Discussion: Seaford Wetlands

Long way to go to get car serviced

I bought it at Frankston Subaru and l get 6 years warranty instead of 3 if l service it there. Usually l tie it in with a visit to my sister.

I bought my car miles away from where I lived in Perth too and had to drive it out to Wangara every six months to continue with their warranty. I stopped doing that the time they serviced it and sent me on my way only to have the engine blow up a day later!

Exclusive service agreements have to come with overall high service costs. Car dealerships are the same business model as shavers and blades. I don't trust the dealers anyway after a number of experiences and chats with mechanics who examine their own cars after claims of service undertaken by dealers.

It's hard to know the best thing to do. My last car needed major work in its last month of warranty, including a hire car for a month, so the extra 3 years of warranty looked well worth it.

I had no help with warranty when the Diesel Particulate Filter gave problems on the ASX. It was an intermittent fault, but not one you want when on a freeway. The dealer pretended it was not real each time I visited. Turns out the dealerships knew about the issue but were all using the intermittent nature to deny liability. Meanwhile Mitsubishi was looking for a software fix. I eventually ended up with Bendigo's diesel expert. He had similar examples in his workshop. Told me stories of his wife's car going in to get serviced at the dealer, and then he had to ring up and tell them he knew they were not doing the servicing they claimed, even to the extent of not changing oil filters. These days a standard factory warranty seems between five and seven years. You cannot be made to attend the dealer and their "capped price" service. My understanding is that the warranty stands as long as the service book shows it has been properly service by any qualified mechanic. Electric vehicles will blow up the current dealership business model. No tears here.