SUBJECT: FORD BA, 2002 - hard to start, black smoke when it does start (30/04/2006) *FEEDBACK* *CONSUMER ADVICE*

• "There is a fix for this problem: a later calibration in the PCM (computer) will rectify although some dealer branches don't seem to know about it, I don't know why. All the dealers have access to the info over the web site. Hope this helps." S Dexter, Mornington VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN BERLINA, 2002 - petrol gauge problem - shows half full when nearly empty (30/04/2006) *ADVICE WANTED* *FEEDBACK*

• "I purchased the car from Garry Warren Smith Holden in Oakley. My first problem was on the second service. Told I need to change the brake pads because nothing left. I took the vehicle to a local mechanic and he reported that there was 80% left yet on the pads. Then the problem with the petrol gauge. It shows half full but in fact is nearly empty. For this reason I had to call the RACV 2 times to put petrol in my car. I'd been left in the middle of the road without petrol and the gauge was showing half full. I ask the dealer that I bought the car from if this particular model has been recalled by Holden to fix the problem. Their answer was yes and no; I just got lost. I don't know to who to turn for help. Garry Warren Smith Holden told me if they try to fix, it won't be under warranty and I have to pay for it. Any help is welcome - Thanks" G Pergaminos, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: TOYOTA LANDCRUISER, 2001 - Car Dealer **** about Vehicle Condition and Background (29/04/2006) *DEALERSHIP*

• "I purchased the vehicle from QLD 4x4 WHOLESALE after seeing it advertised in the 4x4 Trader. I live in SA and watched the ad for 3 months. I also rang up 3 times over the 3 months and enquired about the vehicle as if it was the first time I rang. I was told it was a 2002 model Landcruiser that had 240,000 km's on it and was from a guy who has just sold out of his "Wide Load Pilot" business (which explained the high km's). I was told (and the ad read) that the vehicle had a full service history and that the owner was meticulous with servicing. Based on that I purchased the vehicle and had it transported to SA. When I picked up the vehicle I quickly found out that it was an ex-mining vehicle and had not been serviced in over 9 months with the air filter full of red dirt and the oils etc very old. The chassis rails are absolutely full of hard packed mud and the inside is very tatty. When I spoke to the car yard they said that they have many 4x4's in the yard and must have got it mixed up - I DON'T THINK SO! Well they are not willing to help and were very rude when I discussed this with them on the phone. I wouldn't go near this yard ..." J Hughes, Roxby Downs SA

SUBJECT: NISSAN DX PATROL, 2000 - Blown no. 4 piston - it would cost $18,000 for a new engine (28/04/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "We bought a 2000 Nissan Patrol in July 2005 from Castle 4wd Centre near Belmont for $33,000. In December 2005, on the way home the 4WD was blowing a lot of smoke and lost power but not fully. The smoke was that bad it was like a power station!  It went in to be checked. A report said the problem was the piston and it would cost $18,000 for a new engine. We were advised by few mechanics that there have been a number of complaints regarding this problem. When I contacted the car dealer, they did not want to know anything - in other words they were not interested.
• If anyone else has had similar problems please me" G Sheehan, Sydney NSW,

SUBJECT: FORD EF II FALCON WAGON, 1994 - Engine pinging and Electrical fault (25/04/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Can anybody help - I have 94 Falcon EF11 Wagon. Randomly it loses its dash lights, windscreen wipers and fans. Sometimes, if you turn off and restart, they come back. Anybody any ideas as to what could be causing this problem. Have taken it to auto electricians but of course it never manifests itself while they have it.
• Also Engine problem. It blew all its coolant out some years ago. Had head fixed but engine pinging unless driven carefully. Changed to premium unleaded fuel and that fixed the problem for awhile. Now it pings on premium unleaded even when driven carefully. In the "good old days" you would have adjusted the ignition timing and it would be fixed but mechanics tell me the ignition timing is not adjustable. Anybody with any ideas would be greatly appreciated." T Clark, Adelaide SA, Ph 08 8344 4498,

SUBJECT: FORD BA XT FALCON, 2004 - Vehicle won't start (23/04/2006) *CONSUMER ADVICE* *FEEDBACK*

