Australian Car Advice | News Blog

2003 Kia Carnival Warranty Complaint

Name: kathryn
Car Make: Kia
Car Model: Carnival
Year of Manufacture: 2003

Warranty Complaint:

Sudden engine failure, water in fuel, blown gasket. Lander dealership says it is not an engine problem (that was apparently only with 2002 models) but have quoted up to $8500 to replace engine- which they say is whats required- plus towing plus $650 just for looking. This is utter BS. We bought this car new, still owe heaps on it, and have religiously taken the car back to dealership the whole time for overpriced ineffective servicing. Car has only done 88000kms and city driving.

Name: Renee
Car Make: Volkswagen
Car Model: Polo
Year of Manufacture: 2005

Warranty Complaint:

I have to express my disappointment with my purchase on my Volkswagen Polo 2005 model.

8 months ago I noticed that my paint on my bonnet and roof is starting to flake away.

I have had arguments with my local dealer who informed me the paint damage was caused by bird faeces and was not under warranty, therefore would not fix the damage.

As the problem continued to worsen, I took my car to a prestige car sprayer who assessed the vehicle and said that no amount of bird faeces would have caused the damage on my vehicle.

Angrily I have been quoted $600AUS to repair the paintwork on my car.

What has frustrated me the most is that I originally paid an extra $900AUS when I purchased the vehicle to extend the warranty on my vehicle for 6 years.

What a waste of money that was when I couldn’t even cover the damage on my paint work.

Volkswagen AUS website states that “factory warranty covers you against manufacturing or material faults and includes a 3 year paintwork warranty. Your vehicle is also protected by a 12 year anti-corrosion perforation warranty for your complete reassurance”. How false that is.

Name: Ken and Laureen Carcas
Car Make:  Kia Sedan 4 Door
Car Model: Rio with a Sportz Kit
Year of Manufacture: 2004

Warranty Complaint:

We have a 3 yr old Kia Rio, just out of warrenty (5 mths), that has had a number of previous things wrong with it (gear box, bearings, refuses to start on hills), which now has a blown engine due to a faulty fuel injector (burning a hole in the piston and damaging the engine) that is not covered under warrenty. Damage classified as “Consequential”.

The dealer refuses to do anything about it and Kia Aust has stated that as it is ‘Consequential Damage’ (”… damage caused by a faulty injector which is not covered by warrenty …), they refuse to cover it under their “Good Will Policy”. They have informed us that we will need to pay $4000.00 for a new engine or $3000.00, being the price of a rebuild.

This vehicle, which has 48703kms on the clock, has been well looked after, not thrashed, garaged when at home, and has had regular services.

As far as we are concerned, as they have stated that the injector was faulty and that this fault was not uncommon, then blame should sit with Kia to fix the problem and not us.

 2006 Holden VE Calais Warranty Complaint

Name: Timothy Ritchie
Car Make:  Holden
Car Model: VE Calais
Year of Manufacture: 2006

Warranty Complaint:

Our Calais has been plagued with random warnings since day one. The car has been back and forth to Holden and is heading back this weekend for a whole week to have a new BCM module installed as the car will not except any software updates.

When ever the car is started after waiting for the system check to complete, we see CHECK ENGINE, CHECK ABS AND CHECK ESP. We have also seen a big black X and CONTACT DEALER AND SVS (Service Vehicle soon). Its really annoying when you spend so much money on a new car to have these sort of warnings appear and to take 9 months to try and fix the problem and its still on going.

Could be slightly related to the battery drain issue as Holden says the system engery levels keep coming up low voltage.

2004 Suzuki XL7 Warranty Complaint

Name: roy andrews
Car Make:  Car Make SUZUKI XL7 2.7L AUTO WAGON
Car Model: Car Model JA627AW
Year of Manufacture:            01/09/04

Warranty Complaint:

I organized to have two minor defects (one being a crack in the rear door handle the other being a fault with the cd player)rectified at the same time as the thirty km service,neither fault looked at. Time was given to allow for the parts to be ordered and I was not notified that the part hadn`t
arrived,the fault with the CD player is intermitant and more noticable with vibration on the move I do not believe this was even looked at.While I am very pleased the the SUZUKI and will replace this unit with another after the shoddy treatment by ZUPPS of Browns Plains I will purchase an be serviced elswhere.

Name: warren horne
Car Make: HSV
Car Model: Z1 series Clubsport
Year of Manufacture: 2005

Warranty Complaint:

Transmission is clunky and continualy jumps out of 1st and 2nd gears, has done so for a long time and has been back numerous times to be rectified and is returned the same. Also has power steering shudder since new but never been fixed. We have written to both HSV and Holden with no satisfaction. Our 2002 VY SV8 which we bought from a different dealer had the sme problem with the power steering and was fixed instantly. We are continually told by the dealer that our phone calls will be returned but we are still waiting.

Name: John Thomas
Car Make:  Holden
Car Model: VE Calais
Year of Manufacture: 2007

Warranty Complaint:

Blauplunkt $2000 in car Full Colour Satelite Navigator is the most unreliable and inaccurate GPS system that I have ever used including Garmin,Navman.Tom Tom and the $168 one from Repco over a period of 10 years.Holden have not given me any satisfaction in the 10 weeks of continual and persistant complaining.

2006 Holden VE Commodore SV6 Warranty Complaint

Name: Gregory muller
Car Make:  Holden Commodore
Car Model: VE SV6
Year of Manufacture: 2006

Warranty Complaint:

Fuel cap locking release makes a high pitch sound when car is being unlocked, beyond what is acceptable as normal operating noise. This is a brand new car!! I advised service centre and their response was that this is normal.

I have already taken the car back for warranty claims; one-squeaky (noisy) door trim, two-suspension was making noise and was found to be break shims needing to be replaced. And i just had a water leak repaired satisfactorily, front driver-side under the dash.

If i need to find my car in a parking lot i just hit unlock and listen for the fuel cap release!

2006 Ford BF Falcon XR8 Ute Warranty Complaint

Name: peter pietroboni
Car Make:  ford
Car Model: Falcon BF XR8 ute
Year of Manufacture: 2006

Warranty Complaint:

Drove ute home from compass ford but didnt like the way it pulled to the right the next day i rang up and complained and we decided to have allignment checked at 3000k new car check up. Took ute back at 3000k and wheel alignment was done. Drove back home 100ks but still the same,Had another allignment still the same,Took car back again and some sort of kit was fitted to front end. Drove car home and nothing has changed.

I then complained to Ford customer service who said to try another Ford dealer so i booked it in to Muir Ford Manjimup they checked it out and said it was unallignable and a kit had to be fitted, I took car home again and waited for kit to arrive,took back and had kit fitted. The allignment was then a bit better but car very light and wandery on uneven surfaces.I took it back again and they said it was out of their expertise and to take it to a FPV dealer. I took it to Geograph Ford who took it for a drive around the block and said it was ok but tyres are all cut out and need replacing and Ford wont cover it even thou its been back about 8 times and iv complained since brand new.

Name: Robert Timms
Car Make:  Nissan
Car Model: Patrol
Year of Manufacture: 1998

Warranty Complaint:

Nissan would not replace non-retracting driver’s belt in the warranty time but after warranty being finished they were happy to inform me after a later service that the seat belt was not retracting and that it needed placement for just under $1000.00. I told them what I thought of them and their warranty.