SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 2000 - Severe & Regular Problems with this Vehicle (31/05/2006) *ENGINE*

• "We purchased a Kia Carnival 2000 when it was approximately 12 months old. It had 11,000klms on the odometer. In April 2004, with 37,500klms driven, we had what we now know is the fairly standard overheating issue. It cost $3,600 to repair. We wrote to KIA Australia Customer Relations as this vehicle was less than 6 months out of warranty & our mechanic advised that he had heard that this was a known issue with the vehicle. After letters & phone calls we got nowhere with KIA & reluctantly accepted that further beating of our heads against a brick wall would only serve to promote insanity. We were not going to get any help or assistance from these people & indeed did not.
• It is now May 2006 & we have 56,500klms on the clock. We now seem to be experiencing the slow creep of head gasket failure on this vehicle, which I now find out is a common problem. The car all of a sudden would not start & we had it towed to mechanics. On board computer diagnostics showed no fault. Mechanics said engine had flooded & they could not work out why. They got it started & ran it for 45 minutes, at which time I picked it up & drove home, rather sluggishly on take off. Vehicle flooded again the next day & could not be started.
• Based on the current state of this vehicle, it is dangerous & I do fear fire, or being unable to maneuver out of an on road problem. Surely there are enough disgruntled Kia Carnival owners out there to make a difference?" D Moore, Watsonia North VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN VY ONE TONNER, 2003 - Appalling Service at Goldy Holden, Perth (31/05/2006) *DEALERSHIP* *CAR BUYING*

• "My partner recently purchased a 2003 Holden VY S Pack One Tonner from Goldy Holden in Midland, Perth. My partner contacted Goldy Holden one week prior to his decision to travel to Perth to buy the Ute. He was pressured throughout the week leading up to his anticipated arrival on Saturday 27th May to Goldy Holden dealers to purchase an extended warranty. After declining, they rapidly offered him the significantly cheaper 'fleet price' for the warranty. He still declined because they would not provide enough information on what the warranty covered, and also because of his understandable hesitance of Holden not following through on the warranty, blaming him for any faults that may occur, due to the 'Rev-Head' image that exists with a young male owning a V8. After giving them a definite 'no' the pressure persisted when he was at the yard with the vehicle.
• Before I continue I would like to mention that no bargaining on the price ($32, 990) was entered into, which the owner understood, as he was aware that V8 manual One Tonners are a rarity now, as no more are being produced. The Ute had no side-boards. Apparently Goldy purchased the Ute without them. It is my general understanding that you buy a Ute to carry things on the back, so it seemed strange that a dealer wouldn't ask for them with the Ute or put new ones on to sell it.
  It wasn't as if the Ute never came with sideboards when it was purchased by its first owner because it had wear marks on the hinges and had been fitted with a work-back frame (racks) as well. They would not include side boards in the price, and quoted $660 to have them provided by Holden.
• The Ute had bald front tyres. They were half a millimeter off the indicator, if that. My partner was told they had 'a good 5000 km's left in them' by the Goldy manager. This was a major yellow sticker risk, especially since it was a V8 and the new owner was a 22 yr old male. Is this why they thought they could get away with selling bald tyres? They would not replace tyres. Then, when asked, they would not change the front tyres to the back, to at least ensure good steering tyres to get him home to Geraldton, without a minimum charge of $75, even though the sale was worth $32, 990, and it would take 10 minutes. He then found a nail in the front tyre. When he directed their attention to this, the wheel was removed to repair the tyre, and they still did not want to swap the tyres, even though one was already off.
• Only one key was provided with the Ute (no spare). Again, why didn't Goldy ask for this when they purchased it, as it was no use to the previous owner after he had sold it. There was no key to lock the pull out tray. The dealers couldn't even answer questions as to why they didn't have this.
• The Ute was paid for and driven out of dealer's yard, where it came to my attention that it did not have a rear number plate. We returned to dealers, and were made to wait for almost an hour, before being hand-balled from salesman to salesman, even though my partner had only been there buying the ute half an hour before.
  After a long search, they came back to us and said they couldn't find it, and had no idea how they had lost it. It eventuated that they would have to organize a plate transfer, but that could not happen until Monday, due to licensing centers being closed on the day that this had happened, Saturday 27th May.
• The owner lives in rurally, (over 400 kms from Perth) and had flown down to Perth specifically to purchase that Ute. He was supposed to drive home that day to be back at work on Monday. He works for a small company where it is not easy to take time off work because he is one of only 4 and would be missed, as there was no one to take on his work load. He had to stay in Perth until Monday. To Goldy's credit, they provided him with a loan vehicle over the weekend, as he had no other means of transport. But, in doing this he missed a day of work, and had to spend an extra 2 nights worth on accommodation.
• After all this inconvenience to him they still would not put new tyres on the ute or provide a spare key, as an apology for the time and money lost by the owner, for the dealers incompetence.
• On Monday when we went back to pick it up, I still had to ask them to correct faults with the interior that had been overlooked. These were only small things but they should have been dealt with when the car was detailed, which I might add, only covered vacuuming the floor. The screw cover caps on the door handles were missing and powdery white stains on the seat had not been removed, which I had been told would happen after I talked to them on Tuesday 23rd May.
• Also, just so you know, the service team was so bad that of the two new number plates that they attached to the vehicle on Monday morning, the rear one fell off on the trip home on Monday afternoon. My partner did not bother to call the dealers about this as he felt that they would disregard him any way, given their service thus far. Until he organizes new ones he cannot drive his Ute again.
• The inconsiderate and flippant service we received was the most glaringly obvious fault of Goldy Holden. Their constant hand balling for all the things that went wrong was another problem. In the whole time we dealt with multiple salesmen, servicemen and managers. Because they realized that he definitely wanted a V8 One Tonner and theirs was almost the only one in stock in Perth, and that he had already gotten finance for it, it seemed that they disregarded him as a customer worthy of any of their effort. The service worsened after he had paid for the Ute, maybe because they knew they already had his money.
• They either do not realize or care that their reputation as a dealership has been damaged beyond any repair. We will be making sure that anyone we know that is thinking about purchasing a car knows about our experience with Goldy Holden." H Smythe, Perth, WA
  