• "Just had a problem with my BA. Engine wouldn't start. RACV to the rescue. However, advised that due to OHC and variable timing not setting right, engine becomes flooded. Here is the nasty part. DO NOT attempt to keep trying to start vehicle as will do serious damage to the engine - i.e New engine. Try only once maybe twice to clear the throat. That is put pedal to the floor, this will cut out fuel injection and then crank the engine. Few clouds of black smoke and your away. If you persist without success, I was warned that a piston will hit valves. OUCH!!!
• Hope this helps someone" J Harper, Maryborough, VIC

SUBJECT: FORD MONDEO HE GHIA, 2000 - 2000 Mondeo HE Ghia problems at low mileage (22/04/2006) *CONSUMER ADVICE*

• "Just suffered a catastrophic ABS pump failure at a mere 25,000 miles - nil Ford part available & at a ludicrous $5000 that's understandable. Had to scour wreckers all over Eastern Australia to find a sole wreckers' part. My mechanics say such a failure is most unusual at such low km's. But comes after the $900 (Ford price) alternator failure at a mere 20,000 miles & the 2 door lock failures at $500 apiece (covered at end of or just after warranty expiry, after much protest to Ford General Counsel). Complete disinterest by Ford until threats of litigation made re these failures. Do not ever touch a Euro Ford or you will be stung re parts as I have been." P Garde, Sydney, NSW

SUBJECT: FORD ESCAPE, 2003 - Re: Ford Escape problems by F Wood, Clermont QLD (21/04/2006) *CONSUMER PROTECTION*   

• "I refer to the issues with the Ford Escape reported to this site by F Wood, Clermont QLD.  Mrs Wood said her brand-new car was involved in an accident during transit to the Ford dealer and was then repaired and resprayed before sale and sold to her as a "new" car but later had problems with dust ingestion and peeling paint.
• I have studied business law in university and remember there was a landmark case in the UK where exactly this situation happened re: a damaged car was sold as a new car after a respray.  The court found the car was NOT new as represented in the sale and the dealer had to pay compensation. The case created a precedent which was followed in most Australian states and much of it was included in consumer protection legislation - so Mrs Wood might try calling the govt department in Queensland which handles consumer protection or the ombudsman if they have one.  A lawyer could also advise or maybe call Legal Aid or the Law Association. I suggest a letter or phone call to the appropriate department to put your case and get them to lean on the business involved might bring a better result.
• By the way I also have a Ford Escape which mostly has been very good - it has no accident history and does not suffer Mrs Woods' woes - but I now have been told by the Ford Dealer I have to replace my front brake rotors (discs) and pads for $500 after only 30,000km which I think is pathetic. I was told that this was not an uncommon problem, and also read that late-model Escapes have slightly different brake components to improve this. I have since found a brake specialist to do the same job using DBA rotors which should (I was told) last considerably longer - for $90 less than Ford.
• Under warranty I also had a recall to replace front seat belt covers, a (non-recall) faulty pcv valve (common problem I was told) which caused the engine computer to shutdown the engine, and a sticking rear door handle which the dealer never managed to fix but through wear & tear improved anyway !  But with the bugs fixed it's otherwise been a good car for us." D Cook, East Bentleigh VIC
  

