufacturers Warranty (3 years or 100,00Km. Contract to buy invoice marked “Eliminate/Repair All Oil Leaks”
• This was NOT done by the Mazda Dealer from whom the vehicle was purchased.
• The leaks were just cleaned and remained.
• A letter to State Office of Mazda in December 2002 seeking assurances oil-leaks would be rectified at 30,000 service.- to be done by another Mazda Dealer.
• 30,000km service on January 2nd 2003, OIL LEAKS NOT RECTIFIED
• Back and forth to dealer and AGAIN in Dealer for a day Jan 31st 2003.
• Rocker Cover crack discovered and finally replaced “under warranty” at 40,000km service March 28th 2003.
• Clutch shudder complained of to be rectified at 40,000km service was “fobbed” off with a comment on the service sheet “REQUIRES TO BE MONITORED”
  (Obviously oil leaking from faulty rocker cover made it’s way to the clutch causing the shudder.”
• Complaining constantly of “Clutch shudder” resulted in a new clutch being fitted under warranty in June 2003……2 months after it should have been replaced.
• A scheduled Service (at which my request for Timing belts to be replaced was not done) at 86596km on July 26 2004, which meant returning the vehicle for the remaining belts to be fitted on July 30 2004.
• September 15th 2004 the vehicle stopped, was towed at my expense to a Nissan dealer who examined the vehicle and advised me the timing pulley had come loose and apparently had not been fitted correctly at the service.
• Mazda dealer recovered the vehicle and “repaired/rectified” the problem.
• June 2005 at 110,000km service and the vehicle AGAIN has oil leaks and clutch shudder. Not an excessive mileage for a 4 ½ year old vehicle.
• Mazda Australia refused (July 4 2005) any compensation/allowance despite the constant oil leaks and clutch problems with this vehicle from near new, quoting:
  “. With respect to your particular concern, our contact with (dealers name) Mazda has confirmed that they consider the failure of the clutch is not the result of a manufacturing or material defect. We therefore believe that vehicle operation is the likely contributing factor to the clutch wear .... however we do understand the dealer has offered to complete the work at a very competitive price in recognition of your custom.”
• If you consider a quote of $714.00 to fit the THIRD clutch to this vehicle a “very competitive price” when a quality HEAVY DUTY CLUTCH kit (not Mazda O/E of course) can be purchased (retail) for $320 including pilot bearing then Mazda’s idea of a “very competitive price” seems a fair way off the mark.
• I believed that Mazda had a reputation for quality, and purchased a vehicle still under “new vehicle warranty” to avoid downtime with the vehicle …… I was wrong.
  Down-time and extra work required, after scheduled services, due in some instances to services not being done adequately, has cost me considerably and lost Mazda any future service work or sales." M Wishart, Perth, WA

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CRUZE - Should be avoided

"The Holden Cruze should be avoided! Bought one soon after it came out. Within a few thousand km steering rack had to be replaced (apparently a common problem). Then within 30 000km needed a new clutch. Not long after that the whole gearbox needed to be replaced. Once the gearbox was in it was discovered the engine sensor was faulty. About 12-18months after this the car needed another new gearbox and drive shaft because the drive shaft popped out of the gearbox. Unlike last time, Holden questioned if this should be covered under warranty, however they could not prove that the car was mistreated. This is the funny bit. After waiting 2 1/2 weeks for the new gearbox to be sent over and having it fitted IT WAS FAULTY! it did no more that 10km and it was FAULTY! I think holden should check their quality control because at the same time that this gearbox was replaced i needed to replace another clutch! The car was well driven and had high km for the age, but it does not explain the faulty gearbox that had never been driven! After owning the car for 2 1/2 years we got rid of it, traded it in, poor bugger who bought it." H Potts