My BA radiator ruptured & contaminated the trans fluid. Took it to Adtrans service dept who told me what the problem was & said I needed a new radiator, hoses, overflow tank, block flush, coolant & replacement trans as the coolant would have ruined the internals. Quoted $4700.

I then started researching on the net & asking people in the trade & found this has been a recognised fault with the BA. I contacted Ford customer relations & spoke to Ryan. He gave me a reference number & asked me to take it to a Ford dealer (ADRIEN BRIEN) for inspection. They told me the same story & thought Ford would fix it & said Ford would contact me.

After waiting 4 days I rang Ryan & he said they would not help. More research. Then I rang Ryan again to get a reason, but he was on the phone & I was told he would ring me back, he must be still on the phone (4 days now).

The car was serviced by Ford dealers, has done 118Km and out of warranty but because Ford had known about this fault & fixed some out of warranty they should have done a recall & rectified the problem & not just hope too many people would complain.

I would like all owners to get together & perhaps get a lawyer to represent us in our claims. Any info & advice please email me so we can get organised. Brian.

Yep - we have a 2005 Kia Carnival and it just keeps draining away that coolant - we started to get this erratic thumping from the engine bay when idling - its started each time after we have had a yearly "Service" (mind you at different dealerships).

The fix that was the best was from Ballina Kia (we actually made it to Ballina on Holidays). Anyway the known fault is Air in the engine that needs to be sucked out and then coolant added ... our Kia went fine until we got our second service at the new Pymble Kia. And now it literally drinks coolant!

Anyone got any ideas as it's definitely not a blown head gasket (yet).

Basically we purchased a 2003 Holden Rodeo LT model and had it for five months. Serviced it every 5000ks as advised from the warranty booklet. It had done around 60'000 when we bought it and we have only done 10'000 since.

We noticed the gearbox was making a rattling noise so we got it checked out and stripped only to find that two bearings were worn. We then applied for a claim through our mechanical warranty for a new set of bearings and labour costs. We were told that they don't cover wear and tear but because it was not a fair wear and tear they would pay for two bearings only and not the rest because they weren't damaged.

Our mechanic cannot guarantee the repair without a new full set of bearings which has left us with having to pay over a grand for the rest of the parts. We have been told by many mechanics that bearings usually wear out at around 400'000 or 500'000ks not at 70'000ks.

We then approached Holden asking for assistance or if it could be a manufacturing fault and they didn't want to know about anything about it. Apparently nobody seems to know how those bearings got worn out with such low kilometers which only lead us to thinks it's a fault with Holden's manufacturing. Any advice on what we could do to sort this problem out would be great thanks.

Suspect fuel sender ... thanks Ford just ran out of petrol (on a full tank!) Angry! Not good enough. Ford = found on rubbish dump!

I own a Holden Commodore VY S and have encounted the same problem with the front passenger door. Just wondering how you got on? I am in the same situation as you. It has only done 40000 on the clock and the factory warranty expired in March. Did the CRC work or did the problem continue, if so what was the cost? Thanks

Took my Ford Focus to City Ford where I bought it new for scheduled 30,000 km service. I was surprised when I was told that all the brake pads as well as the front disk rotors needed replacing.

I do not think that the disk rotors should only last 30,000 kms. The cars still has the original set of tyres on it when bought new and they are still OK. I can accept the pads can be worn out and need to be replaced but can't understand how the disk rotors can wear out earlier than the tyres. There must be something wrong with them in the first place.

The sad thing is I was not only charged for the rotors but also for labour. I believe that this problem must be covered by new vehicle warranty or the rotors should, at least, be fitted free of charge.

I have had a 2001 TS Astra City with a 1.8 litre engine from new. At first it was a nice car to drive, looked good, and ran well.

First problem noisy brakes, pads replaced at 3000k. Next at 50,000k air conditioner replaced $1200. Next at 74000k ignition problems - the yellow engine icon lit on alarm panel and engine running rough. I was told the coil pack needed replacing; $720 later but symptoms soon returned. So I reasoned if you can help a home computer sometimes when it gets in a knot by powering it down and restarting it the same should apply to a car computer (ECU). So I unplugged it and plugged it back in and sure enough it corrected the problem. Also the battery had to be disconnected to get rid of the alarm. This might not always work but worth a try before you spend a heap of money.

Does the timing belt have to be replaced with both types of 1.8litre engines at 60,000k?

Douglas,

I too own a 2001/2002 Nissan Patrol Ti 4800, original owner. I have noticed more recently the problem of the tyre wearing out very quickly on the left hand side also. I too tried to have wheel alignments done, but to very little improvements.

The tyre mob actually did tell me to take it to a suspension specialist. To date I have not been able to get there. Where did you end up taking your vehicle to and what was the part called that was required to fix this problem? And finally did the problem go away?

Appreciate your response, Vince...

I have a 2003 Navara, 3.0lt, dual cab diesel. I have recently struck a "surging" problem, that only happens "under load", e.g. 3000RPM+. It only happens in 3rd & 4th gears and no others. I have run injector cleaner through it, twice. I have also had it on the freeway, 4th & 5th gear, up to 190km/hr, and no problems reaching & maintaining speed.

Mechanic has told me "could be injectors, which we'd have to replace (at $300 each), or injector pump ($2500 min)". Has run diagnostics, and still not sure. Hit & hope method, I've been told. Start by replacing one injector at a time & hope. After that, injector pump for sure! Anyone had this problem before, or knows how to repair or what I should be looking for?

Cool Air being sent to the feet when the all the dials are turned off.

Hello to everyone out there who has been unfortunate enough to have bought Renault Scenic 4x4! This vehicle is an out and out death trap ...

We were just about to go driving in Mpumalanga. The afternoon before we left we were driving along and all of a sudden we had No Brakes! Imagine driving on the mountain routes in Mpumalanga and finding you have no clutch and no brakes. The garage who sold us this second hand vehicle sent it to Renault 4 times to have it fixed.

1st, 2nd and 3rd times it came back, we were told it had been fixed ... wrong same old problem week after week! The last time it went to Renault I called the head office and had to get quite angry in order to get anything done. Finally they seemed to have fixed it. But my question is for how long. When I am going to be driving along and suddenly find I have no brakes again ... Why do Renault allow this to happen? They obviously are aware that this car has a major defect!

Has anyone had this problem fixed and then go on to develop the same problem again and again? We all need to come to together and make Renault fix their faulty and dangerous cars. They will just keep on dismissing individuals because they can, but if we all act together and make a big noise and bring it to the attention of media in our various countries and shame Renault into doing what they should. Please! Before Someone Dies As A Direct Result Of This.

My wife purchased this vehicle. It pulls badly to left hand side. Has anyone had the same problem? And what was done to rectify it?

Well here we go - I purchased my Navara brand spanker from Toowoomba Qld. It was that new it was still on boat when I ordered it. So after waiting several weeks the day comes to pick her up.

I get to dealership and was told come back later as it was not ready so I go away and come back later - still not ready. Then after another hour and half they bring her out. Well there were scuff marks and grease from the shipping all over it. They said that they are easily removed so I agreed to take it only because I have been waiting so long for the ****** thing.

Well I get her home and notice bullbar is bent yep bent that it had a crease underneath it. On closer inspection one of the blinker wires on the bullbar were also broken so back to dealer I go. They say I been paddock bashing in it (40,000 dollar paddock basher yer right) so they refuse to fix it. So I had to get blinker fix myself; bulbar still same.

Secondly I used to tow a tinny on. Going fishing one day I was reversing down boat ramp and the windscreen cracked from one side to the other. So I contact dealer again and they said it was my own fault and they did not want to look at it.

Now as I was working on a property I was travelling along a dirt road for 15 km to get to town. I notice that dust was getting sucked inside of it from around all the doors. So I contact dealer again but was a bit more ****** off at them this time. So they finally had a look at it. When I go and pick it up they told me that this was normal as it was not intended for driving along dirt roads (this is a 4wd Nissan Navara) and they also said that no car is air tight. Well maybe not it still should not suck in the amount of dust it was. What is the use of having 4wd if you can't use it?