SUBJECT: TOYOTA CAMRY V6, 1998 - Alternator Fusing Problem - anyone come across this or a similar problem? (20/04/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Have had my 98 V6 manual since new, without any major problems. One month ago replaced the battery for only the second time since new, which I thought was quite good. Was on Easter holidays in NSW when starting for home & only a few minutes into trip I found I could not get cruise control to function. Then noticed all dashboard was out. No fuel gauge, no water temperature gauge, no speedo, no tacho, no warning lights. Later, I discovered no cruise control.  I stopped & found the 10A instrument fuse in the fuse compartment above the accelerator was blown. I replaced it but the fuse blew again, so I assumed the fault was a permanent short circuit somewhere that would have to be sorted later. I assumed the instrument fuse would not effect the motor running so pushed on. 2-3 hours later the radio cut out, and shortly thereafter, the engine management died if an indicator or stop light was operated. I figured the battery was low, so refrained from operating anything but the engine until I reached somewhere I could get it looked at.  Alas, it stopped in the middle of no where, and my glove box multimeter showed the battery terminal voltage as 7.2 volts. I assumed the alternator was not charging. I got a jump start from a passer by, and with the engine running, measured the battery voltage which indicated no alternator charging. The thought crossed my mind that the instrument fuse blowing may have some bearing on the problem but I could not understand how a fuse for a non essential item like cruise control could stop the alternator from charging.
• After getting the car towed to the nearest large town with an auto electrician, I told the sad story. He replaced the instrument fuse again, but this time it did not blow. A jump start got the car going again, and low & behold the alternator was charging. The auto electrician said that he had come across this problem before, where the instrument fuse apparently supplies the sensing voltage to the alternator regulator. As the short circuit that had caused the instrument fuse was obviously intermittent, we had a problem in finding what was causing it.
• With a pocket full of 10A fuses I set off for Brisbane in darkness. The auto electrician suggested I should carefully note what function I was using in the car just prior to the next time the fuse blew.  Within 45 minutes the fuse had blown again just as I pulled into a farmhouse where I had left the trailer I was pulling, when we came to a stop. I was reversing & using an indicator at the time. I replaced the fuse and we were again mobile. I tried everything over the next 400 km to try & get the instrument fuse to blow, to no avail.
• Has anyone come across this or a similar problem before?  What design has a fuse that could blow for anyone of several pieces of equipment going faulty. And in blowing, cuts out the life blood of the car, the alternator, and gives you no indication of the alternator not charging, because the same fuse powers the charge or alternator warning light. Shaken my confidence in Camry's a bit at present, until I get to the bottom of this." K Bennett, Greenbank, QLD

SUBJECT: FORD FAIRLANE, 2000 - premium sound stereo (cd stacker) - is there a reset button? (19/04/2006)

• "After purchasing my second hand Fairlane I was happy but as time went on I was shocked to see that Ford did not want to repair the rust in the car which was in between each panel. Also this week the premium sound system that sounded great when working now does not. The six cd stacker in dash will not eject or load cd's. It will not even play any that are in there. How can I fix this - is there a reset button?" A Dybo, Wollongong, NSW
  

SUBJECT: FORD BA FAIRMONT, 2002 - Vibration 90kmh and higher - anyone else had the same problem? (18/04/2006)

• "Recently bought a second hand 2002 BA Fairmont with 42000km. I noticed a vibration when you hit 90kmh and continues as you go faster the vibration reverberates through the car and it can be felt through the steering wheel and centre arm rest. I was told they would fix it. So far the car has been back to Ford 4 times. They have balanced the tail shaft three times and machined the rotors once. I still don't know why they did that and the car yard that I bought the car from has changed the tires but still the vibration persists. Has anyone else had the same problem with the BA range if so please leave a message" S Hafner, Rdbank Plains, QLD

SUBJECT: FORD BA FALCON WAGON, 2004 - Design Faults (18/04/2006)

• "Bought BA Falcon Wagon 2004 from new and discarded at 18 months and 46000km's:
  Noise from rear like tailgate open (same across all same vehicles driven). No footrest, clunks from steering, shocking fuel economy. Live rear axle causes pitching left right ride and kicks out sideways on corner bumps. Driver seat too high at low setting, I am 180cm tall. Sunvisor can't get high enough pushing forward so have to move back. Cuts head when leaving vehicle due to sharp mould edges. Passengers hit heads on pillars front and rear when exiting. Shocking blind spots due to pillars. Noisy exhaust and engine. Handbrake never worked properly - can't be fixed according to Ford dealer. Shocking brakes - don't trust them. Runs rough requiring a restart. Noisy rear end like a loose bundle of timber. Complete air dam fell off and went under car and could have killed a motorbike rider if behind. Bonnet latch shattered in hand after using it twice and replaced it twice in 18 months so gave up and tucked it behind the dash ...  4 year old VX Commodore wagon trade in was better than the new Ford! " P Rothwell, Kholo, QLD

SUBJECT: FORD BA 1 TONNE UTE, 2003 - 3rd diff in 3 months, 4th in total (17/04/2006) *DIFFERENTIAL*

