SUBJECT: SUBARU IMPREZA MY06 STI, 2006 - What are all these list of complaints telling you?! (31/10/2006)

• "If you go thru the list of cars unfortunate folk are having problems with, what do you notice? Have a good look at the listed brands and models and see for yourself what make and models of cars are problem lemons.
• Notice there are no Subaru's mentioned, I can only see one Mazda, Toyota very few. But then you have heaps of Holden, Ford, Landrover, Kia, Daewoo, Saab, Jeep etc etc.
• I have owned 4 Subaru Impreza's now, all bought new, sold at around 90,000 klms, and honestly never ever had a problem. I drove them hard too. They have a bullet proof engine and engineering, and their safety symmetrical all wheel drive is worth every extra dollar spent. Mazda has an excellent reliability record too. Just my 2 cents worth, which might help some people think." B Gibbs, Wyong NSW

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 2001 - DO NOT BUY A KIA! (29/10/2006) *ENGINE* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "Hello! Thank God I can finally touch base regarding the disastrous Kia Carnival. I spent the better half of yesterday searching the internet for disgruntled Kia owners and have now collected hundreds of complaints from all over the world!
• Our 2001 Kia Carnival is currently sitting in our garage with no coolant in it, a motor full of sludge and we only had it returned a few weeks ago after the head gaskets blew from a supposedly hole in the radiator. A few weeks ago the car overheated and I was advised by Nukia Wangara (WA) that the radiator had corroded inside, which caused the car to overheat and hence the head gaskets blew. But I should be grateful as the cylinder lining was not damaged and therefore all that was needed was a facing of the heads - I small $3650 bill! What a joke! This was the THIRD time the head gaskets had blown in the past 3 years.
• We bought the vehicle on the 26/10/04, just a few months before our third baby came along. The car had an odometer reading of 49,078 at the time. Upon purchasing the vehicle we requested a service history of the vehicle, as there was none visible anywhere in the car. The salesman assured us that he would provide it. Unfortunately for us, being naive car buyers at the time, purchased without receiving this first.
• Within a few weeks of driving the vehicle, I thought it strange that the gears appeared to be slipping and the car was revving out. Not being used to driving a new vehicle, I let it pass. It was only when my father drove it one day that he informed me that there was a major problem with the transmission and that it wasn't normal to do that. Stupid me waited until it was ready to go back to the dealer for service (we only chose a standard Harrier warranty). I informed the service manager of the problem, they checked it out and confirmed that yes, there was a transmission problem and it would cost us around $2000 to fix. My husband and I fought tooth and nail for them to repair the work, as the vehicle was sold to us on the assumption that it had a new transmission and motor put into it!
• The dealership said that Kia would not pay for the problem, but out of courtesy to us, the dealer would. My courtesy car for the Easter weekend last year was a 1980 Mitsubishi Magna, filthy dirty, covered in dog hair. Every time I pulled up at traffic lights, the bonnet would rattle so violently that people would look at us. This carted myself and my 3 children around, whilst husband was up north working. The car was off the road for 5 ½ weeks. The courtesy car broke down on the Easter Monday and I was left without a vehicle for the next few days. No apology from anyone at the dealership!
• 3 months later on the 21/07/05 and I was driving down the freeway in Perth when the car overheated and I was left stranded with 2 of my children. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. We heard nothing from the dealership about the vehicle and I found myself having to chase them again. They informed me that it would need to be towed to Nukia in Wangara, but the Kia workshop couldn't take it until the 01/08/05. NO COURTESY CAR OFFERED! I was told once it went to Kia it would take approximately 1 week for the work to be carried out - HEAD GASKET AGAIN! 2 weeks later and again I had to phone to find out what was going on. Although the vehicle was eventually repaired (23/08/05), and the costs were under warranty (after a fight again and lengthy letters, abuse to the dealer principal etc etc.), they advised that the customers contribution would be $420, for parts not covered under warranty! I asked for a break up of the costs, which included a $75 towing fee, and was told it was for oil, oil filter, 3 x leads, 1 x spark plug and timing belt. I took it upon myself to ring around and get prices from Kia parts, only to find that I was being ripped off!!! After much fighting again, we eventually had the invoice re-looked at and on the 01/09/05 were told that it had magically been reduced to $205.
• 6 days later the car lost power coming up a slight hill. Temp gauge started to rise. Phoned the dealer and they advised they would look at it the next day as it was due for a service. Service guy at dealership advised the following day that spark plus/ leads had gone on the remaining 3 spark plugs, that apparently were not replaced with the rest of them during the head gasket repair!
• The vehicles head gaskets went prior to us purchasing the vehicle. I have since found out that 40% Kia Carnivals built between September 1999 and March 2002 have engine problems. The head gaskets just blow all of a sudden, and because of the problem Kia was replacing the 'short' engine automatically, without bothering to try and repair it. I read yesterday that Kia replaces affected engines free of charge and supplies customers with a Carnival while repairs are carried out! Our vehicle has already had the 'short' engine replaced once. The head gaskets have been confirmed to have blown 3 times, and now it looks like a 4th for us!
• I am going to fight this all the way and not only fight for our $3650 bill we paid last time, as I believe that there is an underlying problem that caused the radiator/head gasket blow out, and fight for our $25,000 we paid for the piece of ****. If it means going to Today Tonight, Newspapers etc. I will. I will go down the track first of trying to rectify it with Kia and if this is not successful, every media will be contacted. I am prepared to take legal action.
• My recommendation to you is to firstly search the internet and be blown away by the amount of complaints you will find about Kia Carnival. Go to Drive.com.au and search for Kia complaints. This site has a Drive Doctor section, and I have printed out 2 Kia Carnival complaints in which a spokesperson for Kia has recommended action to be taken - NOT MUCH! Carsurvey.org is another good site. This is where I found complaints from all over the world. There's also a fantastic website called DO NOT BUY A KIA! Just do a search for this and you will find it. This site is mainly centered around the Kia Sportage or Sephia as they call it in the States. The guy had such an overwhelming reply that he closed all incoming s. I think they were going down the legal action side of things.
• Please contact me if you are a Kia Carnival owner with similar problems. We all need to band together to fight this! Kind regards, Tania Neeson, Heathridge, Western Australia" T Neeson, Heathridge, WA
  

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 2000 - Astra lemon and dealer to suit (29/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK* *WARRANTY*

• "I purchased my Astra 3 years ago from the local Holden dealership with about 55000 km on the clock. It came with Motors 3 year used car warranty which took effect after the final year of the new car warranty expired at the end of 2003.
• 2 months after purchase the radio started losing reception as soon as we drove out of the suburbs. 4 times we complained to be told each time it was an Astra fault because they were built to be driven in Germany where the reception was better. After a heated exchange with the manager they replaced the coaxial aerial and bugger me the radio worked fine all over Tassie. 2 weeks later the rear window brake light fell out which motors explained was our fault. Another argument and they paid half the cost to replace the bracket ($120).
• Over the next 18 months both electric rear window regulators failed at a cost of $700 each (not covered by used car warranty). The thermostat failed ($135) but was covered by warranty and the airconditioner shaft seized (they covered the shaft but not the regas). As a new car Holden recommend services every 15000 km but under Motors used car warranty it must be serviced every 10000 km. I wonder why.
• At the 70000km service I was advised the rear brake shoes were worn out. After consulting my local mechanic they were replaced at 105000km with still some wear left. Just recently the clock has stopped working so I ask myself, will I buy another Holden? Not on your life!" C Badkin, Launceston TAS, 0438343942

SUBJECT: FORD BA FALCON XT, 2004 - Ford wake up (28/10/2006) *BRAKES*

• "Back brakes squealing / front shakes and shudders under brakes and travelling at 80+. Also took car to Peter Warren at Warwick Farm to adjust hand brake. Still under factory warranty, could not adjust, reason handbrake has been abused - this comment from service supervisor. How do you abuse handbrake?" T Saffrett, Fairfield NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN COMMODORE, 2003 - Preston Motors (27/10/2006) *WARRANTY* *DEALER*

• "Once again good old Preston Motors. Received a letter in reference to the extended warranty policy that says the car must be serviced every 10,000 klms. The service manual says 15,000klm intervals? The service manager said that these are the underwriters terms and that's it. When I purchased the car I queried this with the salesman who said they haven't changed the contracts yet and don't worry about it! Result no warranty ..." P O'Donohue, Essendon VIC

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER DISCOVERY, 1997 - Over heating problems (26/10/2006) *COOLING SYSTEM* *ENGINE* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "We have three Landrover Discovery in our family all have the same fault. One had to have an engine replaced. Now we have been told the header tank has been known to split. This must be a fault and should be repaired by Landrover. We no longer feel confidant going on any long trips. Toyota is starting to look better every day." M Perry, Perth WA

SUBJECT: NISSAN X-TRAIL, 2003 - Oil Consumption, Faulty Cat Converter (26/10/2006) *OIL CONSUMPTION* *WARRANTY*

• "Having purchased a Ti X-trail after much consideration and thought we are now sorely disappointed and probably about to be very broke. Our warranty has expired and we were never offered an extended warranty because our details were never updated in the system. We recently wanted to purchase this but were late by what we thought was a month.
• We have been experiencing oil consumption (no there is no leak) since our catalytic converter was replaced as part of a recall. We had this done during a major service and I am not sure why that would take them all day at North East Nissan because Cat converters do not take long to fit!
• We have again had a service done on our car and have used 1L of oil for just on 1000km of ordinary travel. After the replacement of the cat our car began to rattle and at the next service which was 5 months between it had been using oil. The technician said it should be fixed after the last service. I am not sure what should be fixed and there is nothing noted on our service record.
• There also was a recall on the fuel filler tube which was apparently replaced, but who would know since they haven't complied by placing a sticker on either the A or B pillar for that recall.
• Alas, it still loses oil and I spoke to a relative with a 2001 X-Trail who has just had to get the short motor replaced following similar circumstances. Thank god their dealer maintained his records well and they had an extended warranty or a lovely cost of $12000 would have occurred. Thanks Nissan I may never wish to deal with you again and am considering getting rid of my Pulsar. Bring on Toyota or another brand that is loyal and responsible to it's customers as Nissan clearly wishes to remain secretive and underhand about this "problem". The X-Trail has definitely lost it's X factor!" F Morrison, Adelaide SA

SUBJECT: HOLDEN BARINA, 1988 - some resolution (25/10/2006) *TRANSMISSION*

• "Hi. I posted in July about problems with my auto transmission. Well I thought I would let you know I have had some resolution from a very unexpected source. My exhaust pipe fell off on Saturday - I know very poor maintenance - anyway I got the rear muffler replaced and since then I haven't had any more episodes with flaring and the gears seem to be changing properly.
• I don't know why this is happening or if it will be the total solution to my problem. However, I thought it would be helpful to pass it on. Thanks for the help, Pauline" P Gaule, Wavell Heights QLD

SUBJECT: HONDA ODYSSEY, 2005 - air condition condenser problems (25/10/2006) *AIR COND* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "For the second time since owning this vehicle my condenser was damaged by road debris. I've got about 26000 miles on the vehicle. The first time I had about 8000 miles & the factory paid for the repair. Now they say it's road debris. What they have is either an inferior product (the condenser ), or it appears more likely that they redesigned the front of the vehicle & took away any protection from stones coming off the highway.
• I don't live on a gravel road & drive normal suburban roads & highways. The front of the vehicle has been lowered & left unprotected. I haven't quit the fight to get reimbursed for this $675 repair but they are not making it easy. If anyone else has had this problem or could give me additional help I would welcome your input." P Albertz, West Palm Beach

SUBJECT: MITSUBISIHI MAGNA, TS - Shudders at 80km (24/10/2006) *ENGINE* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "As I approach 80km/hr the car starts to shudder - A mechanic had it for 3 days, drained the fuel, changed the plugs and the spark plug leads, checked the the injectors, checked the timing, ran well for about a week then it slowly came back worse than ever" D Lyall, Kalgoorlie WA

SUBJECT: HOLDEN COMMODORE, 2001 - Brake failure due to overheating - query (24/10/2006) *BRAKES* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "Can anybody relate examples of brake failure due to overheating of brakes after heavy use of the brakes. I have been told that this can be a problem with commodores, but was wanting examples or proof if possible." T MacLennan, Invercargill

SUBJECT: DAEWOO NUBIRA, 2001 - (24/10/2006) *ENGINE* *WARRANTY*

• "I also bought a Daewoo Nubira, a 2001 runout edition in 2002, based on the special offers, extensive research both through motoring magazines/articles and enquiries of the NRMA whom offered positive technical advice in relation to my eventually proposed choice. Being an older person, and my very first brand new car, I was was very focused on safety and reliability. However this was not to be the case.
• Recently, whilst driving to Queensland,hundreds of kilometers from my home, the Nubira,totally "died" on a extremely dangerous section of the Pacific Highway north of Ballina. My car posed extreme risk to other motorists as I myself could not move it off the road. Eventually two kindly gentlemen risked their own safety and pushed my car uphill into a safer position. By the time, road services arrived, then a tilt tray to transport my car into a town I was not familiar with. Some two hours had elapsed, whereby I had become quite stressed to say the least.
• Not thinking about Holden now being responsible for Daewoo, I agreed that any MTA trader could repair my car. Also I was not expecting the damage to be so significant and thought I would be able to continue my journey. ALAS; How wrong I was.
• My car had broken a timing belt and subsequently damaged the valves etc, at 54211 km's and had to bus it home. I thought I would have to wear the consequences, being some $2613.75 for repairs, besides $300 to transport my car back to my residence and a ruined holiday into the bargain.
• However, it was bought to my attention that these cars have issues with timing belts by a mechanic, thus the processes of communications with Daewoo/Holden began. Initially I was advised that I didn't have a case because I took my car to a non Holden dealer, despite being an MTA member. Next discussion resulted in being told that I was overdue on my services and to refer to my manual ie 6-35, which clearly indicates, that the timing belt was to be checked at 60,000 km's. No mention of checks at the 45,000kms service which was done. After effectively agreeing this to be correct and after a 45 minute "discussion", the claim was again rejected on the basis that the repairer did not keep the damaged parts, i.e the timing belt, but not the valves etc. This seems absolutely ludicrous and casts doubts as to the integrity and honesty of the repairer, which was definitely not the case.
• It appears that Holden/Daewoo will not come to any arrangement for the faulty product. And even though my car is out of warranty so to speak, the timing belt is not to case and of which they do not seem to publicise. I am extremely disappointed with the numerous excuses/reasons offered by Holden/DAEWOO. Nowhere on any website can I find any company policies etc, pertaining to a motor repairer retaining damaged car parts, let alone only a portion of such. So, is it company policy or that of a staff member on the day.
• Hope my experiences help in that you have some recourse of action as I do believe I am being fobbed off, continually and persistently. Perhaps the MTA and Dept of Fair Trading are other options. Whilst researching the internet I discovered that there has been two recalls of the Daewoo Nubira 2001 CDX, on 14.7.2004 and 18.9.2002. Neither of which I ever received any correspondence pertaining to such .ie engine and engine cooling and service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, hc lines/piping and fittings; refer www.internetautoguide.com/auto-recalls/99-int/2001/daewoo/nubira/cdx-sedan/429/ind..." R Sands