SUBJECT: DEALER - PENNYWISE WHOLESALE CARS (30/05/2006) *RESPONSE FROM DEALERSHIP*

• "As the Dealer Principle of Pennywise Wholesale Cars I am referring to Paul Nielson's comments regarding the purchase of his 1998 Holden ute. Firstly the reason he purchased the vehicle from us was the fact that it was without doubt the best value he could find. During his 3 month 5000km warranty period, Paul has never had any reason to complain about his car. This is because we are very pedantic about the vehicles purchased and sold by Pennywise Wholesale Cars. On the matter of transferring his vehicle, because we sell so many vehicles as a quality dealer the QLD Government allow us 14 days to transfer our sold cars, which we always abide by. Unfortunately when we take the transfers up to Qld Transport it sometimes takes them up to 10-14 days to process the paperwork, not to mention the exact timing of this particular transfer - Guess When Ladies & Gents? Christmas time - the busiest time of the year. At this time to add insult to injury 1/2 of there staff go on christmas vacation.
• It is really such a shame that Paul would list a letter like this because we don't like any of our customers to be unhappy about anything at all. I guess on the positive side at least Paul has had nothing to complain about when it comes to the car, which we are extremely pleased about as our untarnished record is kept intact. We at Pennywise Wholesale Cars would like to thank you for reading our response and hope you and yours all have a wonderful week. For any further comment or if you are looking for a vehicle please call 32751440." D Clark, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER, 1999 - Cooling system (29/05/2006) *ENGINE* *COOLlNG SYSTEM*

• "I have had the Freelander for a few years and has been a brilliant car. I have always had Landies and although criticised the Vehicles are great. I have used the Freelander for work and has never let me down. Although having to replace fuel pump and a modification which LR knew about at time of release, but never admitted the fault. Well its done 126,000 klms and she has stuffed. I was told head gasket, then told could be creaked, now being told possible cracks in bores.
  If Land Rover knew, surely the would have for good PR resolved the problems and taken the plastic components out of this engine before it cost people so much money and pain and would have applauded LRA for being honest.
• Not Happy for a 3 Land Rover Family" D Kemp, Kingaroy QLD

SUBJECT: KIA RIO, 2003 - Radio - now up to my fourth radio (29/05/2006)

• "Since having my Kia I am now up to my fourth radio. Two were the pull out variety that just stopped going, the third one is a hard face one and I have only had it replaced since 10/5/06. It took 3 weeks to come in and only worked properly for the first day and them stops and starts all the time. Now it just locks on and even when you turn the car off and remove keys the radio still goes for at least 10 min with a static sound before just dying. I am waiting for Kia Bayside Service Manager to call me back but am not going to hold my breath. In all my 25 yrs of owning cars I have never had to replace a radio through fault. This was also my first new car. Never again." E Taie, Capalaba QLD

SUBJECT: MITSUBISHI TS MAGNA SE, 1995 - Dealer Complaint, Tru-blue Motors (29/05/2006) *DEALERSHIP* *CONSUMER ADVICE*

• "I bought this car half year ago with AUS $6,200 which is much higher than the market value. With the high price, I haven't gotten the good quality car. I haven't serviced that car when I bought it, because I trusted that car with roadworthy certificate. Recently I serviced my car having only driven 2000km within half a year, the mechanic found the following problems and gave me a replacement quote:
  Rear Shock Absorbers $286.00
  Brake Fluid Flush $55.00
  Alternator Belt $55.00
  Idle Valve Heater Hose $33.00
• Besides these problems, the power window doesn't work any more. I am so upset with this car and its car dealer, Tru-blue Motors. They say they are not responsible for these problems, not at all. But does anyone believe a good car could have so many problems within half a year and only be driven by myself for 2000km? In addition, I'd like to point out that the one of the back absorbers is leaking oil which affects safety. Hence, I have to complain here and let innocent people know that used car dealer is not reliable. Please service your car when purchasing it as soon as possible." X Guo, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: HOLDEN VT SS COMMODORE, 1998 - diff shutter? or brakes (29/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Has any one had this drama, from a dead stop, when I first start to accelerate I'm getting a small shutter. I'm thinking sticky brake calipers on the rear but just looking for any additional info anyone may have" C Ludkin, QLD

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 1999 - Shame KIA Shame - the most painful experience (28/05/2006) *ENGINE*