• "I own a BA 1 tonne ute 2003 5.4 lt auto ute that has done 34000kms. At about 29000kms the diff was making a clunking noise when turning corners with a very noticeable whine all the time. I waited until the service and told Midway Ford about the noises. When I picked up the car I was told that there was no noise and if there was a noise that it was the aftermarket exhaust that I had fitted was rubbing on the tailshaft and that they would not look at the car again until I changed the exhaust.
• I took the the car to the exhaust shop where I had it fitted. They said there was nothing wrong with the exhaust. I was very angry at this time so I took it to another Ford dealer in Bentley which only took them 20 minutes to tell me the diff was faulty but it would be a 1-2 week wait for the the new diff to arrive.
• 5 weeks later I got the call to drop the car off to get it replaced. It only took 5 hours to change out. Over the next few weeks I noticed another whine from the diff. So I took it back again. At first they said it was nothing, but after a drive and some convincing they said that diff was faulty and would be replaced. I was told that this was a common problem with the BA's.
• 4 weeks passed and I got the call to drop the car off - they put a new diff in. I took the car away for easter up to Jurien Bay approx 240kms away and noticed another noise but a different one this time. Its the rear brakes scrubbing on the rotors. This is common with having bent axles - not bad for a new diff that has done only 400 odd kms since being fitted so it will be off to Ford again. I am selling this car because it is out of warranty next month and I'm not putting diffs in it every couple of months - Unhappy owner" B Martin, Perth, WA
  

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA CD, 1999 - nothing but trouble (16/04/2006)

• "What can I say - from the start there was nothing but trouble. We have repaired the air conditioning, a water hose leak in the inlet manifold and now the power steering is playing up. The ABS brakes are not working, the traction control doesn't work. The central locking constantly plays up. This is just the start on many problems we have found with the Astra. We bought a lemon and now we are buying something better. NO MORE HOLDENS EVER AGAIN!" L Fisher, Frankston, VIC
  

SUBJECT: TOYOTA KLUGER, 2005 - Wheel alignment (13/04/2006) *NEW CAR*

• "When I had a defect on one of my car tyres, service guy suggested that wheel alignment needs to be done as front tyre shows signs of feathering. At that stage the Kluger had only about 3000km on clock (was purchased new). When asked, Toyota Australia simply refused to do anything about it as it is not covered by warranty. It seems certain, however, the car never had a wheel proper alignment done prior to purchase as I never go off the normal sealed road. Anyone with similar experience?" G Stadnik, Sydney, NSW
  

SUBJECT: MITSUBISHI MAGNA, 1999 - never had a problem (13/04/2006) *GOOD NEWS*

• "Bought a MY99 Magna with 80,000km on the clock. It has 190,000km now. Never had a problem. Previous Magna - ditto." C Hatvani, Healesville, VIC
  

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CREWMAN S, 2004 - My first and my last to be bought (10/04/2006)

• "I saved hard all my working days to buy things for my family and me; hire purchase was never at times an option. So off I go to buy this great looking double cab ute and being a Ford man I compromised. The local Holden dealer took my $45000, extras included and down the road I went with me family overjoyed with our purchase.
• 1.5 years on I'm on my 3rd diff. The first went on 1500ks and 2nd 28000ks and the 3rd on 48000ks. The immobilizer wouldn't turn off one day and woke the whole bloody resort up at 6.00am. Ran out of gas because of a faulty trip computer and chewed out the back window seals when the windows went up.
  What a piece of **** I bought. You get no answers or advice from the local dealer. You're just told that "when the warrantee runs out you will have to pay" R Johnson, Camden, NSW
  

SUBJECT: NISSAN PATROL, 2000 - Never Again (10/04/2006)

• "I purchased my Patrol second hand with 40,000km (ex Local Government). All was well until 90,000km when the engine failed 2 hours into a trip to Fraser Island. This was replaced under warranty, but only just. The trip ended up costing an extra $3000 due to car rental and trips that had to be taken. The A/C evaporator had failed; $750. Since the new engine was fitted the car has been losing power whilst towing. The computer says faulty air-flow meter. This has been replaced, still the engine dies whilst towing.
• The latest problem is a severe vibration at idle (165,000km). I am not sure of the problem yet as it is getting towed to the mechanic this week, more $$$. Nissan sell these vehicles as a rough and tough 4X4 and yet every body you speak to has had a failure of some sort at low klm's. Nissan have documented all of the faults but refuse to look at anything under warranty, even if it was on a pro-rata basis. What makes me the most upset is the car I sold to buy this heap of junk had more than 300,000km with no major problems (touch wood). How are we supposed to take these vehicles on the trip of a life time when you know they will break down in the middle of nowhere. Look out Toyota here I come!" S Manson, Mittagong, NSW
  

SUBJECT: HOLDEN VY SII COMMODORE SS, 2002 - VY Series 2 - Suspected Tailshaft Vibration (09/04/2006)

