Car Servicing

The outside temperature gauge in my 2015 Holden Captiva was showing high numbers, then the air-con stopped working. Was this because of the weather conditions?

I bought my Opel Astra new as a demo model and while it is a beautiful little car, I've had every one of the issues I now realise the model is infamous for! I've spent a fortune fixing most but currently have a serious oil leak, presumably from the turbo - probably another $1500-plus to fix. My question: Is there a point with these cars where I can assume issues are fixed and keep it, or should I cut my losses?

Where can I go for a verified Lexus service centre other than the Lexus dealership?

I raised a concern with my VW dealership which was over vibration on left and right turns. Their reply: "Carried out inspection and confirmed customer's concern evident. Further testing/inspection of the vehicle found this concern to be deemed normal via VW AUS. This vibration is evident due to front/rear final drive locking effect of the central differential can differ when cornering causes a positive effect on the driving dynamics resulting in tension on the drive train".

They have no intention of doing anything about it and it has become worse over the last couple of months. The vehicle has 12 months warranty left. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

I bought my new Subaru Forester in 2018 from my local dealer and ever since day one I've had issues with a squeaky dash, poor steering and this strange noise that is intermittent, coming from the front passenger side (sounds like a wobble/wind/rattle like the wheel will fall off). Every service I've complained about these and they've either fixed it or said there is nothing wrong.

I did many road tests with them and the noises didn't happen until this year when their head mechanic heard it and was gobsmacked and had no idea what it was. They stated they sent a case off to Subaru Australia and came back with things to do and try. Yesterday I did another test drive with that dealer's service manager and he too, had no idea what it was either. So they kept the car again and looked into it.

I got call saying they've pulled apart that side of the car and there is nothing wrong but they still have the same problem with the weird wobble noise and can't find anything wrong, but they admitted there is a problem and they have no idea what it is. The manager says it is safe for me to drive. The manager stated since the problem is getting worse and worse to bring it back in three months and try again. I feel like its illogical to say, it's "safe to drive" when they have no idea what is wrong with it (especially since I said the steering is terrible and I have felt unsafe at speed driving it).

What are my options here? What next steps should I take? Should I complain directly to Subaru Australia or go to fair trading or something else? I think I have been fair and reasonable throughout this whole process with them considering it's been five years and I have complained about this issue, which they've acknowledged.

This used to be a simple question since most car windscreens were made from the same glass and did roughly the same job. Not anymore.

VOLKSWAGEN has released basic scheduled service pricing for the new-model Amarok, with falls across the board compared to both the previous-generation version, as well as key rivals the Toyota HiLux and related Ford Ranger.

The dreaded check engine light has just flashed on on the dashboard of your car. Do you need to pull over right way? Is the car about to stop in its tracks? Why is the light on in the first place? 

GMSV (General Motors Specialty Vehicles) sells a limited selection of Chevrolet models in Australia - some converted to right-hand drive here in Australia, while the Corvette is imported in RHD configuration from the factory - and they have variable ownership terms, depending on the model.GMSV offers a three-year, 100,000km warranty, which would be significantly behind the pace for a mainstream manufacturer, but is unsurprising for a low-volume importer/converter, as GMSV’s main rival, Ram Trucks, offers a similar warranty promise.GMSV backs its products with three years of roadside assist to match the warranty period, but there is no capped-price servicing program.Instead, GMSV has offered indicative pricing for each of its three current models (two Silverado variants and the Corvette Stingray) over a three-year period, noting that it will vary between dealers. See the table below for expected average costs. Service pricing is comparatively high when compared to a mainstream automaker. Intervals occur in 12 monthly or 12,000km cycles for every current Chevrolet.In summary: Import and conversion outfits like GMSV don’t offer the most competitive ownership terms and high service pricing to support a limited range. Costs after the three-year mark are a mystery, leaving owners without a clear picture of what long-term ownership looks like. 4/10*taken as an average of indicative service costs from two dealersIf you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

Porsche doesn’t offer ‘capped-price servicing’ in the traditional sense, but it does offer indicative service pricing for each service for some of its models.The brand also offers a behind-the-pace three-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, one of only a handful of remaining brands in the Australian market to resist adopting the accepted five-year and unlimited kilometre standard. Terms and pricing are less standardised across its range of vehicles. The more mainstream models, like the Macan SUV, for example, have a schedule of service costs available on the Porsche website or via individual dealer sites, but the brand’s more enthusiast-focused models, like the 911 and Taycan, do not.Servicing for models which do have schedules is not cheap. To take a 2.0-litre turbocharged Macan as an example, servicing costs between $795 and $1500 per visit, for a five-year average of $1077 per annual visit. The Panamera and 718 Boxster/Cayman are similar, but every second service jumps to $895 making the average yearly cost even higher at $1137. Interestingly the price stays the same according to the calculator regardless of whether a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a six-cylinder engine is chosen.Most Porsche models require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km, but the 911 requires servicing every 10,000km. Meanwhile, the fully electric Taycan requires servicing every two years or 30,000km.Additionally, the Taycan has a separate battery warranty, covering eight years or 160,000km.In summary: Porsche’s servicing is expensive and not particularly transparent and its warranty is behind the times in the Australian market 4/10If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below: