Ask The Guide

We haven't heard of any other reports of this, but it sounds serious. I would ask Volvo for an explanation of what happened and why. Seems an investigation is warranted.

We haven't heard of any other reports of this, but it sounds serious. I would ask Volvo for an explanation of what happened and why. Seems an investigation is warranted.

I am not aware of a wind noise problem related to the fitting of weather shields. Were they Mazda weather shields, or were they aftermarket items? If your Mazda dealer supplied them, go back and tell them of your concern and ask them to fix it.

You can take it anywhere to have it serviced without affecting the warranty, as long as it is done according the logbook, and done by a qualified mechanic. As for the warranty, right now there’s no pressure on VW to increase its warranty and I doubt it will until market pressure forces the company to do it.

It's not possible to say with any certainty. Regularly serviced it could go for another 260,000 km, but if neglected it could breakdown tomorrow.

Relatively few of these engines were sold, so it won't have the same established patterns as a HiLux 3.0-litre for example.

Windscreens do occasionally leak, and there are a number of possible causes. Unless you can prove that it was a manufacturing or installation fault there’s not a lot you can do except pay the money and replace it. Rather than go through the dealer you could try one of the windscreen companies, which should be cheaper.

You might not be able to see it, but there is a leak and you need to take it to a mechanic or a dealer to have it located and repaired. It could be the radiator tank, a fitting on the engine, or the worst case is that it could be a head gasket.

I agree that it is not an acceptable situation, and believe she has good ground on which to claim a full refund. The car as delivered was clearly not fit for purpose, which is proven by the extended time that Mazda has taken in so unsuccessfully attempting to fix it. I would call in the ACCC.

As you say, the choice is bewildering. All the models you have been looking would be suitable; you could also look at the Nissan X-Trail. I would go for either the Mazda CX-5 or the Kia Sportage, but that's not to say the others aren't worth considering. Why don't you go shopping and check each of them out to see how they fit your needs.

Seems it will be possible. We put your question to Hyundai and were told "a hardware upgrade is in the works and should be available in the next month or so".