• "Where do I start? Many of you reading this are well aware of the terrible design fault in the KIA Carnival KV6 engine. Many will have also experienced the tragedy of the supposedly fixed engine failing again. The second time of course KIA Australia do not want to know anything about the poor consumers that are affected by their poorly designed engine, and doubly their poorly fixed engines. There are enough posts outlining the problem of the cylinder liners moving, which compromise the seal in the engine. Which leads to either catastrophic oil loss or coolant loss which leads to:
• 1. oil going into the coolant and overflowing everywhere (possible fire risk)
• 2. motor vehicle suddenly overheating (possible fire risk)
• If your experience is different, just think for a moment if your vehicle had potential to catch fire. If so then the department of transport needs to be told of this potential risk on the roads at the moment. There are thousands of KIA Carnivals out there (at least the ones that are still running, of course ours is completely dead and we have no money to fix it) and this risk needs to be fixed. I for one will be passing on my complaint not only to the ACCC (national consumer body) for the poor treatment of our circumstances as a consumer, but also DOTARS for the potential fire risk of this engine. This situation is untenable, and KIA Australia needs to be made aware of it.
• For us, it has been the most painful experience. I am on a disability pension, my wife is busy looking after myself and our four children. We have had to re mortgage our house to get another car that will not have these problems. And our KIA sits dead in a dealership. KIA not wanting to know anything about our problem. Fair Trading being given the same run around as I was ... Shame.. KIA.. Shame
• Feel free to contact me if you want any assistance in lodging your complaint." A Biermann, Cleveland QLD

SUBJECT: NISSAN PULSAR, 1990 - Cheap car worth it (28/05/2006) *CONSUMER ADVICE*

• "I bought a Holden VU II S Pack ute new from dealership in Sydney at the end of 2001. We were having a baby early 2004, so I sold it and lost $8,000 from new, not too bad. Bought a second hand VX commodore same model for the baby, and got fed up with the repayments. I sold that car privately, and to my amazement with having the car for just over a year, sold it (just) and lost $13,000 from the buy price and sell price - in a year!
• The thing is, I couldn't care less that I lost directly $20,000 in the time I had a modern vehicle (less than 4 years), because NOW I bought a 1990 Nissan Pulsar for $1150. Got new tyres, a/c, and 12mth rego, and repaired the brakes, totally spent $5000 on it, and is like new except for the faded paint, and with bomb insurance instead of the $1000/annum insurance bill previously. I've had the car for 15 months now, and it hasn't cost me 1 more cent, as well as way way cheaper in fuel these days. Its probably saved me more money than the commodore sedan I haven't missed for 1 day! Still miss the VUII S ute manual I had though, but not worth it these days with the fuel costs!
• So don't buy a new car these days unless you expect to lose $25000 directly within a few years. Buy a small cheap car-cheap as, fix it as soon as you get it, like the brakes and main things, so you know what you've got. You'll be absolutely surprised like I have been lately just how good this old girl really is, and how cheap it really is to run a car." D Moygannon, Wollongong NSW

SUBJECT: NISSAN PATROL 3L TURBO DIESEL, 2000 - Major engine problems (27/05/2006) *ENGINE*

• "We first purchased this vehicle in 2002 second hand, and since that date the vehicle has continued to be maintained and serviced regularly. Our recent experience relating to the vehicle has caused us great concern for the reasons I will outline.
• Whilst on a family vacation in Kalbarri Western Australia, we experienced a problem with the engine in our vehicle. Driving up there the vehicle ran smoothly and showed no sign of engine trouble. However a day after our arrival I attempted to start the vehicle but experienced a hydraulic lock in the engine that would not allow the engine to turn over. Realising that this was a serious problem I made some inquiries with a local mechanic (who did not in any way conduct any mechanical work on the vehicle) who stated that he felt it could be failed cylinder head or serious engine failure.
• I was unable to drive the vehicle back to Perth and was forced to make arrangements to have the vehicle conveyed back to our home address in Perth. Prior to taking the vehicle to a Nissan dealer I made some inquiries and was advised that this particular make and model of vehicle (3.0TD 2000 model) had been known to experience problems, in particular major engine malfunctions.
• I took the vehicle to a Nissan dealer for diagnosis and repair as I felt they would be best equipped to provide me with an accurate diagnosis. The vehicle was taken directly to my local Nissan Dealer.
• I was later advised that the diagnostic tests conducted on our vehicle indicated that the cylinder head had failed resulting in water entering the number 4 cylinder. I was quoted an estimate of around $4000 to repair the problem and that the whole engine would have to be taken out of the vehicle.
• After approximately a week later after Nissan commenced I was advised the engine required an entire rebuild due to the metal found throughout it. They could not give me any concise answer as to what may have caused such a major failure. I was then given a quote of approximately $6500 to repair the engine.
• When I finally went to collect my vehicle after a month, I was told the engine now was showing a code error for the Mass air-flow sensor; it would be about $200 more. I questioned this as it had not been mentioned when they conducted the original diagnostic tests. They did not really have an answer to my question stating that it could have been caused by an after market air filter on the vehicle. Again reluctantly I agreed to the part being fitted, purely because I just needed my car back and I was tired of the fact every time I spoke to Nissan there was another problem with the vehicle.
• Because of my concern with all of the faults that have been identified with the vehicle I have made further inquiries and have conducted substantial research on the internet regarding similar reported problems with this particular model of Nissan Patrol. To say the least I am extremely concerned with reports that I located that have identified other people having vehicles that have also suffered major engine failures when the vehicle also had very low mileage." P Madaffari, Midland WA

