Car Servicing

My son has a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer with ABS brakes that failed. He got a replacement at the wreckers and had them installed and they work fine, but the ABS dash light still stays on. He took it to the dealer at Capalaba and they told him they could fix it while he was there for $25, but when he came back they said it didn't work. They then did another job for $25, which had the same result. They then said they could do another job, which would take 2 hours for another $250. In the end after sitting with his 2-year-old son for three hours and spending $300, which he had to pay as they had his keys, the car still has the dash light on. Any information to assist would be greatly appreciated.

My 2009 VE Commodore Sportswagon has a problem with the rear tailgate actuator, due to a design problem that lets water into the switch mechanism. My dealer is telling me that it is very common and that the part is no longer available. By law, shouldn't Holden keep parts in stock for 10 years? Is this attitude from Holden of not addressing problems because they no longer make cars in Australia going to become a more regular conversation at Holden Dealers? Holden Customer service doesn't want to know either. I am now driving an unroadworthy car and feel frustrated with the attitude of both Holden and their Dealer. Do you have any advice please?

I have a 2011 Holden Captiva 2001 2.4-litre 6-speed manual. There is a soft whining noise that comes up when I accelerate beyond second gear and continues until I drop down below second gear. It is almost the noise made by a supercharger in a movie, it is not loud but soft. The dealer is adamant it is 'common' for this type of manual Captiva. I had it looked at by an independent mechanic who also did a test drive. He was not sure, but thought it 'could' be related to the gearbox. He detected no obvious leaks or damage under the car in that area. Any advice please is welcome!

When the air-con or heater is on the headlights on my 2015 Mitsubishi ASX dim. Any ideas?

I reported a problem with the battery or alternator on my 2013 Mercedes-Benz Vito appox. 15 months ago. I replaced three batteries in that time and was advised that no problem was found. Now, they say the alternator needs replacing at a cost of $3300. It's not covered by Mercedes-Benz. When I question why, no reason given. What options do I have?

I have a 1995 Mercedes Benz four cylinder automatic. How many litres of oil does it take without filter?

Are you aware of Holden's new requirement for DPF cleaning on the Colorado? If the message comes up on the dash it's mandatory to drive for at least 30 min at 2000 rpm at speeds greater than 50 km/h, or damage may occur to components. This has just happened to us at 2300 km.
It was sorted out under warranty, but apparently I was to have been informed of this requirement when enquiring on the purchase, and apparently should have been advised that this vehicle is not suitable for slow urban driving? Can you please provide some light?

With reference to Chris Jones' question about the timing chain problems on VWs my own experience with my 2010 Mk VI GTi with 79,000 km and which had only ever been serviced by VW dealers, when the timing chain tensioner failed, I was left with a $3000 repair bill for what is a common problem for this model (VW even issued a dealer bulletin #TB-15-12-01 in 2012 to highlight the problem). But in my dealings with VW and their dealers I found they arrogantly dismissed my claims for goodwill by simply stating the car is out of warranty.

I have had recurring problems trying to get parts replaced on my 2014 SsangYong Ute, which is still under the manufacturers warranty. After numerous attempts to contact SsangYong directly, I have had to involve Fair Trading due to parts not being available and the vehicle being off the road. Since involving Fair Trading, I have had one contact from one less than helpful person at the distributor, ATECO, and they insist all parts are readily available and blame the series of dealerships involved for delays. I'm wondering if others have had similar issues with parts availability for these vehicles, or abysmal customer service from SsangYong or ATECO? Keen to hear your advice and that of your readers.