Your questions answered: A question on service

Having your car serviced at the local dealership shouldn’t be confusing and frustrating, but sometimes, alas, it can be…

Don’t be too ready to blame the service department though. There are some points you need to understand when the service adviser delivers you bad news.

These points may cover warranty or recalls or just the difference between a ‘lemon’ and a car with a one-off glitch.

Question: We have a Honda CR-V 2002 which we have had since new. We had the first lot of airbags replaced on the car, only to find out that these airbags were faulty. We have been asked to replace these airbags once again, by quite a few letters that have been sent to us. We have heard many stories, but we just want to know whether the airbags will be replaced, or if Honda repossess our car once they have it in their possession. – Ingrid and Wayne

Answer: You should never have ignored the letters about this, which is a critical safety situation. Honda has led the Takata campaign in Australia and has done a first-class job. As part of the initial response to the recall the airbags in your CR-V were replaced like for like – ie: bags of the same technology but brand-new. Now Honda is doing the right thing and updating the airbags to the very latest specification. So far as I’m aware, Honda Australia has only ever replaced airbags, not claimed cars. And the fact that it is replacing the airbags for a second time proves it.

Question: I have heard talk about fixed-price servicing and how dealers try to up-sell to get extra returns. I put my car into service, an Audi S3, and the guy convinced me to include a pollen filter, which he also referred to as a COVID safeguard. I suppose the latter point convinced me to purchase the filter. It cost me $99. So, have I been ripped off? – Alex L

Answer: Do you really think a pollen filter can stop COVID? And was it included on the list for the factory service? Car companies know what’s best for their products and it’s all in the service schedule, which is also why they can provide capped-price – not fixed – servicing.

Question: My wife bought a Honda CR-V and it’s done about 13,000km since May 2019. Yesterday the electronic handbrake packed it in. It’s under warranty and at the dealer now, waiting to get fixed, so do we have grounds to ask for a new car? Obviously, we have been sold a lemon. – Craig W

Answer: This is a gag, right? Any car can have a minor failure and you’re complaining after 13,000km and more than 18 months of driving? There is zero chance of getting a replacement car, but Honda will happily make the repair.

Question: My wife and I have recently purchased a new Volvo S60 sedan and it has developed an intermittent starting problem. It appears the car doesn’t register that your foot is on the brake at start. The issue can last 30 minutes or up to two hours before it finally relents. The car has been back to the dealer and will be going back again, but I’m not sure they really know what the problem is (brake sensor) and I’m not sure if they’re prepared, or indeed allowed, to spend too much time or money on it. – Sheldon B

Answer: If you’re not happy with the dealership’s performance then go straight to Volvo Australia, log a complaint with the customer relations department and talk directly to the company rep. Unfortunately, some dealerships are more interested in a quick turnaround than a proper fix.

Question: In June 2018 I bought a demonstrator 2017 Volkswagen Polo which had three years of warranty, and I was told that if I did the first two yearly services with the same dealership they would extend the warranty to five years. Comes the third year and I take the car to another VW dealership, right near my place. They did the service and told me that there are two problems. When I mentioned to the original dealership what I was told in the past, the lady simply said: “If it doesn’t say anything in your contract, unfortunately there’s nothing I can do.” So, I checked the contract and realised there was nothing mentioned. So, I thought to myself, how would I know that this would have had to be in writing? That was the first time I bought a car off a dealership. I thought that the procedure was just default. – Mauricio G

Answer: Unfortunately, you need paperwork to support something like an extended warranty. You should have read everything carefully before you signed. We will contact Volkswagen Australia to check for you.

Question: My wife and I are looking to update our car and we have it down to a few choices: Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Exceed, Subaru XV hatch, Nissan X-TRAIL and Ford Escape. The budget is around $40,000 and I’m thinking the Mitsubishi because of the warranty and service costs. So I’m wondering if these cars are much the same as each other, or which would be the better buy for our dollar. – Mark S

Answer: They’re all ‘soft-road’ SUVs, but are very different beasts, so the best bet is to compare them with test drives. The X-TRAIL and Escape have more room in the cabin and are physically larger overall, the Eclipse Cross sits in the middle and the Impreza-based Subaru XV is the smallest. Only the Subaru is always all-wheel drive, if that’s important. The Mitsubishi sells on price and the warranty, but the Escape is our pick.

Question: We are going to be buying a new Corolla. They are from around $30,000 and have lots of extras as standard. But not mats, and we’re wondering if there is anything else – such as headlight protectors – we should add as part of the deal. – Bob W

Answer: Unless the dealer is prepared to throw them in for free, avoid the dealership’s aftersales department. You can get everything you need, perhaps apart from branded original-equipment mats, for less money from an aftermarket store such as Burson or Supercheap. Buying a new car is exciting but as new car margins are squeezed dealerships have turned the ‘extras’ business into a major profit centre at the expense of many customers. The same goes for things like window tinting. The one exception to all of the above is if you are negotiating a novated lease, then it may make sense to include the extras you are after in your total repayment schedule.

Question: I’m looking to purchase a low-kilometre used car and I need some boot space. I’m looking to spend up to $25,000 and have been looking at Hyundai Sonata Active, Kia Optima Si and Holden Commodore. I’m not looking for anything over the top but just something to enjoy driving. I like the look of the Kia Optima. – John B

Answer: You should be going for either a Toyota Camry, which is surprisingly good to drive, or a Skoda Octavia, which is also a good drive, surprisingly roomy and comes from Volkswagen Group. The last generation imported Commodore is not a favourite, while the Sonata and Optima are line-ball but not as good as our picks.

Question: After extensive research and study I cannot decide which car to purchase between the Audi S4, S5 Sportback, BMW 340i or Mercedes-Benz C 43. I love driving and this will be my first automatic after owning manuals all my driving life. At the moment I drive a manual Audi A4 1.8T, which I bought new in 2009, and on average I drive 350-400km per week around Melbourne city and country. – Bruce A

Answer: The current BMW 3 Series was our 2019 Car of the Year and the best pick from your group. Drive the 330i as well as the six-cylinder 340 to check what you need, but the rear-drive four-cylinder car will be better balanced than the xDrive 340i.

Question: I'm about to go shopping for a new car and I'm looking at the Camry Hybrid SL or the latest Lexus IS 300h. – Mario P

Answer: The Camry is better than most people know, the IS although recently updated is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I would save money and go for the Camry.

Question: I have just sold my 2016 Holden Commodore VFII SS-V Redline and not sure what to replace it with. I loved the power and sporty look of the Redline but am ready for a change after the headache of having to wait for months for parts for warranty work. I have $65,000 to spend, or potentially $85,000 and I’m a lady in my early 50s with one teenage daughter. Looking for a head-turner of a vehicle with power and luxury features that can handle city, highway and some country road driving. – Melissa P

Answer: The obvious choice is the Ford Mustang. It ticks all your boxes, but there is also the impressive Kia Stinger and the punchy, compact Genesis G70. Because the character of the cars is so different, this is a case when back-to-back test drives are essential to make the right choice.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

Find more of Your Questions Answered by carsales here