Car Servicing

The check engine light on my 2007 Hyundai Elantra has been coming and going for a while now. When the transmission heats up the car goes into limp home mode, but behaves fine after it has cooled, only for the situation to be repeated when it heats up again. My local dealer won't repair the fault under warranty, as he claims I used non-genuine transmission fluid at the 90,000 km service. The servicing was done as per the service passport, but at my mechanic's, not at the dealers. I have been told the cost of repair is in the region of $5000, as the transmission needs to be rebuilt. Do you think they are being unreasonable?

My wife's 2006 Hyundai Elantra SLX auto is due for its 90,000 km service, even though it has only done 37,000 km. In the service book this major service includes replacement of the timing belt. Do I really need to replace the timing belt?

Motorists are almost certain to miss out on cheaper servicing after the Federal Government backed down on an overhaul of the technical maintenance data shared by car companies to independent workshops.As modern cars are increasingly controlled by computers, they need expensive diagnostics equipment to do routine maintenance - which in many cases forces motorists to take their car to the dealership they bought it from.Last year the Federal Government announced a review of the sharing of technology, given that modern vehicles will eventually come on to the market as used cars. But rather than force car makers to share more technical information, the Federal Government has deferred the issue for the car makers to sort it out among themselves."It’s like putting the fox in charge of the hen house; consumers are the ones who will be disadvantaged," said Andrew McKellar, the executive director of the Australian Automobile Association, which represents 7 million motorists."After more than a year the best recommendation they could come up with is that the car brands should decide amongst themselves who can access their information - it’s simply not good enough."Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury today released the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC) final report, entitled ‘Sharing of repair information in the automotive industry’.The advisory council found there was "a relatively low level of consumer detriment associated with the accessibility of repair information at this time".The CCAAC says it urges "the industry to expedite current processes to develop an appropriate outcome in response to this issue and will continue to engage with the industry to support this"."This is a weak report which recommends a weak response - the interests of consumers need to be recognised," said McKellar."Motorists deserve a level playing field when they have their car repaired and experience has shown that industry-led resolutions are not an efficient or effective means of addressing motorists concerns."The Government needs to acknowledge that motorists own and control the information and data relating to their vehicle, not the manufacturer."James McCall, the chief executive of the NSW Motor Traders Association, which represents 5000 car dealers and repairers - both sides of the debate  - said: "I believe the report is fair and more than satisfactory. This is a commercial matter that needs to be settled between independent repairers, motor dealers and car manufacturers and no-one else should interfere." 

When I had my Subaru Impreza serviced by an independent service outlet recently they used 10w-40 semi-synthetic oil, not the 0w-20 synthetic oil specified in the owner's manual. When I queried them I was told that 0w-20 is too light and that it isn't available in Australia. Am I being taken for a ride?

I am getting a shudder in the steering of my 2005 Subaru Impreza GL when turning slowly such as coming out of a parking spot at a shopping centre. I took it to a mechanic to have it serviced and was told that the front diff is on its way out and that it was a common fault with Subarus. I contacted a Subaru dealer and explained the problem to the service department and they said it could be a solenoid at the rear of the transmission or the clutch could be grabbing and would cost between $750-$950 to fix. These quoted prices seem to me to be quite extravagant. Have you heard of Subarus having front diff and transmission problems when the vehicle has only done 122,000 km. I would appreciate you opinion of the above.

You might remember that I contacted you about the unintended acceleration of my Toyota Corolla, after which Toyota contacted me to inspect the vehicle. Well, they arranged a meeting and gave it the once over and were very thorough and concerned at the "problem". They then ran through the operation of the throttle and its four or five computer staged back-ups, which would not allow such a problem as mine to happen and if there was a problem then certain "codes" would show on the dash and the car would go into limp-home mode. All very well and good, putting the ball straight back into the operator error category! I was in the car and know I didn't press the accelerator and brake at the same time, nor did a floor mat cause the problem because there wasn't one in the car at the time. This brings me to the original report to the dealer, which was never reported to any national database and my latest report that was somehow mislaid or miss-filed on their computer! I am left with the feeling that unless people like Carsguide highlight these problems that they get swept under the carpet. It is up to customers to report faults keep carmarkers honest. Thanks for your help Graham, at least I can now quote a Toyota file no if it ever happens again.

I recently had my VZ Commodore serviced by my local mechanic. Shortly after collecting it the warning 'Service Vehicle Soon' appeared on the dash. The mechanic tried to rectify the problem, but couldn't. It is now becoming a nuisance. Are you able to advise me of the possible solution before I go to a Holden Dealer who is likely to charge an arm and a leg for a simple problem?

In August I bought a 2008 four-cylinder Ford Mondeo LX. The next day without warning it lost power while traveling at 100 km/h on the Gateway Arterial Rd, a terrifying. The fuel gauge showed I had some 60-plus km in the tank, so I pulled into a servo and put $30 of 95- octane fuel in it and then drove to our destination. I drove the car over the next few days without any incident, until one morning it just would not start. The car was towed to a Ford dealer where it was found to have a faulty fuel pump which was replaced. While I have no issue with the dealership I am concerned that this may be a common fault with this model. I have contacted the Ford requesting some compensation for the cost of repair as I feel this type of component failure is not to be expected in such a vehicle with only 108,000 km on the clock. I would appreciate your feedback on my experience.

My dealer has told me that there is an oil leak from the timing cover on my Toyota Aurion, which has only dome 98,000 km. I have been advised that it requires 13 hours of labour to take out the engine, and with parts to cost $122 will see a total cost of $1767. My issue is that I would not class this as normal wear and tear and surely would not happen to all Aurions, let alone Toyota cars. Why would this leak occur at such an early stage? Is this price realistic as 13 hours to remove and engine and replace a seal appears high, and how long can I hold off before having to get the repair done? An RACQ mechanic has advised me that this part should not have gone at such an early stage and noting that the vehicle appears to have been well looked after and serviced on a regular basis with Toyota dealer I should be seeking their assistance to cover most if not all the costs. What do you suggest?

When I start my Mazda 3 Neo sedan it moves forward, even though I don't have my foot on the accelerator. I feel that it is idling too fast; as a result my consumption of fuel seems high. How can I check that it is idling too fast, and using too much fuel?