First service

[Transporter]

You just have to calculate whether the savings you could have made with an independent would have added up to the cost of a new transmission

What a nonsense! The statutory warranty covers you for any big failures in a reasonable time when your car is out of the manufacturer warranty and I don't think that VW will be doing a goodwill warranty on 7-8 year or older car.

[YellowLemon]

No I totally agree there Transporter - I don't bother taking a 'new' car to the dealer and get ripped off hundereds of $$$, I go to the independent from day 1. When I need warranty stuff done, then I front up to the dealer and get them to fix it. They don't say anything. To them it's another job.

This whole 'build a relationship with the dealer service department' to me is the nonsense (in Melbourne anyway). There's always different people in there, you NEVER get to speak to the actual tech, you only speak to the "service advisors" who are mostly clueless chicks looking up excel sheets for pricing.

And exactly, even if something fails that is KNOWN DESIGN FAULT, VW will NEVER fix it for free after the car is 5 years old: best example, the shearing diff rivets in the Mk4 Golf.

I'd rather build a relationship with a local indy who is honest and will be around for a few years

[PerthMTB]

The statutory warranty covers you for any big failures in a reasonable time when your car is out of the manufacturer warranty...

I'm genuinely confused by this. I thought Statutory warranty was only a year, whereas manufacturers warranty is three (on VW), so how would the statutory warranty cover you for a big failure after the manufacturer's warranty has run out? I thought that after the 3 years you basically didn't have a leg to stand on, and were at the whim of the manufacturers "good will".

[Transporter]

I'm genuinely confused by this. I thought Statutory warranty was only a year, whereas manufacturers warranty is three (on VW), so how would the statutory warranty cover you for a big failure after the manufacturer's warranty has run out? I thought that after the 3 years you basically didn't have a leg to stand on, and were at the whim of the manufacturers "good will".

The statutory warranty kicks in when your the manufacturers warranty end. Otherwise why would you need the statutory warranty in the first year after purchase of your car?

[PerthMTB]

The statutory warranty kicks in when your the manufacturers warranty end. Otherwise why would you need the statutory warranty in the first year after purchase of your car?

Well, because one is imposed on all new (and second hand) vehicles by law, and has standard protections no matter what make of car; while the other is a voluntary thing by each manufacturer in which they can include any conditions and exclusions they want, and can be changed and withdrawn by them at any time. Both will run concurrently for the first year of purchase.

Quote from NRMA Website:-

What types of warranties are there?

1. New car statutory warranty New car statutory warranties cover you for 12 months or 20,000km, whichever you reach first. This warranty will in most cases cover all defective items on a car.

2. New car manufacturer's warranty
This generally exceeds the statutory warranty. Often it will be two-year/40,000km or three-year/60,000km. Check with the manufacturer or distributor for further information.

3. Used car statutory warranty
Applies to all dealer-sold passenger cars with less than 160,000km and under 10 years old and not exceeding the luxury car tax threshold. The warranty is valid for three months or 5,000km from date of purchase. This warranty will cover most items on a car relating to safety, reliability and roadworthiness.

[Dingah]

......and maybe they can spell too.
Bit too fast and furious for me and they have had a lot more than just German cars in their workshop when I have been passing by. May have changed a bit in last 12 months though.
You might consider buying Fuchs oil from the wholesaler at $49 for a 5 litre can and not pay $22/litre and more from the workshop.

Dingah

[Transporter]

Well, because one is imposed on all new (and second hand) vehicles by law, and has standard protections no matter what make of car; while the other is a voluntary thing by each manufacturer in which they can include any conditions and exclusions they want, and can be changed and withdrawn by them at any time. Both will run concurrently for the first year of purchase.

Quote from NRMA Website:-

What types of warranties are there?

1. New car statutory warranty New car statutory warranties cover you for 12 months or 20,000km, whichever you reach first. This warranty will in most cases cover all defective items on a car.

2. New car manufacturer's warranty
This generally exceeds the statutory warranty. Often it will be two-year/40,000km or three-year/60,000km. Check with the manufacturer or distributor for further information.

3. Used car statutory warranty
Applies to all dealer-sold passenger cars with less than 160,000km and under 10 years old and not exceeding the luxury car tax threshold. The warranty is valid for three months or 5,000km from date of purchase. This warranty will cover most items on a car relating to safety, reliability and roadworthiness.

