Warranty

I am interested in the Subaru Outback, but the 3-year warranty is disappointing. Should I still consider Subaru, or look at the Kia Sportage or Mitsubishi Eclipse?

Jaguar Australia will offer a standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with its I-Pace all-electric SUV when it launches locally in November, up from the usual three-year/100,000km assurance.The English company's first-ever battery-electric vehicle (BEV) will also come with an eight-year/160,000km guarantee for its lithium-ion battery pack, as well as five years of capped-price servicing and roadside assist.However, the I-Pace is still outdone by its primary competitor, the Tesla Model X, which offers an eight-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its electric-drive unit and battery pack, as well as a seperate eight-year/160,000km period specifically for electrical and mechanical defects.When the new Jaguar I-Pace is released in November, it will be available from $119,00 plus on-road costs for the entry-level S, jumping up to $130,200 for the SE and rising again to $140,800 for the range-topping HSE.However, a limited-run First Edition variant will also be available for $159,700, which adds a number of features including unique 20-inch alloy wheels, special paint, a panoramic sunroof, and First Edition branding.The vehicle is powered by two electric motors – one for the front axle, and one for the rear – which generate a combined power output of 294kW/696Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.Charging the 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack from empty to 80 per cent takes 40 minutes when a 100kW DC fast charger is used, and is good for 480km on a single charge.

My son bought a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder from a licenced trader exactly one month ago to the day. He has travelled 1000 km. The clutch failed today and had a burning smell and the vehicle had to be towed. The vehicle has 209,000 km on the clock. It is not under statutory warranty as it is over 10 years old, but does he have any recourse from the trader to repair the clutch, as it is not driveable.

I am looking at buying a late 2016-2017 Santa Fe diesel AWD with the intention of towing a camper weighing 1.3 tonnes. My local auto transmission specialist tells me to be careful. He has rebuilt 20 or so Santa Fe's autos/transfers due to some fault being where the transfer meets the transmission is in a "void" where the drive shaft meshes, but is devoid of grease and believes this is bad design causing premature wear and failure. What have you heard about this problem or is it isolated? How can I know if there is a real problem? What warranty backup is there?

Hyundai replaced the transmission in my 2011 Hyundai i30 Trophy FD at 84,000 km under warranty due to complete failure. My car now has just hit 124,000 km and I have been told that there is another fault with this transmission. I would like to know what kind of warranty Hyundai guarantee on such major repairs. I can only seem to get a vague answer of 20,000 km or 12 months, which seems totally unreasonable for a brand new transmission. Any help and advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Mazda Australia has introduced a range-wide five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for all vehicles sold from today onwards.

Have there been any reports of cracks appearing in the inner guard in the engine bay just forward of the compliance plate of the Isuzu MU-X?

I have seen some reports about the D-Max that seems to have the same complaint. I have an OEM bull bar and have upgraded the suspension to a 2-inch Old Man Emu lift. Our 2015 MU-X does the occasional off-roading and has done one big trip across the desert, but is mainly used on road as a passenger vehicle.

I noticed my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe was lurching when in Drive when stopped at traffic lights, and also my screen would turn off or go between screens for no reason.

I took it to the local Hyundai dealer and they said there was nothing they could find, and to bring it in when it happens again. I never travel down that way and it didn't happen all the time, and when it did and I was down that way it was out of hours.

When I put the vehicle in for its 15,000 km service at the same place I asked about both items again, especially the lurching, and they again said they couldn't find anything wrong? I then went to another Hyundai and asked them about the lurching.

They said the brake clutch solenoid was faulty in the valve body and needs replacing under warranty. They also recommended the auto trans fluid be replaced along with the auto pan gasket. The solenoid is being replaced under warranty, but I have to pay for auto trans fluid and the pan gasket, a total of $560.

The car isn't quite two-years old and we purchased it a year ago. This would not have to be done yet as the vehicle is still quite new, but because the solenoid is faulty and they have to access the solenoid, this has to be done. This should then be covered under warranty, or not?

If I don't get the fluid and gasket replaced, they can't fix the solenoid? Do I have reason asking for this to be covered under warranty? I know fluids and oils aren't covered under warranty, but if the solenoid weren’t faulty would I really need to be doing this? Can you help?

As rival car companies start to increase the lengths of warranties, the pioneer of the seven-year warranty has suggested that the industry could do more

I purchased a new Subaru Levorg (ex-service vehicle with only 900 km) in April this year and drove it home, a distance of less than six kilometres. I didn't drive it again until the following Tuesday when I noticed the key fob was coming apart and on further inspection noticed the plastic internals were broken. I raised this with the dealer that day and was informed that keys were not covered under the warranty. I tried raising this with head office and Subaru Australia, which garnered the same response. I then raised it with department of fair trading who have now closed the case as Subaru did not respond to their requests. I am now stuck with the situation of paying for a new key ($850), or taking Subaru to court. Can you please provide some advice whether I have a case? I would have thought even if it was not covered under warranty there would have been an implied warranty under the Australian Consumer Guarantees, as the key was obviously previously broken or faulty. I had not mistreated the key as it went from my pocket to the kitchen bench. Your assistance with this matter would be very much appreciated.