SUBJECT: HYUNDAI ACCENT, 2005 - Beware Internet photo sale (25/05/2006) *CONSUMER WARNING* *DEALERSHIP*

• "Just bought Nov 05 Hyundai Accent from Hunter Holden/Hyundai at St Leonards from the internet. The car in the ad showed a metallic mid blue Accent with a large "2005 Factory Clearance" sign in the windscreen. The ad did not say display picture or any such thing. I enquired about the car through Drive.com to get the dealers details purely as it was a 05 model being sold in 06 and for the colour. I was given a good deal over the phone as long as I paid a deposit immediately via Visa card. I live in Newcastle and the car was in Sydney, but I thought what could go wrong, it was from a dealer, it was new, it had good warranty, so I went ahead.
• When I went to take delivery of the car it turned out to be a very light blue which looked nothing like the car in the ad. Now I know a lot of dealers put pictures in from catalogues and display pictures but the fact that this car was a much deeper blue with a 05 factory clearance sale sign in the window with no rego plates on it could only make one think that this was actually the car they were advertising. The ad did say sky blue but hey, the sky can be many blue colours.
• When I told the Manager this was a different colour car to the one they had advertised (He had the cheque by this time) he just said take the plates off and see you later (Didn't even want to know what I was upset about). He said it in a very nasty way. I was later told by the salesman (who spoke to the Manager) that we would have to incur costs and the rego if we wanted a refund. Of course I couldn't afford to leave without a car. Paying them money for what I think is mostly their mistake for misleading people in their very deceiving ad. I finally found the colour of the car in the ad and it was off a 2000 model, so how could they put this sign in its windscreen and say 2005 factory clearance. The word factory clearly indicates a new car.
• Well I am 50 Years old and still learning that your still never too old to be fooled. I guess I was also upset by the way the Manager spoke to us and wasn't in the least interested. The salesman said he never saw the ad and didn't know who placed it! Go figure!" S Ross, Elermore Vale NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA CITY, 2001 - Dealership surprised us with help (25/05/2006) *GOOD NEWS* *DEALERSHIP*

• "In early May, we posted a complaint on this website entitled "Nobody wants to buy a lemon". Since writing that, the Dealership we bought the car from contacted us and offered to pay for nearly half the recent large cost. This was unexpected and much appreciated though it wasn't really their responsibility. It was our feeling that Holden itself should take some responsibility. But a big thank you to Muirs Motors Five Dock for the help they offered and for the time to investigate our complaint without trying to fob us off. " J Ross, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA CD HATCHBACK, 2004 - Need information to help me (23/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I purchased a brand new Holden Astra at the end of November 2004. Since then we have had numerous problems with the battery / air conditioning / roters. The car is in immaculate condition - kept garaged every night, service regularly. However after our 45 000klms service we have discovered we now need new front pads and roters. After a number of calls to our service center Holdens Eager's Newstead QLD and Holden directly we are being told its our problem and Holden have nothing to do with the problem. Holden told us directly that when the cars are imported from Europe they are brought in with the cars not being modified to our road conditions and the compound on the cars is a softer compound then Australian made cars and prone to wear earlier then other cars ...
• I want to know if anyone else has had a problem with the roters going well before they should have. Please me, as I am now considering taking Legal Action against Holden for selling me a lemon of a car!" T Buckley, St Lucia QLD
  

SUBJECT: FORD EL FALCON, 1997 - Engine running very rough (22/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I purchased this Ford Falcon EL 1997. Had motacheck do a pre purchase inspection on it, and they missed the fact that the Head gasket / cylinder head was broken on it. Being under warranty from the dealer I took it back to have this problem solved. One week later I got the car back job allegedly done by a "reputable" company. It had an unmercifully bad misfire at idle and this was the same through all its rev range. I took the car straight to have the R.A.A do a complete inspection on it. On this test they carried out the LIFT test and this showed up a head gasket/cylinder head malfunction. I paid for this test and brought the car home. As I was going to drive the car out my driveway it conked out and would not restart. I phoned the dealer and he wanted to charge me for having it to be towed away up to his yard. This I refused, and it was towed away an hour later. They sent it again to the "reputable" engineering company, and once again it came back a week later having had all necessary works carried out. Again it had that unmerciful misfire in the engine through all the rev ranges. Their answer then and all the time was and is the same, "this is the way all Ford Falcon's run". Back to the R.A.A., more money paid out. They didn't notice the misfire and I had stringently asked them to check this. After one week I couldn't stand the misfire and other stuff. I phoned the "reputable" engineering company directly, which I had been asked and they even wrote a note to the affect that I wasn't to approach this company and that I was only to deal through the dealer. I took it up there and left it with them. 5 days later I got the car back new head gasket and head skim, and it still has the misfire. The mechanic told me this is the way these Fords run. I have had the car for 9 days since its last head job. It still has the misfire, and I'm supposed to keep giving it back to have works done every so often. I'm running out of usable cylinder head. Please can anyone advise me on what to do to fix my Ford misfire, thanks." K Cunningham, Glengowrie, SA

SUBJECT: HSV CLUBSPORT R8, 2005 - New HSV with poor attention to detail and VERY poor service (21/05/2006) *NEW CAR SERVICE* *DEALERSHIP*

• "I purchased a New HSV Clubsport R8 from Suttons Holden at Ruchcutters Bay in February 2006. The following is the true story of my dealings with Holden since that day.
• 1. On my sales contract I have a statement that states that I have 3 years free service which was a condition of my purchasing the vehicle. When I went to pick up the vehicle, I was advised that the free service only applied to 40,000 km or 3 years whichever comes first. I objected strongly as in order to take delivery of the car (after all the money transfers had occurred) was that I sign a waiver under duress agreeing to a negotiated 3 yrs or 70,000 km. My solicitor recommended that I tell the dealership where to stick it - but I wanted the car - This was my first big mistake.
• 2. When inspecting my new car at the dealership, I noticed that the shroud over my engine fans was badly scratched. I was told by the sales rep that the shroud was just dirty/dusty. When I called him back the next day demanding that the shroud be replaced, the sales rep advised me that all would be fixed. I also noted that there were many other problems with the car which included a bubble in the paint on the boot, a dent on the front passenger door, a dent on the bonnet, scratches on the front spoiler, dull paintwork under the bonnet, white overspray beneath the bonnet hinges.
• 3. I wrote a letter identifying all the problems we had found and ed the letter to the sales rep and received no reply. I faxed the same letter to the same rep and again no reply. I faxed the letter to the Sales Manager and again no reply. I called the sales rep and spoke to another sales rep and nobody called me back. I called the Sales Manager who told me that the sales rep had left - and that he would look into the matter - and nobody called me back. I called the Sales Manager again and went to see him about the letter and he advised me that his office had not yet given the letter to him and that he would look into the matter at my next service. He requested I refer the matter to the Service Manager at their Service Department.
• 4. A good friend of mine - who builds cars for Summer Nat's and is a Holden/Chevy fanatic indicated that as I was complaining of the car's wheel alignment that I should take the car to Pedders and have them do a thorough check of the vehicle.
• 5. Pedders undertook a thorough check and reported that the wheel alignment was way out. That the front Passenger tyre was not running true and should be replaced. That the rear passenger wheel was way out of balance and should be replaced. That the rear passenger shock absorber was only just within acceptable tolerances and that this was not satisfactory for a brand new car and that the shock absorber should be replaced. Pedders balanced and aligned the wheels front and rear and provided their written report.
• 6. Holden recalled the vehicle for a passenger airbag problem and as I was nearing 1500 km driven, I scheduled the vehicle for service and repairs. Armed with my letters of complaint and my Pedders report, I faced the dealership service manager who advised that the shock absorber test was ****, that the wheel alignment that was carried out by Pedders was in fact carried out incorrectly and that rectification of the minor bumps and scratches on the vehicle would be left to the discretion the Sales Manager.
• 7. Holden agreed to touch up the dents and paint job and that they would require the car for 3 days to carry out the repair. Unfortunately the repair took 6 days to carry out, during which time I was left without a courtesy car.
• 8. I inspected my car yesterday 19 May 2006 and the paint job looked good (in poor light) so I arranged to pick up the car today from the sales yard that I purchased my car from. On attending I noticed that there were scratches again (that were not there yesterday) under my front spoiler again. Deep gouges not just scratches. Also I noticed that the car had been scratched on the front bumper. I complained and the sales rep noted the scratches and agreed to have them fixed by my preferred repairer.
• 9. We got home and washed the car and noted that I have now also got deep scratches on the front driver's guard - most likely from a spanner or wrench. The engine bay has overspray on the putty around the firewall - looking like my car has been in a crash. Someone has applied a fluid to the cool air intake. Now my cool air intake has what looks like paint run lines in the rubber air intake. The engine cover has had an uneven application of armourall or equivalent. The passenger side front door rubber is bent out of shape and the clip that holds the rubber in place on the door has been broken and squashed. There is a paint run on the boot. There are two dents on the boot either side of the number plate.
• I must say that I am fed up with this and thank god that I only spent $70,000 for this prestige holden special vehicle. I must add, I would strongly suggest that if you are considering buying any Holden - reconsider your options as this is not service, this is a joke. I can only hope that this costs HSV some sales. I have all the reports and photos to substantiate my claims. Now my car is three months old and has 4,317km on the clock. NOT A HAPPY DRIVER" G Vassallo, Ambarvale NSW, Ph: 0403 458 038
  

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CREWMAN VY-II & VZ, 2005 - Diff problems VY-II V6 and VZ SS V8 (20/05/2006) *DIFFERENTIAL*

