Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Warranty

My 2015 Ford Kuga needs an engine replacement
By David Morley · 15 Feb 2023

I have a 2015 Ford Kuga, purchased from a Ford Dealership in 2017 with 3000km on the odometer. I purchased the extended warranty which expires in March 2024. A condition of the extended warranty is that I had to service the car every six months instead of 12 months which I did. Two weeks ago the fourth cylinder lost combustion pressure and they say the engine needs to be replaced, but that the warranty only covers $3000 of the $7500 cost. Is this right? I was told my extended warranty mirrored Ford's new car warranty when I bought it. The engine they sourced is a reconditioned engine with 140,000km whereas mine has only about 85,000km. I feel like they should replace like for like and at no cost to me. Thoughts?

Read the article
About time! BMW extends general warranty at long last on BMW, Mini and BMW Motorrad motorcycles in Australia
By Byron Mathioudakis · 07 Nov 2022
BMW has finally increased its warranty to five years, with unlimited kilometres as part of the deal.
Read the article
My Hyundai ix35 has serious engine issues and is under seven years old, what can I do?
By David Morley · 06 Oct 2022

I bought our Hyundai iX35 brand new from a Hyundai dealership in 2015. We have had it serviced by them regularly. It has done 104,000km.

I took the car to the dealership because the engine had started to become noisy. I was told the oil was low and to monitor it. I noticed it was going through an inordinate amount of oil. It has no leaks and is not blowing smoke.

I took it back to the dealership and have been told the engine has "internal fuel usage, excessive ring clearance causing oil to burn, and will require engine bottom end replacement to rectify".

Should this be expected of a car only six-and-a-half years old?

Read the article
My 2018 Ford Focus Trend Hatch has done 62,000km and has lost compression in the fourth cylinder
By David Morley · 15 Sep 2022

My 2018 Ford Focus Trend Hatch has done 62,000km and has lost compression in the fourth cylinder which I understand means engine replacement. The car has been fully serviced by Ford since its purchase. It is clearly out of warranty, however I want an opinion as to whether I could still be covered by consumer law given the low kilometres and history of service. Ford also wants to charge me $3500 just to determine what is wrong - I am awaiting a hearing at VCAT.

Read the article
Has BYD buggered up? 150,000km warranty and ICE-style charging costs revealed for Chinese EV brand
By Andrew Chesterton · 23 Aug 2022
One of Australia's most hotly anticipated electric vehicle brands has come under fire from some fans and customers after revealing a new-car warranty that stretches just 160,000kms and servicing costs on-par with some internal combustion vehicles.BYD - or
Read the article
Volvo capped price servicing - cost, schedule & info
By Matt Campbell · 17 Aug 2022
​You might think that when a brand offers a capped-price servicing plan, you, as the customer, will get a good deal when it comes to maintenance costs. Thankfully, that's now the case for Volvo Cars Australia.In short, Volvo had one of the most expensive service setups in the Australian market, capped pricing or no, but that's pleasingly changed - significantly so.The company now offers two levels of capped-price service plans, as buyers can opt for a three-year/45,000km or five-year/75,000km plan.See the table below to see how each of the different models stacks up. You'll find that they're consistently priced.As is the standard for the premium brands, Volvo offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Read the article
Renault capped price servicing - cost, schedule & info
By Matt Campbell · 12 Aug 2022
The Australian arm of French brand Renault backs every one of its models with a capped-price servicing plan, which it calls Renault Capped Price Servicing.
Read the article
Skoda capped price servicing - cost, schedule & info
By Matt Campbell · 11 Aug 2022
Skoda Australia backs every model in its entire range with a capped price servicing plan which spans six years or 90,000km. Service intervals for all models are 12 months/15,000km.
Read the article
Peugeot capped price servicing - cost, schedule & info
By Matt Campbell · 11 Aug 2022
French manufacturer Peugeot may not have its own in-house local representation in Australia, but the company’s local distributor, Inchcape, has seen to it that customers are getting a decent deal.As such, there is a capped-price servicing plan for all Peugeot models, from the pint-sized 208 city hatchback to the family focused 5008 seven-seat SUV. It also covers models no longer on sale here, including the 4008 (a Mitsubishi ASX in make-up). The intervals for servicing differs somewhat between models, with some models due for maintenance every 12 months/15,000km, while others have slightly lengthier distance gaps (12 months/20,000km).As for servicing costs, the French brand hasn’t necessarily managed to get it down to where it should be - on average, Peugeot models are more expensive to maintain than pretty much any other brand, be it from Europe or elsewhere.The brand does back its models with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, though, which puts it in the mix among a lot of its mainstream contemporaries.See the table below for all the important details for Peugeot capped price servicing across each of the brand’s models sold in Australia.
Read the article
Mercedes-Benz capped price servicing - cost, schedule & info
By Matt Campbell · 11 Aug 2022
Mercedes-Benz Australia offers its customers a three-year capped-price servicing, which covers all models - from the entry-level A-Class all the way up to those thumping Mercedes-AMG models
Read the article