Ask The Guide

It’s cars built around 2010/2011 that are the ones affected with the transmission problem, which is the most concerning one. You should be safe in buying the 2013 model, and you have done the right thing in checking the service history.

We haven’t had any previous reports of the problem that has affected your car. On the surface, it appears that VW has done the right thing by you in offering to repair your car at half the original quoted price.

It’s unclear from the information you have given us just what the problem is, but I can make a guess that the belt is not tightening around you when you put it on. Whatever the problem take it to your Mazda dealer and have it checked, it could be a fault with the retractor; it could be a problem with the webbing.

I assume that the value Ford has put on your car isn’t to your liking. The trade-in value of your car is $4300-$5700, and I would guess Ford’s value is somewhere in that range. All you can do is to try and negotiate a more satisfactory deal.

Take it to a Holden dealer and they should be able to get the code for you.

You don’t tell us what happened, which makes it difficult to be of help.

Reducing speed isn’t a satisfactory answer, as driving at 70 km/h when the rest of the traffic is doing 100 km/h can be dangerous. It would appear that there is nothing obviously wrong with the car, or it would have been found in the inspections. You could try increasing the tyre pressures by 5 psi and see if that has any affect; you could also have an experienced mechanic drive the car over the section of road in question so they can see how it behaves.

It is low for the discs to require machining, but the Astra is a European car and they tend to have a higher brake wear rate than cars from Asia.

Have the dealer/mechanic show you the measurements of thickness they took that demonstrates the need. With brakes being considered a wear and tear item it’s a long shot if you’re thinking Holden might come to the party with the cost of the machining.

Clutches do wear out and need to be replaced, and you will need to do that in the future when yours wears out. The mileage you quote is within the normal range.

The BL model, which was introduced in October 2017, doesn’t have a dual-clutch auto; it has a regular automatic transmission. The BK that preceded it did have a dual-clutch auto.

Generally, I'd say the highest spec model you can afford. However, in the Mazda3's case I'd actually say the Maxx seems to provide the best bang-for-your-buck over the far more expensive SP25 variants.

It will come down to whether you find the hatch or sedan more practical, and whether you can live without the extra goodies on the higher-spec models. If you're doing a lot of country driving, I would give extra consideration to the 2.5-litre SP25 models as the 2.0-litre is fine for around town but a bit breathless on the open highway.