SUBJECT: FORD AU FORTE, 1999 - Diff problems - going to Ford in mass (23/10/2006) *DIFFERENTIAL* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "I bought my car with 40,000 kms 2 years ago. I have nearly cleaned out Tassie of EL to AU diff's. Never towed anything over 600kg. I've had enough, I've spent $15,000 in diff's in the past 2 years. I want to go to Ford with as many people as possible behind me with these same sort of problems so we can have them rectified. How can we tow our boats or caravans with made in china diff's.
• Fords are made for towing unlike the Holden family cars. I'm a Ford supporter through and through but I'm starting to have my doubts now. I'm thinking of going back to my trusty XD from when they were made here. Please send photos of problems and details so we can pursue this matter" P Fruin, Queenstown TAS

SUBJECT: KIA - Advice for all models of Kia (23/10/2006)

• "Don't buy one at all!" M Woods, Dapto NSW

SUBJECT: CAR BUYING - Re: General comments - R Cornish (22/10/2006) *FEEDBACK*

• "R Cornish, if you are a ex salesman, you should know that cooling off rights are available on new and used cars, but only if you go through the dealership finance. You can't get cooling off rights if you are paying cash or your own finance. Also are you a Ford and Holden fan. Both these cars have poor quality compared with most Japanese cars. Why such a big focus on these cars.
• You are ill-informing the public on a purchase of a car, people like you give salesman a bad name. Why go and annoy a dealer and turn up at closing time, salespeople have a life too. How would you like it. If you go to Myers or a bank, if you aren't there before it shuts, too bad.
  To the public, if you are honest with a salesperson, they will not lie back to you. Salespeople get lied to so much, and be honest, who has told a lie to get a better price, on anything ...
• And yes I am a new car salesperson. When people like R cornish tell the public like he has posted, it makes it hard for every one, including the public. Now you know why it is hard for people to get a best price on a car. Why should a salesman make it easy for another yard to sell a car. People lie, and if you get a best price, and not sign and purchase, 80% of the time it is a comeback price. Dealers give this price that they know no dealer can beat, so you have to go back. And once you are there they will try and get you to sign up. They have the best chance to close you when you are at the dealership. Hope this helps" A Michaels, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: TOYOTA CAMRY SPORTIVO, 2003 - Hazard of Sunroof (22/10/2006) *SUNROOF* *SAFETY*

• "11/10/2006 at 02:35 I was in a major accident where I ran into a large Bull that was standing in my lane as I headed north along Bruce Highway 53kms north of Gympie. The bull smashed in the bonnet and windscreen and as it went over my head rip the roof off the car as far back as 30cm from the back windscreen. The fact that my head went forward into the airbag as the bull went through the car saved my life.
• The ABS brakes also helped as the car stopped in a perfect straight line. I say this because there was a semi trailer about 15 feet in front of me and coming towards me along the 2 lane road, as impact occurred. Lucky I didn't swerve or I would have been under the fully loaded semi.
• My comment here is that even though I am glad I had the Camry, and it saved my life there are 2 things that should not have happened.
  1. After a severe impact I thought all new cars had a built in feature that cut all power from the battery. This didn't happen. The song "If tomorrow never comes" was playing on the CD after I stopped, and the Satellite Navigation was still working. (Ironic huh)
  The other probable more dangerous thing I noticed was the motorized sunroof glass.
  2. Sunroof glass must be of poor quality, as it broke into tiny razor sharp shards of glass. No more than 2 to 3mm long and 1mm wide.
  This glass exploded on impact and showered down all over me. I got it in my mouth, eyes, ears, down my shirt, pants and in my shoes. Even noticed a belly button full of it as well. I was extremely worried about inhaling this fine glass or even swallowing it. I shall be bringing this issue up with Toyota.
• I love my Sportivo, and would buy another anytime. Everything was fantastic on the car, but I think I'm scared of getting another sunroof." S Magee, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, 2005 - Electrical Brake Faults (20/10/2006) *BRAKES* *ELECTRICAL* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "My 2005, 29000km $58,000 CRD Diesel Grand Cherokee has had constant brake system electrical faults since delivery. Has been to the dealer 7 times without joy. The Dealer staff are good people - the car is bad. There is faulty ABS / ESP / Traction control wiring / sensors / ECU - which the dealer cannot isolate and fix. When it faults it knocks out your ABS, ESP, Traction Control, Cruise Control and makes an annoying bing bing noise and throws up a warning on the display. This happens daily.
• Ultimately I will persevere & it will be fixed under warranty, but I think it will end up as a seats / carpet out job and replacement of wiring harnesses, every wheel speed sensor, the ESP g-force sensors and the master ABS / ESP ecu. It has also had a trans oil leak, turbo base plate oil leak, oil leaking from intercooler pipes (oil meant to be from closed crank case ventilation feed back into charge air system - not a US turbo bearing seal), loose grill, mudflaps falling off, various rattles and squeaks in the dash, interior light wiring faulty.
• By comparison I owned a 2003 (current shape) Toyota Prado and did not have 1 warranty claim in 80,000km" L Mickevics, Adelaide SA

SUBJECT: NISSAN MAXIMA Ti-L, 2005 - Ridiculous parts pricing (20/10/2006) *PRICING* *PARTS*

• "I have recently had my vehicle serviced at an authorised dealer as I have since purchasing the vehicle new. I am totally disgusted at the ridiculous pricing structure of Nissan Parts. I asked for my passenger side driving light glass be replaced as it was cracked. The dealer ordered that part which I though was just the glass lens and contacted me when it arrived. No mention of price except that they told me that it was a difficult area to get to so may take 2 hours or so. I agreed expecting the labour to be approx 2-3 hours.
• To my horror, on picking the vehicle up a charge of $400+ was given to me ! I protested stating that a major service does not cost that much ! The labour content was about $50. I was told that I should have sought a Non genuine Nissan part ! This is a total Rip Off and I will not return to this dealer. The attitude and excessive pricing by Nissan Australia would, whilst a reliable vehicle, does not justify making the Nissan, choice for future vehicle purchases" M Middleton, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER, 2001 - Heap of ... (20/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "Blown head gasket at 60000; indicator going; dif pushers; leaking transmission; DVG did not help me very much. Land Rover Australia did nothing " H Mickle, South Perth WA

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 2000 - What did I buy into? (19/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK* *FEEDBACK*

• "I first took purchase of my Astra in 2005 when I was 18 and being a Holden Mum and Dad thought it would last me for a while. Well that's a different story to what I've put up with. Just before I bought the Astra the air conditioner unit was replaced. To date the problems include:
  *the timing belt was replaced at 90,000km shortly after I bought it
  *the rear right window has failed and is now kept up by a piece of wood inside the door since Holden quoted me $450 to fix it
  *head lights have yellowed slightly from UV
  *the remote fuse in the control has been replaced twice
  *the power mirrors have failed with the switch falling off on its own accord
  *the injectors have had to be re cleaned
  *the stereo has a mind of its own cranking itself when it likes especially when pulling up to the lights
  *the manual says that the transmission fluid does not need to be changed for the life of the car yet Holden said that it had to be replaced at 105,000 at my cost. I argued the point but they said since I was second owner it was now my responsibility. Well done Holden.
• I thought I did the right thing by researching the cars to ensure I bought a decent car - but hey you can't always trust reviews that only have the car for a short period. Well done Holden you won't be getting my business again." M Clarke, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: HOLDEN CREWMAN S VY, 2004 - Summit Holden North Melbourne (19/10/2006) *DEALER* *ALTERNATOR*