• "Bought a VY-II V6 Crewman "S" in 2004 and was very happy with it aside from the differential howling which ended up being not just a crowl wheel howl, but pinion bearing noise as well. Well I had that diff replaced after long arguments with GM Customer Service (a misnomer if ever I heard one) where the person at the other end had almost nil mechanical knowledge and kept trying to fob me off with "some differential noise is acceptable". Eventually by 25,00km it was LOUD and they replaced it at 23,000km.
• Well I thought (since I had always really wanted the V8 version) I would trade it on the VZ "SS" Crewman. Thinking (incorrectly) that it would have a different diff. It doesn't. Anyway I traded it and for $15,000 drove away in a VZ "SS" Crewman with leather. Very happy with it too, until the diff started making the same noise and I started noticing complaints in various forums (Ok "fora" if your thing is Latin) that one-tonners and Crewmans (V6 and V8) all had frequent diff problems (noisy rather than breaking down).
• After more argument (and the subjective analysis of a GM Dealer Manager on his visit to the local dealership) about resonance and road noise and whether the Carryboy Canopy made it worse. If anything it and the heavy rubber cargo mat masked it. They tried new rubber bushes (which squeaked like crazy) and all the time I was pointing out that the noise was airborne - not referred resonance. Eventually they agreed and the diff, instead of going back to DANA had to be sent to Melbourne for repair. It took forever and you guessed it, it was still noisy though not as bad when it returned. It was however very noisy again after only 3,500km. The Dealership has just told me that every diff they sent to the place in Melbourne failed again in very short time.
• So after this next replacement, that will be two Holden Crewmans and five diffs in just over two years. GM has apparently given DANA the flick and they don't supply GM any more so there's little incentive for DANA to try an please me. This time the Dealership is hand building a new LSD in house and swear that I will be happy with their work. Hope so.
• In view of GM's appalling attitude (trying to tell me I was the only one with a problem until I mentioned my VY-II had the same problem) and their complete lack of interest (other than in trying to keep a lid on the problem in the marketplace) - I'm going back to Ford. I've had more Fords than hot dinners and while any make can have a problem here and there, I have (touch wood) never had a bad Ford. I have had around 30 new vehicles in my life thus far (one of which was a lemon Commodore back in 1991 which kept me away from GM till 2004).
• The Holden Dealer will rebuild the diff while I am away overseas for a couple of weeks and tomorrow (before I leave) I should have completed a deal on a Ford Territory. I just wish 'Current Affair' would research the level of this problem and the number of disenchanted people out there and embarrass GM into being more responsible." W FitzSimons, Daylesford VIC

SUBJECT: NISSAN PATROL GU 3.0L DIESEL, 2000 - Engine control light (20/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "In August 2005 I bought a 2000 Nissan Patrol from John Hughes after Vaughan 4X4 Sales found in just 10 days rightcolour / auto / diesel I was looking for untouched by dealership (i.e detailed); credit to owner as traded (sourced from wholesaler ex EAST? maybe - new W.A.rego). Next day, engine light comes on going up Red Hill. Dealer replaces filters; can't find fault but problem persist any ideas? plz help." C Hinchliffe, Gidgegannup WA

SUBJECT: CITROEN C5 HDI, 2003 - Try harder on Warranty issues (18/05/2006) *WARRANTY* *CONSUMER ADVICE*

• "It seems to me that the Citroen dealers are under pressure to reject as many warranty claims as possible. We have found that follow up by is effective in getting a serious attention to warranty claims.
• From memory these are the issues that eventually they will look at:
  * Squealing brakes - provided you documented your complaint before 20,000 km; well we got new brakes at 45,000 km.
  * Windscreen washers - the bottle gunks up and they have to take off the bumper to get at it ... because they can't present the parts back to the factory they don't   want to do it free.
  * Leather upholstery - some of the seat material is not going to last the distance ... they are looking at it.
    Our door handle leather was peeling, replaced without argument." R Gasking, Olinda VIC

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 2000 - Engine seized twice - This is a nightmare! (17/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I am not happy with the Kia Carnival I bought new in March 2000. The maintenance and repairs have been excessively costly. Ongoing problems with leaking steering fluid. But the worst is that the engine overheated and seized at about 100,000kms. At least this was replaced under the warranty even though it was slightly out. However the replacement engine seized last week at about 90,000kms and I was advised that the warranty on it was only 12 months/20,000kms. Could the replacement engine have had the same problem as the original? If so, why won't they cover it? Should I push for it or is it a waste of time? Has anyone had two engines go? If I fix it can I just expect the next one to go the same way? This is a nightmare!" M Henley, Mt Evelyn VIC

SUBJECT: VOLVO XC70 LIFESTYLES, 2005 - computer is not working properly (17/05/2006) *COMPUTER*

• "Shortly after purchase I noticed that the computer is not working properly. When there was problem with the ignition key, I told them the problems with the computer: showing wrong fuel usage and wrong average speed traveled. After fixing the ignition I was told the computer was also fixed, but it was not. At first service I was told the computer is OK & parts to fix the horn had been ordered. Its over 2 months since and the horn is still not fixed (apparently they are waiting for parts) and the computer is totally stuffed. First, Newstead dealer was doing the repairs, now Buranda has serviced & supposedly fixed the remaining problems." V Sternalski, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: FORD FAIRLANE GHIA, 1995 - Air con puts itself into test mode (17/05/2006) *AIR COND* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Can anyone help to fix this problem. The car is a 1995 Fairlane Ghia V8. I just had the heater fixed and the air conditioner is putting itself through the test mode. When its out of test mode it wont let me turn it off. Please help me if you can, thank you" N Vader Pet, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER SE, 2001 - Can any one help me - vibration/knocking/tapping sound (14/05/2006) *MECHANIC WANTED*

• "I have a Landrover Freelander SE 2001 automatic that has done 60,000 kms. I have had the car for 5 months and was driving well until last week and now there is a vibration when you drive it. The vibration gets worse when you get to 80-100kms. Also with the vibration comes a knocking/tapping sound that comes and goes. I have taken it to two mechanics that do not know what the problem is. I will not take it to Landrover because they are very expensive and a total rip off. Is there anyone out there or they know of someone that knows a lot about Freelanders that could have a look at my car and fix it. I live in the West Melbourne and work in Fitzroy Nth Melbourne. I am a woman that knows nothing about cars and just need someone very honest to help me" M Eudey, Werribee South VIC

