Ask The Guide

Many car-makers of this era were fitting stereo systems with security codes to deter thieves who were having a field day at the time breaking into cars to steal the radios. The idea was that without the security code, the stereo wouldn't work and was, therefore, useless to the thieves. So why steal it in the first place?

Great theory, but in practice, these codes have become a nightmare for subsequent owners. That's because every time you need to change the car's battery, the stereo has to have the security code re-entered before the radio will work again. If that's what's happened in your case, then you need to search through the glove-box for all the original owner's manuals and delivery documents to see if you can find the code (usually a four or five-digit number). If you can find it, great, you simply punch it into the stereo and it should be off and running again.

If you don't have the code, you'll need to contact Ford's customer service division or even a dealership. In some cases, they can quote you the security code over the phone (if you can convince them you're the car's legal owner) and you've provided the car's VIN. What's also possible is that they'll need the serial number of the actual radio which usually means removing it from the dashboard.

The fines are a separate matter as to what you eventually do with the vehicle. They need to be paid, regardless of what else you decide to do.

As you say, you can return the vehicle to standard condition or have it engineered for the modifications you want and then have the defects cleared by having the car inspected. But if you decide to sell the vehicle, it can't be sold with current defects and while still registered. You can clear the defects and sell the vehicle with registration, or cancel the registration and then sell the car. In any case, there's no way you could obtain a roadworthy certificate with the defects you've listed so the simplest way to get rid of the car would be to cancel the registration and then sell the car.

Perhaps part of the reason for the car's high fuel consumption is your statement that it goes like the clappers. Drive it like that and fuel consumption can spiral. That's especially so of this model which, with its all-wheel-drive, had quite a bit more driveline friction than the front-wheel-drive Magnas.

However, 20 litres per 100km on the highway suggests there's something else contributing, so an electronic scan of the car should throw up problems like a blocked catalytic converter, stretched timing chains, or a lock-up torque converter that isn't locking up. Don't forget the basics such as tyre pressures, binding brakes and even the condition of the fuel system including the pump, filter and injectors. One or more fuel injectors which are worn and prone to dribbling when they should be shut off can easily cause fuel consumption to spike.

If the car dealer is a licensed dealer, there are statutory obligations they must meet in terms of offering for sale vehicles that are fit for purpose. That includes selling cars that are working safely and properly.

If you’ve notified the dealer of a problem within the statutory warranty period, then the dealer is still required to fix the problem even if that period has passed. It’s called a pre-existing condition and even though the warranty may now be up, if the problem was logged before that point in time, then it’s still the dealer’s problem to fix it. The law generally allows the dealer to take a reasonable amount of time to make these repairs, so simply waiting for the warranty period to expire and then asking for your money back probably won’t work (in most cases).

If you can’t convince the dealer to make the repairs, then the other way to handle this would be to talk to the ACCC. Consumer law in this country allows for the commission to make a ruling on matters like these, taking into account all the factors from both sides. But before tackling the ACCC, you should first exhaust all avenues with the car dealer in question. If that doesn’t work, your state or territory probably has a conciliation body tasked with settling disputes like this.

Fundamentally, you are required to give the dealer every chance to make things right, and if that takes some time, inconvenient though it may be for you, that’s how it works. The exception is if the car you bought was not through a licensed dealer, but privately or at auction. In that case, all bets are off and there’s no warranty in the first place.

How long is a piece of string, Kerry? Also, condition can be everything on these vehicles and you’ll see them advertised anywhere from $3000 to $40,000 depending on what sort of life they’ve led.

But your vehicle is even more difficult to pigeon-hole price-wise, because its been modified to a fairly large degree with the transmission from another model altogether. Second-hand car buyers generally don’t like such orphans, and your asking price will need to reflect this.

The best advice is to have a look at the various online for-sale sites and find something roughly comparable to your vehicle in terms of mileage, specification and overall condition.