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees

[brad]

I'm genuinely confused by this. I thought Statutory warranty was only a year, whereas manufacturers warranty is three (on VW), so how would the statutory warranty cover you for a big failure after the manufacturer's warranty has run out? I thought that after the 3 years you basically didn't have a leg to stand on, and were at the whim of the manufacturers "good will".

Have a look at the ACCC website - it explains it all.

[ian]

So you have been to their workshop? Because you have to go through between two building and make a right hand turn. You can't see their workshop from out side. .

[PerthMTB]

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/co...mer-guarantees

Have a look at the ACCC website - it explains it all.

Ok, now I understand what you guys are on about. You're talking about Consumer Guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law, not Statutory Warranties which are a completely different animal.

So lets get this straight, as its an important distinction:-

1. A Statutory Warranty protects a car buyer specifically against defects and faults that occur and is mandated in state law. It covers all new or used cars for a fixed period or fixed number of kms from purchase, and is designed to give everybody buying a car a minimum amount of protection irrespective of what the manufacturer/dealer offers in their warranty.

2. A Manufacturer Warranty is whatever the car manufacturer wants to voluntarily offer over and above the Statutory Warranty, and the terms & conditions are up to them. It will run concurrently with the Statutory Warranty as they both start at the purchase date, although these days the Manufacturer Warranty usually lasts much longer - three or five years compared to Statutory one.

3. Consumer Guarantees (which is what you both linked to above) are a set of 'consumer rights' that we all enjoy under the law as a result of purchasing any good or service - not just cars. It covers a broad range of things like providing what was promised or demo'd, rights of ownership & possession, honouring discounts & delivery times, and this is the one I think you're specifically referring to - that the product is of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose.
You can invoke your consumer rights at any time - there's no fixed term - you just have to show how the company has not lived up to the guidelines. So for example, you can claim that a transmission failing after 5 years means the vehicle is not "fit for purpose", and the manufacturer can argue otherwise - that its a reasonable timeframe, or it's due to the way you used it or maintained it for example. If you can't agree between you then your only recourse is small claims court.

Which brings us back to this statement where we started...

The statutory warranty covers you for any big failures in a reasonable time when your car is out of the manufacturer warranty

As I said before, a statutory warranty will have expired long before, so won't cover anything after the manufacturers warranty.
But, if I assume you meant to say...

The Australian Consumer Law covers you for any big failures in a reasonable time when your car is out of the manufacturer warranty

...it still means that the onus is on you to prove that the car was not "fit for purpose" in order to get a result. It may work for you, or it may not, but relying on the Australian Consumer Law is not a substitute for an extended warranty, they operate in very different ways. Anyway, I'd still suggest that having a good relationship with a servicing dealer is likely to hold you in good stead in any out-of-warranty negotiations with a manufacturer. That's certainly been my experience, but you pays your money and makes your choice...

[ian]

VW extended warranty's. Are a mixed bag. Firstly you have to get your car serviced every six months regardless of kilometres it works out at $666 every year I think the Alliance. Warranty is better.

[Transporter]

having a good relationship with a servicing dealer is likely to hold you in good stead in any out-of-warranty negotiations with a manufacturer. That's certainly been my experience, but you pays your money and makes your choice...

Which is not any different to relaying only on the law (ACCC, statutory warranties, etc.) as many car owners here already experienced that the dealers goodwill warranties were useless to them, despite they had all the services done buy the dealer.

If, I'd have to use a dealer for servicing my car, I buy a new one every 3-4 years, because honestly, I don't believe too much in a goodwill.
Also, I don't gamble.

Ask this fellow forum member about his out of warranty experience with an auto transmission in his T5. http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/members/sunny43-5/ or find his posts if you have a time to dig.

[ian]

Ok I've got my first service. Tomorrow I've only done 6,500 km. as I've got a second vehicle. The thought crossed my mind. Seeing I've done such A low km. would some unscrupulous dealer just stamp the book. And say they did the service. ??

[brad]

Possibly, but I doubt it. On the whole, most places are honest and get the basic jobs done.

Your biggest issue will be if you get a lazy mechanic that decides he needs to catch up a bit.

Please don't insult the mechanic by marking your filter & sump plug. People used to do that to me and I used to replicate the marks on the new parts just to annoy them.

[ian]

No I just places a small piece of black electrician tape at the back of the oil filter cap. Just for piece of mind.