SUBJECT: HONDA ACCORD EURO, 2003 - Engine noise (11/05/2006) *ENGINE*

• "My Accord Euro gives very loud TICKING TICKING TICKING noise when on high rev. I hear it every time when overtaking. But if I rev the car up slowly, I won't hear it!" J Warden, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: FORD XR6 TURBO, 2003 - Demister no longer works - Advice needed please (11/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Over the last week I can no longer change the heater to demister. It always comes out on the face. This car has had numerous problems with brakes and exhaust and now this. Can anyone help me with this problem. I live near Geelong and don't really want the local Ford dealer touching this car again. This car is now out of warranty but has only done 59,000 km's" K Bennell, Ocean Grove VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN VECTRA, 2005 - Penfold Holden Burnley: the clock is ticking for this dealer (10/05/2006) *DEALERSHIP* *SERVICE*

• "A great car aside from some build quality issues, so badly let down by the complete and utter incompetence of Penfold Holden in Burnley who STILL have no idea what's causing one fog light to never work ...
• Visit #1: 1,500km inspection. Complain of rattle coming from the b-pillar on the driver's side (from the seatbelt). Advised the height adjustment for the seatbelt had become loose and had to be replaced. Parts are ordered and car is re-booked.
• Visit #2: New parts are fitted. Drive car for about 50kms only to find that the rattle is back.
• Visit #3: 15,000km service was completed. I complained of seatbelt rattle and condensation in passenger side fog light. Told fog light must be replaced. Despite having diagnosed the problem before, they now cannot find the rattle.
• Visit #4: Passenger fog light replaced, however fault continues to be displayed on information screen after turning fog lights on. Complained of seatbelt rattle again - could not be found again.
• Visit #5: Car back to dealership. Dealer couldn't find the seatbelt rattle despite being quite obvious and having escalated since last time. Fog light was fixed by replacing the globe! By the time the car had been driven from Richmond to Port Melbourne the warning message had returned saying it's faulty. Wheel alignment completed - is now worse than before. Puncture in spare tyre requested, but was not completed.
• Visit #6: Back to dealer for seatbelt rattle and passenger side fog light. Picked car up and drove to Brighton for lunch. On driving out of the dealership the seatbelt rattle was immediately obvious - has not been repaired and is in fact worse again!! Ran fog lights for the 20 minute drive to Brighton to test operation. Left car for 2 hours for lunch. Upon returning to the vehicle the message in the display tells me passenger fog light is once again faulty. Drove car straight back to the dealership. Upon exiting the vehicle I noticed that the faulty fog light has heavy condensation on the glass. The driver's side fog light now also had condensation on it - a problem not experienced before. Noted this to the service assistant who told me it was because the car had been washed after the work has been completed. I had washed the car two days prior, and the finger prints from the mechanics who had been working on the car are still all over the bumper. Car had definitely not been washed by dealership. Was questioned as to whether car had been in an accident - confirmed car had definitely not been in any accidents. Service assistant noted that the fog light may not be replaced under warranty as 'I' may have damaged it. At this stage the fog light has been in the car for around three hours, with no sign of a front end accident having occurred anywhere else on the car during that time.
• Stood talking to service assistant who informed me the entire seatbelt operation had been replaced. Went for a drive with the vehicle test driver (for the first time since reporting the problem) to isolate the rattle. Vehicle test driver found the rattle very quickly (within around 15 metres of driving) and informed me the entire seat belt need replacement. I advised him that I had been told it had already been replaced, to which he replied they only replaced the exterior cover. New parts are ordered and and car is re-booked for the following week. There is still no suggestion given as to what the problem with the fog light might be.
• Visit #7: Seat belt is FINALLY fixed. Most rattles gone, although some still evident when car is turning around 90 degree turns to the left. Back to dealer for replacement of BOTH fog lights this time. Drainage of headlights is checked to ensure moisture is not draining onto fog lights - all ok. No call to advise car was ready. Rang at 4pm to be advised that the seat belt was fixed, but they had ordered CDX fog lights by mistake. They still had no idea what was wrong with the fog lights but felt replacing them may find the solution. Picked car up and re-booked for Friday. Arranged to have car dropped back into city on Friday when work was completed.
• Visit #8: Received no phone call from dealer during the day. Rang at 13:00 and got no return call. Rang again at 14:00 to find out what was going on. No return call. Service assistant rang to advise both fog lights had been replaced, and the car was ready at 14:45. Advised him of where to go - corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street at 15:00. Was waiting until 15:45 in the rain as he was on the wrong corner. Fog lights worked when I first got in the car. One hour later the driver's side fog light warning appeared on the information display when I turned them off. Passenger side now working fine.
• Thus after 8 visits to Penfold Holden in Burnley, they still have absolutely no idea of what the problem might be. Despite the fact that my brother works for Holden HQ and deals with this dealership, their service was at best atrocious. If they are trying to keep me from moving to a European brand they are doing a pretty poor job. I had a Statesman before this and the service was only ever fine." A Lasry, Port Melbourne VIC,