That's not actually a lot to be spending on a second-hand SUV these days. As such, it won't buy you much, so you'll be looking at older models. To be honest, there's probably better value in a hatchback. They're not as fashionable but if you're not going off-road, why bother with all-wheel-drive (which will also use more fuel).

Whatever you buy, at this price, the service history is vital. We'd always buy a car with more kilometres showing and a full service history, than a car with fewer kilometres but a sketchy service history.

And regardless of which way you go, make sure the car has the minimum of stability-control, anti-lock brakes and air-bags. Safety if the number one priority for younger drivers, so give your daughter the best odds.

You've tackled this in the appropriate manner, giving the dealership from which you bought the car every chance to make it right. But that hasn't happened, so now is the time to talk to Subaru's customer service division at head office. 

The good news is that the problem has been logged as a pre-existing condition, so it will be covered by your new-car warranty even if the car is technically out of the warranty period. Also, Subaru has not ignored the problem nor refused to accept it exists, so that's a positive, too.

If for some reason, Subaru wants to abandon you and your problem (which won't happen given its approach thus far) then you could talk to the ACCC. Australian Consumer Law has some fairly rigid rules regarding products that aren't fit for purpose. This, however, would be your last resort.

It would bother me a little that the car was making a weird noise from the front suspension, and I think you've probably got a case for not wanting to drive the car until it's fixed. This could be where you tackle the customer service division for the loan of a different car until yours is fixed. I don't think that would be an unreasonable request and may hasten the problem's resolution.

A wobble or vibration big enough to be felt through the floor that suddenly occurs for no reason, can often be traced back to a wheel balance issue. If the wobble is worst through the car's steering wheel, it's likely to be a front-wheel balance issue, otherwise we'd be looking at the rear wheels.

The generally terrible state of our roads at the moment is probable cause for this, and a decent impact with a pothole can be enough to dislodge the small weights on a car's wheel that make it balanced and, therefore, rotate smoothly. When you consider how fast a wheel is turning at 100km/h, you can imagine that a small imbalance can be enough to produce a big wobble.

The good news is that this is a simple fix. A visit to a tyre specialist will soon determine of a wheel balance problem is the issue and it can be fixed quickly and cheaply with the replacement of the small, lead weights which are stuck to the car's rim. While the wheels are being checked, it's a good idea to examine the tyres, too. A tyre with structural damage or a flat spot an also lead to this type of problem.

If this doesn't turn out to be the cause of the wobble, you then need to move on to other components like the driveshaft and universal joints and even suspension bushes and shock absorbers.

While the basic mechanical package of the Express was reasonably well-sorted, any reliability issues for any commercial vehicle 13 years on will almost certainly be down to how the van has been used and how it's been maintained.

Check the service history. If there is none, be very wary. Also, try to find out what industry the vehicle has worked in until now. Some tasks are far more likely to shorten a vehicle's lifespan than others.

Also, have a close look at what the vehicle is trying to tell you. Is the driver's seat damaged on the bolsters where a driver has made thousands of deliveries? If so, you might be looking at a vehicle that has spent all its life in urban running. Does the vehicle have a tow-bar fitted, suggesting it might have lugged heavy loads around. Don't ignore the vital sings, either; is the oil clean? Are there any mechanical noises? It's amazing what close observation can reveal.

Your recommended tyre pressures can vary a bit depending on what size wheel and tyre combination is fitted to your car. But broadly speaking, you should be looking at something like 30 or 32 psi front and rear as a good starting point. If you're moving heavy loads or driving at freeway speeds in mid-summer, a little more inflation pressure might be a good idea.

As for recommended fuel, the best advice would be to stop using ethanol-blended (E10) fuel right away. That's because there's a fair bit of confusion on the subject as it relates to Volkswagen models. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries tells us that all post-1986 VWs with fuel-injected engines are fine with E10. The NSW government website, however, says that E10 should not be used in VWs. Some VW owners have also been told by VW head office that E10 fuel is not suitable for their cars.

So it's confusing, but if in doubt, stick with the safe option which, for your car, would be non-ethanol fuel with an octane rating of 95 or more.