Technology

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?

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.

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?

What exactly is a car's platform? Is it an actual physical thing such as an old-school chassis, or is it just a basis for design on paper? I get confused when I hear how one model's platform gets stretched and or widened to cater for another model. Why doesn't the other model just have its own platform?