SUBJECT: DAEWOO NUBIRA, 2000 - checking oil for auto transmission (09/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I have looked for the auto transmission dip stick (which there is none) to check the oil level. A yellow coding is used to identify other items around the engine i.e. engine oil dip stick, break fluid, power steer fluid etc, but yet I can not locate this item (transmission dip stick). I did locate where the transmission fluid is to be topped up from (red cap located on the top of the transmission box).
• The other problem I have is what do I use to measure the transmission oil level in the transmission box? Can anyone help?" J Jones, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: FORD BA UTE, 2004 - Chassis flex - need to wear a bra to stop your chest from bouncing (07/05/2006) *CHASSIS* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I am a tradesman that carries seven meter length of aluminium pipe aprox 40KGs total on my secondhand BA ute. The tray is the biggest one you can get, with roof racks fitted. The problem is that the cab and the tray flex when you pull down on the pipe at the front of the car. With light downward pressure on the pipes at the front of the car, I can make the passenger feel the flex and bouncing of the car when stationery. At 100KPH on an undulating road you need to wear a bra to stop your chest from bouncing. The dealer tells me that they do not have a full chassis and the flex is because of the pipes that I carry. I doubt it. Anyone had this problem me please. My 1975 HJ ute carrying the same items does not have any problems like this. What kind of one tone ute does not have a full chassis in it." C Jarred, Rockhampton QLD

SUBJECT: TOYOTA LANDCRUISER, 1992 - Engine Failure problems - 1HDT engine (91-95) be warned (07/05/2006) *CONSUMER ADVICE* *ENGINE*

• "I bought a second hand 1992 Toyota turbo diesel at 94,000k in excellent condition. At 183,000k the engine blew big time with no warning. I am fastidious with oil changes every 5000k and treat my cars like babies. I took the car to Bridge Autos Toyota Darwin and asked them to look at what was wrong. In the mean time I looked up the internet and found out this model motor had a bearing problem causing sudden engine failures but Toyota would not accept any formal blame. When I contacted Toyota customer care they said they stopped warranties on this problem in 2002 - what a joke. If there is a warranty issue it should not have a time limit. I ended up paying in excess of $16,000 to have a new engine fitted. Anyone with a 1HDT Toyota engine between 1991 and 1995 please be warned. You have to have the bearings in the engine replaced every 100,000k or you will have a problem. " G Dakar, Darwin NT

SUBJECT: HOLDEN BERLINA, 2002 - Response to petrol gauge problem - see posting (05/05/2006) *FUEL GAUGE*

• "I have the same problem with the petrol gauge on my 2002 Holden Lumina. I spoke to the service dept and asked if there were any known problems - answer NO. I rang Holden and asked if there were any recalls or problems with gauges - gave them engine no. etc. again the answer was NO. But when I moved recently I came across a letter from Holden that I had previously misplaced, where they advised (in July 2002) that there were known problems and were going to replace this part. me and I can send you a copy of the letter." C Pedemont, Picton NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA CITY, 2001 - no one likes to buy a lemon - Holden will have to do better (02/05/2006) *AIR CON* *BRAKES*

• "We bought our Astra in Oct 2001 as we needed a bigger car. Our issue with the Astra is that it seems to be costing us a huge amount of money for some major problems. At 4 years old the whole air conditioning system broke down including the compressor. It was going to cost $1800 to fix. Holden came to the party and provided some financial assistance.
• Six months later our whole rear brakes and handbrake seized. Again the cost was $1750. We have always had our car serviced at Muirs Holden at Five Dock in Sydney. They told us "it was bad luck" and then they added "it happens", in response to our queries as to how this problem had occurred. I asked them if this is what happens to Holdens. They repaired our car and I made my own enquiries as to how this problem had occurred. I also wrote to Holden outlining the problems with our four and a half year old car. Guy from Holden phoned me back and offered that it was probably an environmental issue, like seawater had caused the problem - I informed him that we didn't live near the sea. He stated that as far as he was concerned it wasn't a manufacturing fault. I explained to him that from my enquiries I had found out that possibly it was due to a poorly adjusted handbrake. He then abdicated all responsibility and re-referred me to Muirs who did our services.
• My issue with Holden is at four and a half years old, our car is costing far too much in repairs on top of of usual wear and tear. And no one wants to take any responsibility. Our car is well looked after, garaged at night, it has only done 52,000 kilometres. It is serviced regularly, washed regularly at the carwash. It is not lent to other drivers, we don't get speeding tickets. It just seems to be a lemon. And no one wants to take any responsibility or offer a reasonable explanation. Holden will have to do better if they want to maintain their reputation." J Ross, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: FORD BA FAIRMONT, 2004 - auto transmission stuffed at 87000km's (01/05/2006) *TRANSMISSION* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "We just purchased this car 4 months ago. It has a good service history but is now out of warranty. Last week the auto started making a strange sound so we booked it into a auto trans shop and they told us the planetary gears are stuffed and is cheaper to put a second hand auto in it than recondition this one. A second hand auto they say is $2200 fitted.
• I'm trying to get a reconditioned auto instead as this auto only lasted 78000k's. I don't think a second hand auto will last long either. It seems like the Ford BA auto's are ****, well at least the planetary gears seem to break very easy. Any advise someone could give would be great as the car is still at the auto shop waiting for me to get back to them. Clint" C Walker, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: NISSAN MAXIMA, 2004 - Startup noise with Maxima - Any ideas? (01/05/2006) *ADVICE WANTED*

• "Yes I'm experiencing the same problem. Car's engine makes a rattling noise for a second or so especially when cold. Nissan dealer had this checked 3 times but seems not able to identify (hear) the noise. Very frustrating cause it seems I am the only one that can hear it! No idea what it is. Any ideas? Cris" C Huen, Alice Springs NT   RELATED POSTING

APRIL 2006