Car Servicing

I have a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. I was reviewing my dash cam footage and thought it would be interesting to see it being driven into the garage, or where it is test driven to after dropping it off at Hyundai for a service. I was quite distressed to see half an hour after I dropped it off it was driven a few rows back in the compound and parked, then the next vision is of me driving home! Is it possible they worked on the car out in their car park, as my camera switches on immediately when the car is started? Are we all being ripped off and cheated?

Have you had any complaints regarding rear diffs and auxiliary fan belt tensioners on the 2011 VW Amarok? I have had our 2011 Highline looked at by the dealer after the belt started squealing and the rear diff began howling. Diagnosis is that the diff requires a rebuild, which VW are paying for the parts, but not labour. In regards to the tensioner the diagnosis is that the tensioner is moving around off-centre, and now the belt, tensioner and roller require replacing, but VW will not come to the party as they refer to them as consumables! Our Amarok has only done 61,000 km and I can't believe a vehicle with such low kilometres and been serviced by the same VW dealer can have these things go wrong at an early age.

My daughter purchased a new 2015 Hyundai i30. The headlamp globe has blown and the dealer wants $65 to replace it. Why should she have to pay for a new globe, as the car is very new? Why is this not covered under warranty and what part will fail next? Joan from Hyundai says it's a consumable part, but globes should and do last longer than that. What do you suggest? Frustrated Hyundai customer.

When stopping at the lights or traffic, my 2004 Holden Vectra kicks/jolts when I go to move off. I'm not sure when the timing belt was done? Would this be the issue?

I have a 2011 Hyundai i45 with a seized motor. There was no warning that this was imminent, it just stopped working. It was towed to the dealership and I was told I had catastrophic engine failure and it would be $15,000 for the repair. 

It seemed the same thing has happened to other people as well. I also found stories of a class action against Hyundai in the USA where this same thing had happened. 

I wrote to Hyundai Australia and, as I had missed my 60,000 km service and done two services in one at 75,000 km, they would not look at my claim. I realise they have an out with me there, but I am very concerned if I find a reconditioned motor and put it in my car is this going to happen again. 

I did read a couple of cases in USA where it had happened to the same owner twice. I still have two years of payments on the car so have to do something with it. What can I do?

I purchased a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited in December and since that time the car has been back for numerous issues and I have complained to both the dealer and Chrysler. 

It has been back approximately 10 times now, sometimes for more than two weeks at a time, and without any success. 

They keep telling me it is the way I am driving, that my garage door opener is causing the electrical issues, or they cannot fix it as the faults are not showing up when they drive the car, so therefore there is nothing wrong with it. 

The car has now done about 5000 km. At about 1200 km the transmission and drive shafts were replaced. 

The issues happen intermittently, so they do not always happen when the Jeep mechanic is driving it. But two issues occurred when one of the mechanics was driving, and while reversing a loud bang occurred like you have hit something, they tell me it is usual and the answer is to turn off the reverse assist, so it doesn't happen. But I paid for this feature on my car and feel that if they cannot fix it they should give me my money back or give me a replacement vehicle. 

Both the dealer and Chrysler have refused my repeated requests. They advertised that the car would self-park but it doesn't. I paid for this too, but it does not work. I am unable to get the car to park parallel unless it is almost in the middle of the street and it will only reverse park sometimes, and only if there is one space between two others. Even then you can drive around the same area three times before the car will tell you there is a vacant spot. You cannot select the spot where you want to park, it is only if the car finds the space, and that can be a long way away from where you want to park. 

This issue also happened while their mechanic was driving. They then told me he was only a first year mechanic, so he did not know how to park the car, and then told me that it was okay that the car will only park sometimes but not always. 

I have repeatedly had my car back with complaints for the gears not changing and sticking at between 2500 and 3000 rpm, both before the transmission was replaced and all of the following issues still continue. 

Can you advise me what is best to do about this, as the latest information I have just received last week is that Chrysler Australia cannot fix my car and they have contacted Chrysler USA for assistance? Their foreman told me about three months ago not to complain to anyone i.e. Consumer Affairs because Chrysler would not help me. But they are not helping me now, so I am not sure what is best to do and see you have experience with these issues and hope you can advise me what to do.

The engine in my 2009 Mitsubishi Triton diesel starts and immediately stalls. It does this a few times until it picks up and is able to keep going. I recently used a diesel injector cleaner hoping it would help, but it didn't. What else can I try?

I am another of the unlucky owners of a Ford Focus, mine is a 2013 model. The dreaded clutch shudder appeared within the first six months. It was taken back to the dealership and computer was updated, but it didn't work. It was taken back again, and this time they replaced the clutch. I am now up to my third clutch replacement, and I am beyond being unhappy. I have lodged a case with Ford and have a case number, and apparently they have been in contact with the dealership. What is the best way I can negotiate a "buy back" on my faulty car, and what would a fair price be? With all the trouble I have had, am I within my rights to ask for the total amount back?

I know the 2015 Hyundai ix35 has a reputation for poor am radio reception, but I didn't realise how bad it could be. I asked the dealer to take a look at the 12-month service point, but their reply was "that's as good as it gets". Is there anything that I can do – whinge, complain or simply cop it?

I can take the keys out of the ignition of my 2014 Holden Trax automatic when it is in Drive, Neutral etc, not just Park like any other automatic. The dealer tells me "this is just how it is" with a Trax. Your thoughts?