GWM Problems

There could be any number of reasons for this from an electrical or a mechanical point of view. Since the car is under warranty, why not tackle your Haval dealership with the problem as, legally, it’s their responsibility to put right.

But on another level, are you sure the vehicle is not using its electric motor to help power the vehicle? The transition between petrol, electric and a combination of the two can be pretty hard to pick sometimes, especially in newer vehicles with smoother engines and better sound-proofing. In fact, the Jolion Hybrid has been praised in road tests for the seamless way it transitions between petrol and electric power, so maybe because you’re not feeling or hearing this transition, it appears to be not happening, even when it is.

If the problem is getting worse, then there's clearly something deteriorating with either the doors themselves or the rubber seals that keep the air and water out. You could start by visually inspecting the rubber seals. Is there any obvious damage (such as a seat-belt buckle been left hanging out when the door was slammed shut)? Are there any witness marks or visible fretting on the paintwork from any component. Even a stray leaf caught between the door and the rubber can cause a leak, so give the area a good clean and see if that helps.

The door hinges could also be at fault, but I'd be a bit surprised if a car as new as this one has worn hinges already. In the bad old days, this problem was usually fixed by grabbing the window frame part of the door and bending it in slightly to achieve a better seal. That probably won't help you, but keep in mind the car is still under warranty, so make it Haval's problem.

Most of a modern car’s systems are now sealed which means you shouldn’t find any fluids under the car, with one possible exception. And that would be some water from the air-conditioning system. One of the things air-con does is de-humidifies the air passing through it (which is why it’s so good for demisting fogged-up windows). The result of that is that the water from the atmosphere removed by the A/C has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is usually on to the ground via a vent that stops the water collecting inside the cabin. However, this vent is more likely to be located under the dashboard or perhaps under the front seats, not the rear of the vehicle.

Don’t rule out, either, a simple case of rainwater which has collected somewhere along the chassis and drains out when you pull up for the night. Did you drive through a puddle just before parking the car? That could explain the liquid, too.

Given the liquid is clear and has no smell means it probably is water, but make sure you check the levels of everything else on the vehicle and keep an eye on them to make sure you don’t have a problem. And that includes the water reservoir for the windscreen washers.

Meantime, don’t forget that a fluid leak is a warranty issue for Haval to deal with.

The cost can vary depending on what state or territory you live in and in what post-code (regional areas often have lower registration fees than metropolitan areas). That said, according to the QLD Transport Department’s website, that doesn’t apply in the sunshine state.

As such, for a full 12 months of registration, including compulsory third-party insurance on a 2022 GWM Ute, you’re looking at $816.55.

A lot of cars are trimmed with leather these days, but it's also a fact that there's leather and then there's leather. Some is supple and rich and lovely, while some car-makers specify a grade of leather that is still technically a cow's hide, but is of distinctly inferior quality. These cheaper leathers are the ones that tend to get hotter, but it's also true that all leather will get hot if you lock your car and park it in the sun.

There are plenty of seat cover options, but a favourite for those who like their comfort is the good old sheepskin cover. Again, these are available in a range of quality and price-points, but a good set will definitely stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

This is a potentially lethal fault as anything amiss with a car’s braking system is a major recipe for disaster. It sounds as though the braking system is applying pressure when you hit the brake pedal, but not allowing the pressure to release when you take your foot off the brake.

If yours was an older car, I’d be suspecting the flexible brake hoses had collapsed internally, allowing the brake fluid to pass through them one way but not return. However, this seems unlikely in a car as new as the one you’ve described. Which leads me to think that perhaps the brake master cylinder is at fault or, perhaps the anti-lock braking system is the culprit as this system controls the flow of fluid to each caliper. Either way, it’s straight back to the dealership for a warranty claim, but I’d be taking the vehicle there on the back of a truck as it really doesn’t sound safe to drive as it is. Driving a car with binding or dragging brakes can very quickly overheat the brake fluid, leading to a complete brake failure with obvious potential results.

If you’re unhappy with the service from your dealership, I would suggest contacting the manufacturer’s customer service division and stating your case. I’d also be asking for a replacement car until yours is fixed.

Live wires don’t like to be short-circuited which, I’m guessing, is exactly what you’ve done by touching something you shouldn’t have with your screwdriver. The good news is that modern cars have protection against this sort of mishap in the form of fuses and circuit-breakers.

So the first job is to find the fuse or fuses that have blown (sacrificing themselves to protect the rest of the car’s electrical system). These will be identifiable by their broken filament (if you hold them up to the light) but often, finding them is the hardest part.

Some vehicles have their fuse-box located somewhere under the dashboard or in the kick panels and others locate the fuse-box under the bonnet. Many cars have one of each, so take some time with the owner’s manual and find the fuses and then identify the blown ones. With luck, you’ll simply need to replace these fuses with new ones of the correct rating and you should restore everything to working order. Given the scope of the mayhem you’ve created, it’s a fair bet there is more than one fuse involved here.

If the fuses don’t check out, you might also find there’s a fusible link on the positive battery terminal. This can also blow as a defence mechanism but is also easy to replace. If none of that works, it’s off to an auto electrician to find out what you’ve inadvertently fried and what needs to be replaced.

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

It sounds as though the car has a major computer glitch if it keeps issuing phantom warnings and won’t operate things like the cruise-control or the menu-driven functions. Australia’s consumer laws on this subject are quite clear and compel Haval to fix the problems as part of the factory warranty it offers with the vehicle.

Don’t be tempted to let them get away with this. Make sure the problems have been logged with the dealership and with Haval (in writing) so that the problems will be treated as a pre-existing condition even if the warranty runs out down the track. If Haval refuses to fix a warranty problem, it is in breach of that same consumer law, at which point you can contact the ACCC who will make a judgment that can be legally enforced.

An independent inspection of the vehicle by your state motoring club might be a good thing to have too, as it will prove that an independent body has identified the problems and that they really do exist.

Plenty of owners of cars (not just Havals) with this type of 'intelligent' cruise-control have complained about it. The problem occurs at highway speeds on any road with a corner on it. At which point, the vehicle decides it's travelling too fast and slows down, sometimes actually applying the brakes. Depending on whether you simply want a comfortable journey or you've just overtaken a B-double, this can be anything from annoying to dangerous.

I've heard reports of Haval dealers having a software upgrade which can be uploaded to the car during a service which eliminates this element of the adaptive cruise-control. It would be worth asking your Haval dealer whether it's available yet.
Some owners have actually resorted to physically covering the front camera so the car no longer knows there's a corner approaching. We definitely don't recommend that as it might interfere with other safety features.