There have been other minor problems with it but got sick of Nissan stuffing me around and fixed myself. Until now it starts raining (this is why I writing this) and there is water leaking in on driver side that much I can scoop it out by the hands full. Well car is just out of warranty so I go to see the local dealer, and they say to me at service - are my feet getting wet from the water leaking that is how bright they are. Anyway they ask how old it was and I said 3 years old and then she goes on and says that behind the dash could be rusted out. I said the ****** thing is only three years old and it better not be rusted out or I will get very ******.

So she goes out back and another girl comes out and says the same thing. That it might be rusted out so I tell her for Nissans sake it better not at three years old. So she said I had to book it in so they can yet have another look at it but not until next week (when the rain stops I suppose) so I won't find out until then if I got a court case on my hand or not ... Let hope not.

So when buying from Nissan, people do your homework. Other than that the Navara drives great. Put it through every trick you know of before you buy and get your services from your own mechanic you trust - Nissan are just too dear for these. Cheers and good luck.

In March 2002, we bought a new 4.2 Turbo Nissan Patrol Diesel Wagon with a limited slip diff. We have since travelled 100,000kms. It would have done less than 100 kms in 4WD and possibly 12,000 kms pulling a caravan. I do most of the servicing myself, as I have had 4x4 for 40 years and had always done the servicing.

When changing the rear diff oil I noticed small metal pieces. The metal pieces were the limited slip rings, which had broken up for some reason. There was no noise or damage to the crown wheel pinion. When I took the diff to the diff and transmission people, they informed me that it appeared that I had a pre 97 diff or an Y60 instead of an Y61. The difference between the two diffs is a massive increase in the size of the limited slip part in the Y61. On further investigation and inquiry at the Nissan dealership spare parts, I found this to be the truth.

I presented all this information to the customer relations people in Melbourne, who assured me that this just could not happen, despite of having it photographed and identified by the dealership. Later when I requested to see the Nissan Company rep I was told that if Melbourne told me there was nothing further they could do then the rep couldn’t help me.

Most Nissan Patrols also have a fault with the left hand front wheel, which will scrub out the tyre. A steering alignment cannot fix this. It has to have a part (not Nissan) that is readily available and which realigns the top bearing in the swivel pin housing.

Also, if you are a 4.2 Turbo owner and you want considerably more power, all you have to do is put a 3 inch muffler system from the turbo onwards, then have a diesel specialist do the timing and you will have a different vehicle.

I have VX SS Series 1 - problem comes and goes and is like a hesitation or a miss but only happens every now and again. Car only has 50,000kms.

Anyone have any ideas? I have taken it to two dealerships and they have been no help.

Has anyone had any trouble with their accelerator sticking on at high speed? This happens every now and then about 6-8 weeks intervals. When I try to apply the brake it is like trying to push down on a brick.
Graham. Caringbah

Sorry to bring on more depressing news guys but Mazda Bravo/Ford courier gearboxes are ****. Transmission shops will tell you to expect 130 to 200k out of manuals 4x4s and in my case 4x2. My first box cost me 3000k 3 years ago, my second box let go 2 months ago so I rebuilt it myself for $920 in parts.

The good news is the motors petrol and diesel are excellent, mine being petrol on gas with 399k and still going strong.

I am only concerned since I purchased my vehicle through an auction that having my car for a little over a year that I needed to replace the brakes. As my mechanic said that the front brake pads needed replacing and so I complied. But not long after I still keep hearing a noise I think coming from the front brakes.

I've taken the car back at least three times to my mechanic and he said that they are fine and that perhaps it could be that they have dirt in them. He did clean them and even after awhile the noise came back. Then I took them back in which he said that they were fine and if I wanted to bring the car back that he would change them if I was that concerned.

I do trust my mechanic being a family friend for over 10 yrs so I have no question in his judgment. But I am about to take the car down to Sydney and would like to know if someone else has had similar complaints in regards to possible noise from brakes!
Thanks!