• "My ute is currently at Summit Holden North Melbourne after not starting on Monday morning due to a faulty alternator which in turn is spiking the battery. Every day the dealer tells me the part is in tomorrow. Today is Wednesday, and when I rang at 1:30 to see if the ute was ready I was advised that we are just putting it back together, it will be ready at 3:30. Then I get a phone call at 3:00 advising that the part would be in tomorrow.
• After ringing a couple of Holden dealers they advised that these parts are on Order only basis and nobody holds any stock. I also asked for a loan car to which they advised not this week, but we may have one available next week. Is this suggesting that the part may not be in until next week?
• I had a problem with the purchasing of this vehicle as well. We initially traded 2 TS Astra's on the Crewman and also bought a Peugeot 307 from another dealer. After all the deals were finalised the 307 was delivered and then Summit Holden turned around and advised that Crewman was going to be 6 weeks. That was OK until 5 weeks in we were advised another 6 weeks due to a problem with the trays.
• When we finally received the Crewman and traded the cars, Summit Holden turned around and revalued the trade-ins because it was 12 weeks on. If we had of known that this was going to happen we would have traded both on the Peugeot as we didn't care where they went.
• I was looking at possibly upgrading to a VE next year, and if I do it will not be from Summit Holden North Melbourne. I will post again on Monday with a follow up if no ute by then. " A Cassie, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 2004 - Rip Off! (19/10/2006) *SERVICE* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "I have a Holden Astra 2004 model. Just wanted to know if anyone had any comments on this. Just taken my car in for it's 60,000km service and so far it is up to $1500!  I signed the service sheet this morning and the price on that was $794 ... it has almost doubled! Telling me I needed my brakes fixed and something else - I think this is a rip off! You're not told anything about the pricing of services when you buy the car. Who has $1500 just lying around.
• A friend of mine has the same year car but a Nissan and for her major service she paid $300! Every service I have had has been around $500 it is a joke!" B Fisher, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: TOYOTA COROLLA ASCENT, 2006 - Hard seats (19/10/2006) *NEW CAR* *SEAT* *ADVICE WANTED* *FEEDBACK*

• "I purchased a Toyota Corolla Ascent 3 months ago.The car is basic but ok except for the seats which cause me a lot of discomfort & pain. I would like to say I traded in a Toyota Echo with 90,000klms on it. That car was a little beauty, seats very good for long trips of which I do a few. I rang Toyota & spoke to someone who told me to return to the dealer & get them to inspect the seats which I did. They then sent me to a detailer who re upholstered the squab. This has helped very little & I am about to return to him again to see if we can improve on it.
• I did not expect to have this experience in a new car as all my previous cars have not given me any problems with the seats. The NRMA did say to go to see an After Market Car Seat company but I have not been able to locate any. Can you help me with this. I live in the Blue Mountains so Penrith/Sydney area would be good. Has anyone else had this complaint with the seats? This Corolla "ain't what it aught to be" Thank you. Jean
• PS. my car prior to the Echo was a Mazda 323 with over 400,000klms when I traded it in. Now that was an oldie but a goodie " J Ingle, Blackheath NSW

SUBJECT: HONDA CRV SPORTS, 2003 - Honda North Service Complaint (18/10/2006) *DEALER* *AFTER SALES SERVICE*

• "To Whom It May Concern: Just wanted people to be aware of the lack of level of service when purchasing a USED car at Honda North in Perth, WA. The sales cycle was ok, but once we had purchased the used vehicle, they didn't want to know us or take responsibility for their issues. The 2 main issues left are:
• 1. We have in writing from their Service Manager, that all cars purchased, both new & used, are serviced before they are sold, when the service is due. Well, we purchased our USED car at 72,600km and the service was due at 72,000km and wasn't done. The car had travelled from Sydney to Perth on completion of the last service completed on the vehicle. From there, no services have been done. We requested a service "FREE OF CHARGE" from Honda North and were declined.
• 2. Also in writing from the Service Manager, is that our drivers seat belt issue had been dealt with, as this is what his staff had informed him of. The Service Manager didn't even ask me if we were satisfied with the seat belt. Which we are not, as it wasn't fixed properly and is still a safety concern to date.
• I believe Honda are one of the best priced vehicles and they are genuinely of high quality. I do hope my issues are resolved as I would like to consider Honda with any future vehicles purchase, but if these issues aren't resolved, we will never consider a Honda in the future. Yours Sincerely, Steve" S Rosewell, Dianella WA

SUBJECT: NISSAN NAVARA, 1994 - Navara lifter rattles (14/10/2006) *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "We have a 1994 Navara duel cab (KA24 engine) that rattles to buggery. We were told by local Nissan dealer that the lifters have expired. Upon fitting new ones the rattle was 10 times worse. We called Nissan back and they told us to run 10w30 motor oil and heavily work the engine in third gear to pump up the lifters. Well we tried this and it made no difference. We were then told the noise was the timing chain. If they were really interested they would have seen the timing chain was brand new. A couple of local mechanics have now checked it out to no avail. Has anyone found this problem before? if so can you help us to fix this problem. Input would be appreciated." S Kay, Mackay QLD

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 2003 - Faulty coil pack (13/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "We purchased a new Holden Astra in Feb 2003. In August 2006 the vehicle began to run erratic and was informed by Holden that the coil pack had to be changed which cost $600 which we paid. The vehicle has done only 57000kms. Talking to other owners it appears to be a common fault and Holden will not reimburse for the part and will only give a 2 year warranty on a replacement part. Buyer beware this type of car is going to cost a lot of money to maintain" L Oliveri, Innisfail QLD

SUBJECT: KIA CARNIVAL, 2001 - What a Disaster Nobody will Help (13/10/2006) *ENGINE* *WARRANTY*

• "On the 11th January my daughter and son in law purchased a Kia Carnival 2000 (plated first registered 2001) from Ken Morgan Kia with 48166k's on the clock for $23990. Also they purchased an 'extension to manufacturers warranty' which cost another $1,300 through the Fortram Insurance Group Mechanical Repair Agreement Co.
• On the 2nd August this year with only 55643km (a total of 7477k's since purchase) they were driving with their 4 children when the car started over revving. After pulling up RACV were called. The car had to be put on a trailer and taken 300 k's to a Kia dealer the next day. After they checked it out the result is it has to have a new motor. Apparently the second one in the car which we only found out after all this happened. This time according to the garage the engine overheated, head gasket blown, very low compression in front three cylinders, sleeves have dislodged.
• Kia won't cover this, the extended warranty won't cover this, nobody wants to know anything about them. In a phone conversation with Kia one of their personnel told me but would not put it writing - "it was an invasion of the motors privacy to discuss this with us." Where can we go now for help. The car travelled only 7477k's. I thought that motor vehicles would last longer than 55,643km and already gone through 2 motors. The quote for the new motor is $11,003. I would be interested to hear from other disgruntled Kia owners as I believe that it is time the little people stood up to the multi national companies." C Whelan , Kerang VIC 0438 097653

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA CD, 2001 - Power windows, Air Cond, Warning Lights (13/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "1 week after buying a "Holden Certified" Astra, the drivers side rear power window would not go back up. A couple of weeks later the ABS & Traction Control warning lights would stay on for at least 15 minutes at a time. Holden temporarily fixed it. Of course the ABS & Traction Control warning light problem came back. Only this time when it came to repairing it, Holden claimed that it was an issue with the remote control on the key which was somehow magically interfering with the lights and the key needed to be replaced at my cost
• The air conditioner seems to have a mind of it's own. Sometimes it works perfectly but then someday's it will not even switch on at all. Holden say there is nothing wrong with it ... Recently on a hot day with no aircond working, I had no choice but to put the windows down and then - big surprise, the rear left power window got stuck down. Needed a new regulator, cost $475! Holden assures me this new regulator is much better quality ... we'll see about that.
• Now seeing as I'm almost at 60,000kms it seems I have a timing belt to save up for! Can't wait" B Alexander, Parramatta NSW

SUBJECT: FORD BA XR6 UTE, 2003 - Extreme Ford Lemon (12/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "Don't buy Ford. They will take your money and that's it. This ute was displayed at Bathurst entry last week. Returned now 19 times and now over 50 items replaced." L Chamberlain, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN COMMODORE, 2002 - General Comments (11/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*
     

