Car Servicing

My 2014 Ford Ranger is having one problem after another, and has been back to the dealership for repairs five times. First, the computer kept throwing up a warning light that would put the car into a sort of limp mode and reduce me to 60km/h with no turbo. They had the car for at least three weeks and in that time one of the head technicians from Ford came and even he couldn't figure out why, so they just put a new computer in it and the problem was solved for the time being. Then it did it again a few months later and this time it was because it had blown an intercooler. But recently it blew another intercooler and this time turbo as well, which was fixed after a week and a half, and then returned to me only to have it blow another turbo not even a week later. They now have my car again and have had it for nearly two weeks, and are waiting on a report from someone who is taking the turbo apart. I'm appalled at how this is all being handled and at what point do they write the car off as a lemon. Can they replace it or give me some sort of compensation, as I'm paying for a car I don't currently possess and with all the trouble and drama it's caused me when it has stuffed up has also cost me money.

My 2009 Audi A5 has done about 85,000 km and has had major oil consumption since 60,000 km. It's not that long ago that I had to spend about $7,500 on multiple problems (starter motor, timing belt, head shaving etc.) and within 100-200km the engine has now seized. I am told I need to replace the engine, but where does it leave me. Can anyone shed some light on this problem?

My 2010 Holden Cruze manual has done 176,000km and now is stuck in reverse. My mechanic is at a loss because Holden says, "this doesn't happen, or we haven't seen this problem before" and aren't helping in anyway. Any ideas would be welcome.

I have an absolute lemon of a 2012 JK Jeep Wrangler. I've never pushed my dealership to cover things that aren't fair, but now the car is out of warranty it requires a new oil pump, which over a week later they still can't tell me when the part will arrive. No loan cars on offer either. I'm at my wits end. I've phoned Fiat Chrysler Australia, I've emailed them, I've left messages for the dealership manager to call me. What else can I do?

My knowledge of cars is minimal, but a series of recent events has caused me to question the integrity of my mechanic. Going through recent service receipts, I am shocked – horrified in fact – about the prices I have been charged for certain replacement parts, parts that I was advised my car required. I am questioning other items on my receipts such as labour and parts supplied, when the mark-up is already up to 200 percent on certain items! In short, even with my limited knowledge, I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I have been outrageously ripped off. I have lost faith in these people. Is there a regulatory authority for motor mechanics in Victoria? Internet searches have consistently directed me to Consumer Affairs Victoria, but I was wondering if you could possibly suggest another avenue that was more specialized to the motoring industry please?

VW suggests that a problem with my new Polo, which has only covered 2200km, is not covered by warranty. What do you think? While on Woodville Rd during peak hour in Sydney my car's display panel began showing serious errors. I immediately tried to drive the car about 20-25km to the dealer. VW is claiming negligence as I continued driving. The dealer wants to charge me $1500 to provide VW with information so it can assess a warranty claim. VW says I'll be reimbursed the $1500 if the claim is successful, but where is the transparency in this process?

We've bought three Ford Rangers and are about to buy a fourth as, until now, we have loved them as great to drive. A few days ago one of our employees heard a pop from his engine and was towed to a Ford dealer. It was determined a turbo shaft had snapped in two, sheared and sent fragments through the engine. The entire engine and other components needed to be replaced. The car was bought in 2012 and had done just 120,000km with a full service history. Ford Customer Care said they'll review the claim and advise of the result in 4-6 weeks after they get the paperwork from the dealer as the claim is more than $10,000 from the dealer. They advised they may not even accept the claim even if it had faulty components to begin with.

My dealer recommends the use of 0-20W oil for my 2012 Honda Civic. It is hard to find such oil outside the dealership. Is it necessary, and if not, what other viscosity oils would be suitable?

At around 104,600km I had to replace the EGR ($1286.20), the DPF sensor ($288.70), and the O2 sensor ($523.75) in my 2008 VW Tiguan diesel for a total of $2098.65. I was not very impressed that this should happen after just 104,600km. It made 2015 a very expensive year.

I have been told the fuel filter on my 2009 Mazda 6 diesel wagon is faulty and will cost $2000 to fix, but worse that the injectors are faulty due to a design fault and will cost $7000 to fix. Is this a common problem, or am I being conned?