• "Car had a vibration between 90 & 110 kph. Suspected tail shaft but Holden reckoned that it was tyres. It was a high frequency vibration. Finally took it to a mates place and put it up on the hoist & ran it at 100 kph in 6th gear. Well the car was shaking like hell and it wasn't looking good. Finally we noticed that Holden had connected the solid exhaust pipes to brackets bolting to the back of the transmission (no rubber mounting at all - straight bolting). The exhaust has no flexible connection (i.e solid from the headers) and seemed to be resonating/vibrating at certain RPM. The gearbox was vibrating within the 90-110 range so we disconnected the brackets and sure enough the vibration ceased. BAD DESIGN HOLDEN.
• The exhaust still resonates but I can live with that. It was a very bad before. Holden don't seem to have any idea about this it seems (or they don't want to know). As far as I am concerned the exhaust should have at least a braided s/s flexible connection to reduce the vibration and should've been properly mounted to the body with adequate rubber dampeners. I'm going to be taking it back to see what they will do about it cause it's bad design. How many other Commodore owners are complaining about vibrations like this. Plenty I bet. The rest of the car is good so I'll probably put a 2.5" high flow system.
• Holden doesn't really care about Australian customers once they have your money! The after sales service is below par" Brisbane, QLD
  

SUBJECT: FORD BA XR6, 2002 - BA Falcon brake faults and other stuff - If any one has a fix (08/04/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I purchased a BA  XR6 secondhand from the local Townsville Ford dealer in 2004. Car had approx 22k on clock. At 25k I returned the car to the dealer with the following faults:
  steering shudder under brakes,
  clunking noise in rear on change of direction and across ripples or small bumps,
  surging at approx 2000 rpm and a whine in engine bay
  Also handbrake fails to hold vehicle on slopes in reverse direction.
• The dealer fixed the above by skimming the discs which I believed should have been replaced. (long discussion with service manager with no satisfactory result). They replaced the power steering pump, and tightened some bolts in the rear suspension (why they would be loose is beyond me) and did something to the throttle body.  All fixed under warranty.
• Six months later the brakes are the same, the engine is the same but worse, the rear noise is the same. Dealer did the same fix under warranty.
• A further six months and the faults are back but the steering is becoming progressively stiffer. Dealer replaces steering box and pump, skims discs again and fits some u beauty pads which apparently will cure the fault, and handbrake has deteriorated again. Dealer also fails to correct engine miss and surging which has become worse again. This engine miss is a shuddering and rocking while in neutral at traffic lights etc and a flat spot intermittently while accelerating from standstill. The surge at 2000 rpm still exists.
• Car is now out of warranty and the faults are all still with the car. I believe I will now have to replace the front discs which is exactly the point I made to the service manager. I have owned a number of vehicles over the years and have no hesitation in saying that this car has had the most warranty repairs of any vehicle I have ever owned ( 2 x Nissans, 1 x Subaru, 1 x Suzuki, 1 x 1993 Falcon wagon). If any one has a fix for the surging and engine miss please let me know " P Harrington, Townsville, QLD
  

SUBJECT: FORD FUTURA SII STATION WAGON, 1996 - Good Unit with Bad Rep (06/04/2006)

• "We purchased our family wagon new in 96 and added all the goodie: tint, alloys, tow bar, cd, mats and protectors. In this time it has only travelled 138,000 kms and always serviced on time. We have had the usual EF electrical problems all mainly rectified while still under warranty. The only ongoing thing we have fixed is brakes. I suggest you go to a Brakes Plus store and get it done if out of warranty as they are very good work wise and customer wise. No matter what you do or spend you never get it back. Paid $38,000 new and now have advertised for $8000. If anyone is interested, contact through this article is appreciated. Great car - worry free motoring ..." D Williams, Thomastown, VIC 0424 623183

SUBJECT: FORD FUTURA, 2002 - FORDS - good ones and bad ones - take no prisoners! (05/04/2006)

• "After reading all the problems about BA Falcons and earlier EF / EL type Fords I would like to offer the following: They must have "Bad build days" i.e. Friday afternoons when all the factory wants to do is go home. My EF Fairmont V8 has been great, mind you my father lost a lot of money on it when he sold it to me in 2001 for $15,000. I have replaced shockers, all fluids (which some were black for example P/S, AUTO fluid and Brake fluid), and then the computer had a little hiccup whereby it would not idle up the engine under cold conditions or when A/C is on. It is a good car and I will keep it for another few years yet. As for my BA Futura wagon, I am not happy with it:
  1. Car gets fumes in from cars in front of me even though the A/C re-circulates as it should (in Darwin one must use re-circulate!)
  2. It only has 54K on clock and has a vibration in 2nd gear when you really ask it the question (full acceleration between 4000-6000 rpm); and 6 months after purchase it now has vibration in 2nd and 3rd.
• I consider myself lucky compared to some of the owners who have posted articles and I only have one thing to say to them: Don't put up with **** ... When the dealer tells you it is not their concern, if the car is under warranty then it is their concern. I can't believe what people put up with from dealerships. The car is either under warranty or it isn't. As for the person that took their BA to Ford only to be told the warranty was 3 days out of date is an absolute joke. Be firm, take no prisoners! " K Smith, Darwin, NT

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA AH, 2005 - Fantastic (04/04/2006) *GOOD NEWS*

• "I may have been 'special' to receive a fantastic car from Goldy Holden Midland thanks." K Mauceri, Perth, WA

SUBJECT: HSV VT SENATOR SIGNATURE, 1998 - Hume Special Vehicles (04/04/2006) *DEALERSHIP*

• "A word or two of warning when dealing with Hume Special Vehicles in Hume, Victoria. I would have thought after spending a little over 30K for any vehicle (March 2005), the proprietors could have may be put at least $5 worth of petrol in it so I wouldn't run out when almost reaching the city, some half an hour away only! Also, it was promised that a temporary permit would be organised by the time I reached the Car dealer but instead was told that it hadn't been done and the options at that time were to leave the car and wait till the morning to acquire this permit or take the risk and drive it to your overnight accommodation. Mm nice one!!
• When I got home I noticed that the cartridge to the 10 stacker CD was missing. I called the above place and apprised them of the issue with the CD stacker, where I was told that one would be sent. Rang 1, 2 and 3 months later. The third time that nice bloke, that I thought leading up to the eventual sale, wasn't that nice!
• Customer service = 3/10   Post sale support = 0.001/10 " C Peisley, Canberra, VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN BARINA, 2001 - paintwork deteriorating so badly (03/04/2006) *WARRANTY* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "We bought a new Barina from Holden. It is now only 4 years old and have found that the paint work has faded on the roof, bonnet and boot. The roof is so bad that white patches are showing through. We bought a Wynnes warranty with the car and have been told by them that the paint work is a manufacturer's problem not theirs. Fair enough but our car is now out of 3 year warranty even though it has has only 54000km on the odomoter. So any warranty on paintwork is also not allowed. They have taken the car to their spray shop and got a quote for re-spray which they have said they would pay half.
• We bought a new car thinking we would have very few problems but to find the paintwork deteriorating so badly is unreal. All they could offer for explanation was the damage was caused by excessive sun? Surely paintwork should last longer than 4 years. We would like Holden to pay for full amount but have been told that we must provide proof that it is a manufacturers problem. Unfortunately every panel beater I have spoken to agree with me but will not put it in writing because they're scared of going to court. Also we have had to replace the brake rotors at only 46000km.
• Wondering has anyone else had this type of problem?" L Turner, Perth, WA

SUBJECT: PEUGEOT 307CC, 2004 - How long does a service dept. keep a car? (02/04/2006)

• "On March 6, 2006, ULR Motors picked up the vehicle from my home to take it to their service centre(I left for abroad 5/6 and the car was barely driveable). On March 22nd, I returned from abroad, to find that the vehicle was not in my garage (as arranged). I called ULR, and they explained that a new computer will be arriving shortly and that after consultation with France, they believed that the problem would be solved. About 1 week later I called ULR for another reason, and they mentioned that the new computer failed to solve the problem, and that a 2nd computer (different to the first) would need to be installed.
• The computer was scheduled to arrive last Monday, and I have heard nothing from ULR since. While ULR have been particularly helpful, and have assisted me with a free rent a car, I would like to know the terms and conditions of the word "Warranty". How long does a repairer require to fix a car? I've been without my vehicle for about a month now, and there's been no mention of a replacement vehicle of the same type." T Tenenbaum, Melbourne, VIC
  

MARCH 2006