• "RACV Batteries: RACV Batteries is not part of RACV. It is a private operator who has a contract to provide his own brand battery supply under the branding RACV. If you own a Holden for example, you would be better off going to a dealership which will give you the exact battery for your model. A standard heavy duty battery for a VT - VZ Commodore is $88 with a two year warranty and it fits perfectly and has the correct CCR (cold cranking amps). They change stock every day so you are guaranteed a battery which has recently arrived from the manufacturer. By the way, at $88, it's about $30 cheaper than Kmart and the RACV.
• Battery Chargers: Never buy a battery charger. If your battery keeps going flat then a) It's stuffed. b) Your alternator is stuffed. NEVER discharge a battery through your headlights. If you do, you will stuff it forever. They are designed for high discharge current for 30 seconds to feed your starter motor, not low discharge for 4 hours to feed your headlights without the engine running. The batteries plates sulphate and the electrolyte SG goes to water and won't recover so do yourself a favour, buy a new battery, not a battery charger. Your battery will charge up very quickly if your alternator is good. Many people also make the mistake of replacing their battery only to find that the fan belt wasn't tight or the alternator itself wasn't charging. If the alternator light comes on, your exhaust pipe isn't busted. So don't change your battery, change your alternator.
• Servicing: If you want to pay $110 per hour in labour then take your car to a motor mechanic. If you want to pay $10 for a genuine oil filter and $15 for 15W40 oil then spend 20 minutes servicing your own car at home with genuine Holden parts and you will pay $25 service for a VT-VZ Commodore. No bull.
• Exhausts: I am ambivalent about buying Holdens or Fords but here is some food for thought. ALL Holdens across the range since the VT model have painted, stainless steel exhaust systems. Ford has mild steel. The difference? Your Ford exhaust will rust out in six years whilst your Holden one lasts forever.
• Part Numbers: When you come to sell your Holden or Ford don't be surprised if you get less for your Ford than you anticipate. Why? Ford puts stickers on just about every panel with your vehicle number on it. If your car has had a panel replaced or has been painted over, the sticker will be missing. That tells the car dealer to knock thousands off your trade in price.
• Warranty: Don't be surprised if your Holden dealer says your car is out of warranty by one day. Holden is very strict on warranty. You get three years, not three years and one day as I found out when something blew up on a Sunday but when I went there on Monday, it was one day out of warranty. The result? Pay $14 for a new dashboard flap locking clip (where the ash tray used to be in cars).
• Ford however replaced a water pump after six years (at the same time the exhaust fell off which they didn't pay for) but because the car had done only 40,000kms, they did the water pump for free, and came to my home to do it. Now that's service! Ford do however sell a no name exhaust brand through their dealerships. You can get the same genuine Ford exhaust at half the price at most Ford dealerships. Its made by the same manufacturer.
• Don't be surprised if your door locks aren't covered under new car warranty. Virtually no dealer covers door locks. Don't know why.
• Trims: Don't expect Holden to stock interior trims two years after the car is stopped being produced. I found out the hard way when the drivers seat back pad wore out on the side you get in and out due to the flimsy material they use to let the side airbag come out. The supplier Air International had plenty of stock but as they only supply Holden, not the public, they couldn't sell the seat trim even though Holden had deleted it from their spare parts lists. It took me three weeks of haggling to get the seat back pads that I wanted. It took me 20 minutes to fit it. The point is the model (but not my car) was still under warranty yet Holden had already deleted items from the VX range.
• Falcon/Futura: If your EF onwards Falcon/Futura has an annoying ticking noise coming from the front left area, remove the wheel arch cover in the wheel well but above the front left wheel and disconnect the hose to the canister. There is an annoying relay which stuffs up in there and the whole canister needs replacing. It makes no difference to the performance of the car so just disconnect it. Problem solved. (The Ford dealer showed me what to do).
• Selling your Holden/Ford: Doll the car up with some shiny stuff from Kmart then park it at the Holden/Ford dealer of a Sunday. (Find one that isn't open). Park it out front. They can't do anything, but I think you would test the friendship on a week day. People like to shop car dealers when they don't get harassed. It's a prime opportunity to use the dealers premises to show off YOUR vehicle when they're not there! Complete with PRIVATE buyer signage and phone number. Make sure you make it look as good as theirs in the lot but charge less. I have sold six cars that way so far. Beats advertising in the Saturday papers, and you ALWAYS sell the car first go.
• Commodore Supercharged VX: These are the things I have had go wrong since new. Three Eurovox radios CD players stopped working. Indicator stalk caught fire. 18 spark plugs in six months. One set of spark plug leads. Rocker cover gasket started leaking for no reason. Front suspension loose after one week from new causing steering to do a right turn. All four brake disks replaced under warranty due to shudder. Paint peeled off under door handles after one year. Power steering hoses leaking. Numerous plastic clips fall off from under vehicle at various intervals. Radiator cooling water turned to sludge. Handbrake shoes didn't hold after 70,000kms. Button on rear fold down seats sent a shard of metal through 10 year old daughters hand when button pressed down. But after three years, the car is actually starting to settle down...
• Buying a new car: Always buy at a runout but never at a substantial shape change. You just lose too much money when you come to sell it again. You would be crazy to have bought a VZ Holden last week or a VE for that matter. Wait till the runouts just prior to end of year or just prior to model change i.e. series 1 to series 2 (not shape change). The SS Commodore for example has been $39,990 from VS right through to VZ on runouts so why would you $55,000 at the moment?
• Always buy at the end of the month. Always buy on a Saturday at 5.30pm. NEVER have a trade in. Sell privately (see dealers on a Sunday above). Always know the recommended retail price before you go in (so that you never pay it) and how much other sellers are advertising them for in the Saturday Paper's Car Section. NEVER pay recommended retail price. Don't option your car up at the dealer. Buy what they have in stock. They want to move it. Don't buy Ming finishes, burglar alarms etc. Remember, it adds to the new car price, and adds to the STAMP DUTY you have to pay. Extras are always at full recommended retail. Buy these later if you have to.
• NEVER buy a Demonstrator. Chances are it is one of the employees cars at the dealership rather than a demonstrator. Demonstrators are never more than a thousand off yet if you tried to sell your six months old car it would be $10,000 less. You can always buy a brand new car SOMEWHERE for less than a demonstrator price. If they won't play ball, get up and leave. If they are genuine you will get what you want before leaving the premises at 6.00pm. After 6.00pm on a Saturday they know you won't be back until Monday, and probably never so that's when the deal is done.
• Drive the car you want to buy and don't take no for an answer. 90% of people don't test drive a new car before purchase and 50% don't like it after they buy it.
• CHOOSE CAREFULLY. There is NO COOLING OFF period on a new car, only a used one. The legal eagles think that even if you make a hasty purchase, you still got a new car, so you HAVEN'T been ripped off. Get it?
• Constantly get up and go outside for a chat between yourselves. Then come back. Chances are the dealer has had time to think too. When they see you are taking stock of the situation they get nervous and the price collapses. Believe me. I used to be a car dealer...
• Hope this helped someone. " R Cornish, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 2003 - I thought I had a great car, but now its falling apart! (11/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK* *AIR COND*

