Ask The Guide

You're right to be concerned, you are likely to lose quite a chunk of money on it after such a short period of ownership. It would be better to hold on to it for another year or two if you want to reduce the damage through depreciation. To find out what you might get for it as a private sale or as a trade-in go to one of the recognized car valuation websites, like Glass's or Redbook. There you'll find all of the information you need to make a good decision.

We checked and you are correct, the dash lights should be on during the day and they should be brighter than they are in darker conditions or at night.

There have been changes to the clutch and seals to prevent the fluid contamination issue, but only cars that have gone into the dealer with the problem have had the new parts fitted. The extended warranty is to give you peace of mind that if yours suffers this issue in the future it will be fixed.

The folding hard top roof is a great idea, but it's also quite a complex and difficult thing to make work reliably. Classic Ford fans will be aware that the company had a folding hard top in its '57 model in America, and getting that roof to work the way it was designed is very hard. Obviously they have made considerable progress in the last 50 or so years, but it is still a very complex piece of gear to get it to raise and lower smoothly, and seal properly. Anyone thinking of buying a car with such a roof should look carefully at the operation of the roof before they buy.

Like you I think the value of some of the technology we're being sold is questionable. The fuel saving and emission reductions that flow from the start/stop function are miniscule.

Thanks for the tip. It's certainly something worth checking and might provide a simple fix for the owner in question.

The car failed, which is the crux of the problem.

Your problem sounds like many others reported to CarsGuide. You should immediately request a replacement via both your Holden dealer and Holden headquarters in Melbourne.

The Octavia gets The Tick and my personal preference is the wagon. The engine is fine and you should also chase one of the latest drive-away deals.

The importer of Cooper tyres from the US, Terry Smith, was disappointed to hear of your problem and is sending an expert to find a solution.