Hi Janine.
Water coming from your exhaust is not necessarily a blown (or cracked) head or gasket. The water may be condensation. Coolant from the exhaust would also be associated with a severe misfire or roughness in the motor. If you are using coolant the exhaust would also have a sickly sweet smell to it. As you have not mentioned a concern in these areas I would suggest having the cooling system pressure tested for leaks elsewhere.
Usually a leaking head gasket from the model you have would show stains on the RH side of the block or a roughness in the motor. Check for leaks, particular attention to the water pump and the pipe behind it that runs along the RH side of the motor. Sometimes these leaks are small enough to dissipate before forming a drip on the ground. I have also found that many water pumps only leak when hot and the motor is actually running. Hope this helps with your decision.

Yes EFs and ELs to tend to have more issues in this area than other models. Remember to keep the coolant (not just water) level at around 30% or more but not above 50%.

-----------------------------------------------
A footnote to my last post:

I replaced my EDs head gasket due to a coolant seepage at 170,00km. The motor still had the manufacturers hone marks in the bore (very little wear). It has now done more than 270,000km, mainly on LPG.

Hi Shannyn.
Along the same lines as your concern. A reminder to people with more than one car with transponder (microchip) type keys. Avoid keeping the keys on the one key ring, as this can sometimes cause the receiver system to pick up multiple or mixed signals. The result can be anything from a failure to start on that attempt, to immobilization of the system. The receiver range is "very" small, so most of the time this is not an issue.

Also when using the key ensure other keys are hanging from the keyring and not beside the ignition key, as this can sometimes "mask" the transponders signal.

I bought what was supposed to be a reliable second car from "Auto Gallery" 11 Uppill Place in Wangarra WA for $1800.

During the second week I needed to replace the ignition module, leads and distributer and cap for just over $300, followed a week later with Power steering repairs for $280. This week (after a whole 5 weeks) the transmission has failed and I have a rough estimate of 2500+ to rebuild? Is it worth it?

I had a gas conversion two months ago and have had to take it back twice now to the company who changed it over as the smell inside the car was sickening. It seemed to improve then it came back again. Took it in yesterday yet again and lo and behold the smell is as bad as ever especially when waiting at lights etc.

They say they can't do anything else, that they have fixed the problem. What can I do next or is it normal to have a gas smell in the car?

Thanks for any advice.

I heard of a funny story, I think it was from the UK, where a baby swallowed the key chip and the owner had to hold the baby near the ignition switch to start the car!

On recent trip from Adelaide to Alice, power dropped off and then suddenly surged. Did this several times until vehicle finally stopped. Waited 5 minutes vehicle went OK until 10 km out of town did the same thing again.

There is no pattern to it as it occurs now and again or several times on a trip. Whether towing requiring extra fuel demand or a normal trip the problem comes and goes. Nothing shows on the diagnostic machine.

Had 100,000 km service done in Townsville and the computer showed no fault. Returned from Townsville no problem all the way back to Alice. Recently went on a 75 km trip, took me 2 1/2 hours stop start.

Fuel filter has been changed, new plugs. Thought it could be 02 sensor which was disconnected and vehicle ran OK. Local agent says NO. Could be solenoid that controls butterfly, getting replacement.

Did 80 km run with diagnostic machine attached. Vehicle ran perfectly. Nobody seems to know what the problem is.

Any takers?

Hi, don't buy Ever a French car with HDI engines. Apart from the problems with the petrol ones, the diesels are all worthless lumps of **** metal. They are riddled with problems. The EGR valves clog up easily, thus causing Anti Pollution Fault. Let the garage fob you off and reset it, and after about a year your turbocharger goes.

My car's 378000 miles 4 years old bought from Wilsons of Epsom (steer clear from them too, email me and I'll tell you another horrendous story). Turbos died, aircon faulty, clutch fault (since 6500 miles old), wing mirrors not folding in, central locking unlocking for no reason (real good security ... not), suspension gone ... Phew, seems everyone on www.crushmy307.co.uk is having same problems. My war continues, but I have their hire car, and they're not getting it back until I get a full refund - simple!

Dont Buy French, check out www.peugeotsucks.co.uk - www.crushmy307.co.uk