• "I thought I had a great car, but now it's falling apart. I purchased a 2003 Astra Equip. I have just had a 75,000klm service at holden and received more bad news. My list so far -
  At 45,000 klm I had a noisy alternator replaced which was fixed under warranty.
  52,000 klm - I had all four wheels fitted with new brake pads and rotors.
  60,000 klm - a new water pump replaced under warranty.
  75,000 klm - new thermostat housing replaced as it was leaking - my car is no longer under warranty.
  75,000 klm - advised that my air conditioner has failed because they have a crook seal that allows oil to enter the coil and short it out - Holden quoted $415 to replace the clutch coil., Spoke to an auto air conditioner specialist and they advised it will fail again of the same problem, they are fixing the symptom not the cause, their quote to rebuild pump with quality seals etc for $850.
• I accept that not every cars is perfect and that no components are going to last forever, but when you are told that they (3rd party air cond repairers) are replacing 4 to 5 air conditioner compressors in Holden Astra's a week, I feel that there is a design problem and it should be looked after by the manufacturer and not pushed back on the consumer, and told "sorry it's out of warranty" " P Searle, Kallangur QLD

SUBJECT: TOYOTA STARLET, 1998 - Good News - Go Starlets (11/10/2006)

• "I am the 2nd owner of Scarlet the Starlet, and she has given me NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WHAT-SO-EVER. She runs smoothly, she goes hard, and is gorgeous on fuel economy. I suspect her good looks and awesome mechanics are thanks to Toyota's good rep. I will need to sell her to a good home soon because I need more space now, but we have had a wonderful relationship thus far and I am wholeheartedly dreading the day we shall have to part ways. Go Starlets!" A Lee Long, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: FORD BA FALCON CLASSIC, 2004 - Parking Brake Frustration (11/10/2006) *HAND BRAKE* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "Since buying this car new in 2004 I have had no end of hand brake problems. Its been back to Ford 3 times and it still doesn't work. On one occasion there was a scraping sound coming from the left rear wheel associated with a clamp that had come loose. This is a only a minor problem compared to problems others have had with the BA ... i.e diff replacements and wheel shudder (which seem common and I'm lucky to have escaped so far) but I was wondering if others have had similar parking brake problems. Other than the high fuel consumption, this is a great car that's hasn't missed a beat in the 45,000 kms I've travelled so far." P Jago, Heathcote NSW

SUBJECT: TOYOTA LANCRUISER SER 100, 2004 - Power steering failure (10/10/2006) *STEERING* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "The power steering return fluid pipe builds up pressure and drops off the pump and releases all the fluid making it impossible to steer.
  Toyota's response to the problem after the third failure in 6 months was to install a worm drive hose clamp instead of the spring clip supplied from new.
• The vehicle has not been driven off road.The steepest gradient has been on the end of a cable to winch the vehicle onto the tow truck for transport to the local Toyota dealer. Failure number 4 has the vehicle back at Toyota awaiting their reply 9-10-2006.
  Please advise if you have any feedback." L Ripley, Gold Coast QLD

SUBJECT: FORD XT FALCON, 2004 - Car stalls - even at 100kmh (10/10/2006) *ENGINE* *FEEDBACK WANTED*

• "Purchased our 2004 XT Falcon with 17,000 on the clock. I have an intermittent problem with car stalling while driving (can happen several times a week, then not happen for months). Can't restart it in neutral, have to pull over (very hard since power steering gone once the car has stalled) and restart from park. Pretty dangerous when driving along the M4 at 100km in middle lane with trucks bearing down on you & you have to try & get across to the side of the road with no power steering!! Dealer hasn't been able to find problem. Anyone else had this happen to them or any ideas what could be causing it. Someone suggested the fuel pump? " D Sanders, Sydney NSW
• ========== REPLY ==========
  "I have had the same experience overtaking a car on a country highway. I had just overtaken a vehicle travelling at 100kmh when engine cut out so drifted to side of road. Luckily there was enough room to do so at the time! Very fortunate not to have passed the next vehicle being a 3 trailer road train! This is the 2nd time the car has stalled within a month. Ford said it could be a carbon build up but were not sure."
  POSTED BY: B DICK - PERTH, WA 24/01/2007

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA, 1999 - Holden Astra TS City - All Problems (09/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "I bought my Holden Astra second hand and it only had 98,653kms on it. The Timing Belt was replaced before I bought it, which I thought was good. After my car hit over the 100,000km mark, everything went wrong. My gearbox went 3 times, spending $3200 - $4500 everytime. Then the air condition system went, everything failed on it including all the switches. Then my lights started to flash when they weren't on. Then the radiator decided to blow, more money to fix the heap of junk.
• That's not all, the remote central locking stopped and starting working, as well as the ignition not allowing me to take the key out. Then the brake pads wore out my disc pads, more than the brake pads themselves. I have a 3 year warranty on this car. I chose the Top Warranty for this vehicle and they couldn't fix it, nothing was covered.
• Holden Astra's are a heap of ****. Make sure RACQ checks it out if you decide to get one. But trust me you don't want one. This car is always serviced, well looked after. Holden make **** cars." C Gough, Ipswich QLD

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER TD5 DISCOVERY SII, 2000 - Got rid of this lemon (09/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "After spending $11984 in repairs and servicing since Mar 03, I have sold this heap to a wholesaler. The final straw was a diagnosis of a serious transmission leak which would cost between $3-5 k to fix. Who can afford $15-18k to spend on a vehicle just to keep it on the road? I've had 3 suspension airbags fail, 2 turbo modulators, 2 wiring looms, water pumps, power steering problems, computer problems, heating and cooling issues.
• Glad to get rid of it." R Ruzzier, Belgrave VIC

SUBJECT: CITROEN C5 HDI 2L ESTATE, 2006 - Citroen or citron (lemon) (08/10/2006) *NEW CAR* *DEALER*

• "We had to wait approx 6 months for the car to arrive as when we ordered it we wanted the xenon headlights on the vehicle which we paid extra for. By the time it got here they were standard. Anyway after three months the car all of a sudden began shuddering violently when turning a corner so we contacted Citroen assist who had the car towed to the nearest dealer - Lance Dixon Doncaster, conveniently leaving us with no car! When we asked Customer Service we were told to talk to the dealer about a replacement car as they could do nothing. The dealer told us they didn't have any cars to spare & to hire one as they could give us no idea when it would be fixed.
• The overall impression of just about every one we dealt with was that we were being unreasonable to even expect a loan car & it didn't seem unusual to have a three month old car falling apart!!!" G Kakafikas, Launching Place VIC

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ADVENTRA CX6, 2006 - Way short of its promises (06/10/2006) *NEW CAR* *AIR CON* CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "In February this year we approached our local Holden dealer, the same one we have been using for 40 years, to procure a new vehicle. Our requirements, we needed a vehicle with high ground clearance to travel the far western Queensland roads. We stressed we didn't need a 4WD in particular but it definitely didn't needed the ground clearance and the ability to operate on dirt roads, all Government Gazetted, in remote areas of this state. Assured the Adventra would do the job. We chose the CX6 over the base model for the little extra creature comforts.
• The vehicle was two weeks old when the AC stopped working. The fantastic guys at the Holden dealership in Maryborough figured the problem was vacuum related. Unfortunately not enough time to have it fixed there. I was going to be in Cairns for some time later in the week so I booked it into Irelands to have the problem fixed.
• Duly arrived at Irelands in Cairns. Explained the problem and passed on the info from Maryborough. Returned later that day at appointed time. Vehicle is still not ready. Waited another 1.5 hours for the job to be completed. They had to take the vehicle out for road test etc. They told me corrosion on terminals was problem. All working well.
• Drove out the driveway, turned left and accelerated. The AC not working still. Rang the dealership straight away. Bring the vehicle back and we attend to it straight away. Returned vehicle and straight away turned into two hours and still haven't started on the vehicle. I suggested that I would bring the vehicle back two days later when I would be back in Cairns. OK. Returned vehicle, they had it for a day, Thursday. Told me when I turned up to drive away, late in day, the AC required a part from Brisbane and would take until following Monday for part to arrive.
• Rang to speak with a complaints person and was told the part would be available ex Brisbane overnight. When asked why I was told Monday, the person could not provide answer. Asked to speak with dealer principal, Mr Ireland. Still waiting for him to ring me back some 6 months later. Yes I have tried to speak with him on subsequent calls and visits.
• AC not working for 4 weeks through the hottest part of Qld. Battery failed and was replaced in Townsville. Vehicle travels 290Km on a tank of fuel when working on dirt roads. No long range fuel system available for this vehicle.
• Two alloy rims bent on dirt roads near Thargomndah. No tyres available outside of Brisbane. When I did get back to Brisbane was told that I had hit a pot hole and there would be no warranty on rims.
• This vehicle has not been driven off road till this day. Yet apparently Holden has decreed that hitting a pot hole and bending two rims, front and rear same side, is not a warranty issue. This vehicle is supposed to be an off road vehicle as stated in their glossy brochure." K Russ, Ipswich QLD

SUBJECT: HYUNDAI ELANTRA, 2004 - Hyundai not fixing clutch issue in Elantra (05/10/2006) *CLUTCH* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*
     READ FEEDBACK

• "I have a 1 year old Elantra, 38,000 km's on the clock, and now the clutch has gone. I have owned 2 other Hyundai cars, both Excels that have never required a clutch replacement. Also owned a Mitsubishi Lancer for 3 years, no clutch required in the time I owned the car. So drive history shows that I do not chew clutches.
• Hyundai service center in Parramatta, advised me that the clutch replacement was a retail issue that I would have to pay $1400 to replace the clutch. I asked why it is not covered under warranty. They reply its a wear and tear issue not a fault. I then asked for further investigation, they refused. I asked for the warranty section to have a look at the car, they refused.
• During this time I have been speaking to clutch experts and searching on the internet. Most say that a clutch will last well over 100,000kms, and a clutch that is well used will normally last until around 60,000kms to 80,000kms. They also agreed that a clutch that dies before 50,000kms normally has a manufacturing fault linked to them. I found a review from car point "wheel" review:
  'The Elantra's clutch is completely devoid of any feel - there isn't a clearly defined take-up point, just a dead pedal. Neighbours will reckon you've been sampling the bubbly a little too early in the morning as you kangaroo through the neighbourhood. The only alternative is to rev the engine so hard the EPA is bound to pay a visit. If somehow you get the action of clutch and throttle synchronised, you'll find even more Accent. The gear change quality is very rare, in that it's possible to crunch the shift in all five slots. The first-second and second-third shifts are worst, particularly if your trying to gently swap cogs. And the gap in revs between first and second gears is very large, which can be problematic. On a hot day with the air-conditioning working overtime and a load on board, the Elantra struggles to hold second on steeper inclines'
• I tried talking to head office but "Rinko" the guy there seems to be a recorded message, "retail issue" he keeps saying. I don't understand why Hyundai will not look into this further considering all the bad reviews and postings about their clutches in the Elantra's. And Hyundai does not even consider your driving history in other cars to help make a proper assessment of the situation.
• So with this extremely poor form from Hyundai, considering my family has bought 8 Hyundai's in the last 5 years. I urge any people considering to buy a Hyundai to rethink. Doesn't matter how loyal a customer you are they will **** you twice over before the warranty has ended on your car. I urge any people with Hyundai's to ring up and complain about their cars. How the plastic dash falls apart, the steering wheel rubber tears and becomes sticky. The hand brake too close to the gear stick. The tiny little peddles are slippery. The fuel consumption on the tag is a lie, that the poor quality tyres wear too quickly. The service centers charge double the price of everywhere else for the same service. The list goes on.
• Last comment from me: people be smart stay away from these cars. Buy a car that will last a little longer, and when buying a car get as much as you can thrown in, or walk. " Luke M, Parramatta NSW

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER, 2002 - Nightmare Freelander (05/10/2006) *ENGINE* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "I purchased my Freelander Feb. 22, 2006. It looked stunning! Only 23000 kms according to the dealer and the warranty book signed by Trivet Classic employee. I purchased it from from a dealer in Sydney not Trivets. It had 17mths warranty on it. Oh by the way I paid $30,000 for it. 1 week into owning this car I was on the freeway in the overtaking lane with me and my 2 kids in the car. Was doing 110kms, overtaking a semi, put my foot down as I was passing and another car was pushing me and bang! went the gears and it went into limp mode. I got onto the shoulder of the road and collected my wits wondering what the hell was happening as I had a 2 hr drive to get home.
• That was the beginning of my Freelander nightmare ... since then oil has sprayed ito the gear box, gaskets have been replaced, and numerous other things. Landrover have told me not to drive the car as 'Its too dangerous to drive' but now aren't going to cover it as they now wont honour their warranty. They reckon that whoever owned the car previously hadn't serviced it previously? It now needs a new engine and gear box .... and as a trade its worth (before it needed this engine etc) between $12000-15000. Not bad doing $15000 in 8 months ... how do finance companies book these cars up!
• Where is the ACCC on this - the story goes on and on but I'm soooo over it, please don't buy a Freelander." R Hornsby, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN SS UTE, 2003 - Death from hard cover (04/10/2006) *SAFETY ADVICE*

• "In 2005 my son died from an accident in his SS ute. I paid for a private engineer to examine the car because the air bag did not go off. It was also revealed that when the car was hit on the back of the passenger side tray, the lid twisted sideways and went through the rear window. The lids small screws pulled out of the hinge and the cam locks holding the tray down just gave way. The engineer said that the car should have been fitted with anti burst locks. The report cost me thousands of dollars but if it will save other lives it is worth it.
• The seat broke away from the mounting when the tray hit it. The autopsy report stated that my son had injuries consistent with concussion and I have to live with the fact I have read that my son had brain stem injury and only tattered remains of the spinal cord. All the folks that have these utes PLEASE have anti burst locks and bolted hinges. Holden have not responded to my concerns through the engineer. loving mum." J Smith, Gold coast QLD

SUBJECT: HOLDEN ASTRA EQUIPE, 2001 - I will never buy a Holden ever again (04/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "Purchased an new Astra Equipe back in November 2001. The car had just won Wheels Car of the Year, it sounded like a good buy. All the reviews for it were great, so I figured what the hell, I'll get one. To cover myself, I also opted for a protection plan of 3 extra years. What a mistake. Here's a list of problems I've had since purchasing it: - Brakes needed to be replaced after 1 month.
  - Headlights took in water. Fixed at the 1500km service.
  - Dashboard has rattled since day one. Took it back over 5 times and it was fixed for less than 2 weeks. The last time I took it back I was    told the protection plan no longer covered it. Still rattles.
  - Air conditioning died 3 times. Twice I was told there was an "open circuit" and the third time, after 3 visits to the dealership, they replaced    the compressor.
  - Alternator died. Needed to be replaced.
  - Driver side window handle broke.
  - Central locking has died. Last week the dealership tells me that the central locking is not covered by the protection plan, even though    when I purchased the car the salesman never highlighted the exceptions except to say it wouldn't cover consumables. Dealership tried to    rip me off $500 to fix it.
  - Emissions control system has failed. Once again, not covered by the protection plan. Dealership tried to rip me off $800 to fix it.
• I have had a nightmare with the car and the dealership. The car is still not 5 years old and as you can see it is a lemon. The worst part is that I take care of the car, have it serviced regularly and don't thrash it around. I went against all the advice in the world when I purchased a new car for the simple reason of "peace of mind", hence why I requested an extended warranty for the car. I honestly would have fared much better purchasing a used car and spending a few thousand on repairs, than having to deal with this piece of junk. I am planning to take this matter to Fair Trading, as it seems my extended warranty is being re-written every time I have a problem with the car.
• For those who think that people come here to whinge about something they shouldn't be whinging about, the purchase of a car is a serious investment and you have every right in the world to expect it to operate reliably. I sell computers for a living, if a PC I sold had such problems I would have fully expected the customer to throw it at me by now, and its no different for cars." A Vizza, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: HOLDEN VY SS S1 UTE, 2003 - Throw away society (03/10/2006) *CONSUMER FEEDBACK* *NEW CAR*

• "I bought my VY SS ute new in August 2003. On delivery, gaps to passenger door were large. Dealer couldn't see the problem with water leaking in when washed. Door and seals adjusted. Fit is still average. But within specs. mmmmm
• Power steering sprung a leak the first weekend - outcome replaced. Noisy as hell, still leaks. Degreased and cleaned at service. Blue stone driveway shows the success of leak rectification. Still noisy and whiny.
• ABS shudders loudly at start up. Modification kit fitted - no different.
• Auto trans spat clutch packs in 2nd gear. Had to fight with dealer to get a warranty at 39000 k's.
• Diff wines like a 800000 k taxi. Oil changed and additive added. Turn the radio up it drowns out the whine. Dealer would not fix within warranty. Out of warranty. Waiting for diff to blow in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.
• Uses more oil than an oil injected 200HP 2 stroke outboard. This is standard and seems the norm. My first car VH 253 original (never touched apart from service) with nearly 400000 ks when I sold it used about 1/2 litre in 10000. Why does the new bomb use more. Is it a 2 stroke. It seems to have a sump
• Front springs replaced as they creak and crack noise when driving up driveways slow. Changed by another dealer no questions.
• Thermo fan relays stay on and come on at random. When you stop you have to pop the bonnet and remove, so battery wont go flat. Too hard to get dealer to change under warranty. They couldn't fault. Just buy them yourself, heaps easier.
• Fuel gauge very inaccurate. Sender changed. Suffered from heaps of blow back when car was new. Had to trickle in to fill. Great when you are in a hurry.
• Exhaust flange broken, no under car damage. Dealer couldn't find or hear exhaust leak. I found it. Out of warranty. stiff.
• Foam falls out the back of the seat. Seat disassembled by Holden, electrical tape fitted to stop foam being gouged when sat on. 2nd attempt seat replaced. Outcome - still has lumps of foam falling out. Rang up dealer 2 days out of warranty. Was told stiff, too late. They had 2 goes to fix it.
• Dealerships are like the weather bureau. You can get it completely wrong, you can lie and mislead the public and still get paid at the end of the week. Send me a job application. Yours in Motoring" R McCallum, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: LAND ROVER FREELANDER, 2000 - Fuel Problems (03/10/2006) *FUEL* *ENGINE* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I have recently purchased a second hand Freelander, 2000 model with 65km. With the onset of warmer weather the car has recently having difficulties about 1-2 hours into a trip. The revs start to drop, once pulled over the car seams to idle fine, only when accelerating will it start to surge under acceleration. If I pull over and wait for 10-15 mins ( every time) it will start fine and drive fine for about 10-15 km then the problem arises again. This all seams to happen with warmer temperatures as I have driven the car to Mt Buller at night with no problems at all. If someone has had similar issue's I would be very grateful of any advice." A Quinn, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: KIA MENTOR, 2000 - DEALERSHIP - Island Coast Holden, Tully Qld (02/10/2006) *DEALERSHIP*

• "I replaced prior to the "big trip" all my belts on my 2000 KIA Mentor due to the mileage of the car. On the way as the belts worn in, they produced a squealing noise in the morning for a short time due to belt slipping which shortly after went away for the rest of the day. I took the car to Island Coast Holden in Tully, Qld and was very specific when I explained the problem, that I only wanted the belts tightened and a oil change without filter. Cost $120. I was shocked the next morning as the belt slipping still woke every one up at the camp ground at Cardwell Qld. When I checked, I found that I was charged but the work was not done and the belt was still as slack! The park owner then sent me to a repairer 2 km north of Cardwell. He fixed the problem permanently without charging which took him 2 minutes. If you think it is lousy to charge interstate customers for services specified and not carried out, worse was to come. It was then discovered that a mechanic at above dealership left his socket-spanner (with the initials R.L) on the mudguard and closed the bonnet, great for the paintwork, great dealership, great skill and honesty!" M Walter, Sydney NSW

SUBJECT: FORD FALCON BA XT, 2003 - GAS - Problems in Falcon BA? (02/10/2006) *GAS CONVERSION* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I am buying a Ford Falcon BA designed for unleaded petrol. Most of my driving is around city. After reading your views about the BA's fuel consumption, I am concerned about the potential high fuel cost due to high consumption. What is your opinion on putting a Ford Falcon BA on gas? What sort of savings can I expect and are there any common problems?" M Luthra, Melbourne VIC

SUBJECT: NISSAN MAXIMA, 1995 - Startup engine noise (02/10/2006) RELATED POSTING 1  POSTING 2  POSTING 3

• "I finally convinced Nissan to dismantle the engine, and they found and replaced a faulty cam chain tensioner as well as chains and guides. The noise has gone." O Dogster, Brisbane QLD

SUBJECT: HYUNDAI GRANDEUR LIMITED, 2006 (01/10/2006) *NEW CAR*

• "I’ve just discovered today that there have been issues at the Dealership from which I bought the car. As the Dealership is a dual dealership (Duhig Ford & Hyundai) it would seem to appear that Hyundai vehicles have been unfortunately not been treated like they should (from my observation) and it is this that I have brought to the attention of Hyundai Australia.
• I believe many of the problems with my car have been because of carelessness with the Hyundai product each time it has gone in for warranty work. I have had extensive talks with Hyundai Australia and they have assured me that they will attend to all the issues I have presented.
• All matters with my car will be resolved next week. However, I can thank motorsm.com for speedy resolution as it has brought to the forefront these issues which have unfortunately impacted on the Customer (me) and the Hyundai product." W Dekmetzian, Gisborne VIC

SUBJECT: RENAULT CLIO, 2003 - Looking for a small car, Renault Clio is a little ripper (01/10/2006) *CAR BUYING* *CONSUMER FEEDBACK*

• "My wife has a Renault Clio Verve and is a great little car for anyone looking at maybe Barina, Yaris etc. Make sure you consider this model. I am surprised you don't see more of these cars around as they are very comfortable and nippy to drive and I think they look great. Any thing that has been under warranty has been fixed without a qualm at Rex Gorell Renault and head office always follow up with a courtesy call to see if all went well." J Watts, Geelong VIC

SUBJECT: FORD FOCUS, 2003 - Revving between gear changes (01/10/2006) *TRANSMISSION* *ADVICE WANTED*

• "I am seeking information on a problem that I am experiencing with my Ford Focus. I have taken the car back to the dealer several times and they tell me that it normal for my manual Focus to "flare" or increase in revs by about 1000 rpm when you depress the clutch, without your foot on the accelerator, to change gears. As you approach an intersection, depress the clutch and slow down, the revs increase, sometimes up to 2000 rpm but then goes back to normal about 5 seconds after you stop. This action is generally associated with abnormally high fuel consumption. When I queried the Ford dealer about the consumption that I was getting, 87k for 1/4 of a tank, they advised me that the fuel consumption was normal. This does vary greatly from the official figures that Ford has published for this vehicle.
• Is there anyone out there who can shed light on this problem, as the warranty is about to expire on the car. Other faults that I have had fixed under warranty are:
  *New air vents as the old vents shut when you turned the air on high.
  *The roof lining was replace as it sagged in the middle at the rear.
  *Alternator replaced as the light dimmed when you turned the air on high.
  *Front left highlight adjustment motor replaced as it burnt out, mind you it was never used.
• The car has now developed a noise in the calipers in the front left brakes after you brake. I had a similar problem with a 97 Laser which was fixed under warranty. Apart from these faults, a fantastic car to drive, especially overtaking on the highway. Thanks " P Daley, Brisbane QLD

OCTOBER 2006