Auto Warranty News

“DaimlerChrysler AG has agreed to pay a $1.2 million fine to settle allegations that it did not promptly alert the government about emissions problems in some Mercedes automobiles.

As part of an agreement with the Justice Department filed in federal court Sunday, the automaker agreed to institute a new program to monitor its cars for emission defects and said it would file regular reports to the government.

The lawsuit involved emission-related defects in certain 1998-2006 Mercedes vehicles. The Justice Department said Mercedes didn’t tell the EPA within 15 days of learning about a series of problems with airflow sensors, catalytic converters, air pumps and other parts.

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles had the potential to develop emissions problems, according to the lawsuit. Mercedes has voluntarily recalled some of the parts identified by the lawsuit and has extended its emissions warranty on others.

Shares of DaimlerChrysler AG were trading up 52 cents at $82.33 on the New York Stock Exchange.”
(source)

GM is contributing to the green contagion by designing 3 more concept mini cars to be put into production in the “relatively near future”.

Trying to make an impact in the small car market currently dominated by Japanese products, GM has created what they call The Triplets:Beat, Groove and Trax.

The “triplets,” as Lutz called them, include the Beat, a front-wheel drive three-door hatchback powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine; the Groove, a retro looking front-wheel drive car with a 1-liter diesel engine; and the Trax an “urban crossover” with an all-wheel-drive system and a 1-liter gas engine.
(Source)

There is no reference to any special auto warranty or other incentives, but if you would like to offer your 2 cents on “The Triplets” before they hit production, you can render your opinion on the General Motors website.

The so called green movement can claim victory in the Supreme Courts latest ruling, with one lone, sane dissenter represented by Judge Scalia. At this rate consumers will not have to worry about new car warranties or maybe even automobiles at all, we’ll be back in horse and buggies.

“Justice Antonin Scalia ridiculed the majority decision. By the majority’s reasoning, “it follows that everything airborne, from Frisbees to flatulence, qualifies as an ‘air pollutant,'” he wrote in his dissent.

Chief Justice John Roberts filed a dissent noting that U.S. automakers’ emissions could be swamped by increases in other countries and that there is simply too little connection between autos and what might happen a century from now.

He characterized vehicle emissions as playing a “bit part” in what the petitioners who brought the case “describe as a 150-year global phenomenon.”

U.S. automobiles account for 6 percent of global man-made carbon dioxide emissions — and 4 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Vehicles emit 315 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in the United States each year — about 20 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

The Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, a trade group that represents General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG and Toyota Motor Corp., among others, said Congress should adopt economy-wide greenhouse gas regulations.

The automakers “believe that there needs to be a national, federal, economy-wide approach to addressing greenhouse gases,” said Dave McCurdy, president of the trade association.

Mike Stanton, president of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, acknowledged how fast the debate is moving. “There’s growing momentum to regulate greenhouse gases,” he said. “Whether Congress can agree on a proper course of action is something else.”
(Source)

As with so much else in today’s world, the Internet and advanced web applications have streamlined and eased the ways we do business and the costs therein.

The auto warranty business has also benefited by advances in software that has been created to enhance efficiency and accuracy, as demonstrated by Service Bench. What it means for the consumer is less delay, confusion and cost. ServiceBench allows “manufacturers … to reduce the cost of warranty without damaging service performance.”

“The solution both manages all warranty calls and issues for manufacturers and also allows partners such as retailers or extended warranty providers and their network of parts suppliers, distributors and service providers, to access data such as parts ordering information and to file claims for work done. Because it is all automated it speeds up the processes such as submitting a claim, its validation and then its settlement, and reduces waste. Special analytics software is also part of the application and allows managers to examine all aspects of a product’s lifecycle and the performance of its supply chain.

ServiceBench is one of the new breed of companies that offers its software as a service (SaaS) and the company’s president and chief executive officer Michael Dering said this makes the application well suited to its purpose. ‘As it is web based it offers easy but controlled access to the same data up through the supply chain and even to the user,’ he said. ‘Also we update the application every four weeks.’”
(Source)

It’s always great to read news from down under. You’ll usually end up with a few new words to add to your vocabulary.

The advice given to first time car buyers in Australia is basically the same advice that would be given in the US.

Up here we look for pick-up trucks and down there they go about looking for “utes”. Here we look for crooks and they warn folks to avoid “shonky” owners.

“Unless you are fortunate enough to know someone in the car dealer business, private sales will yield the lowest prices. However, there are problems with location, shonky owners, no guarantees, etc.

You could end up with a bomb that still owes thousands to a hire purchase company or could even be stolen.”

They offer the same advice on warranties, advising a young couple that a new car might be the way to go simply because they often include “considerable warranties”.

They do handle their used car warranties a bit differently and whereas in the states we’d be concerned about a deal going sour, in Australia they try to avoid a deal going “pear-shaped.”

“Some car dealers now even offer warranties on used vehicles, plus they are strictly controlled by fair trading laws, there are cooling-off periods and you have the ability to complain to the Office of Fair Trading if it all goes pear-shaped.

Be aware that some used car warranties will cost extra and that there is already a free statutory warranty on all used cars.

It guarantees free repair of certain defects by the dealer or their nominated repairer, if the defects are found after you’ve bought the vehicle.

For cars less than 10 years old and an odometer reading under 160,000km, the warranty is three months or 5000km, otherwise, it’s one month or 1000km.

Brokers licensed under the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act can get good prices and will do the legwork for you, but they also charge a commission.”
(Source)

So if you are down Australia way, you have been warned! Do not buy an ute from a shonky seller or your whole deal will go pear-shaped!

Sometimes “David” can win against a big automotive Goliath. And in this case , the little guy ought to have won. It involves a back lit console problem with a Honda. In the course of trying to get the console replaced, which had just gone past it’s new car warranty coverage, the consumer discovered that Honda had been aware of the problem but hadn’t issued a recall. Using the simple logic that a manufacturer ought to own up to known defects, our consumer made a couple of exasperating attempts to get his console before almost giving up. Then he gave it one last try, and lo and behold, Goliath extended his warranty.

“Last Sumer the backlight on the center console of my car went out…the unit was operational, you just couldn’t see anything unless you pointed a light to it. Now the car was just out of warranty, but this didn’t ( for many technical reasons) seem right…I’ve had minor issue before but to have only the backlight go out is a pushing it. .. So I started goggling the problem… turns out there was a mass occurrence of it in the US, but I couldn’t find any thing here in the true north. So I called my Dealer…eh my other dealer. He explained that they weren’t notified of a recall on the center console and the replacement would be 700+ and the labor & taxes…so 1300 total. Remember this is for a backlight… Now I decided to call Honda Canada to explain my case. What I heard next blew me away; the woman I spoke to said “Yes Sir we’re aware of the fault in the center consoles, however there is no plan to issue a recall”. She added that since My family and I have had a history with Honda she was willing to allow me to buy the unit at a reduced price of 200$…So I took a page from David’s book and resorted to using a sling shot. Mine was a simple argument that goes in a straight line….”My device is defective and Honda is aware of the fault and they should fix it….”… I also fired a shot at the Dealers in general…how they seem interested in only taking the shortest approach to fixing an issue and then if the issue crops up again out of warranty the customer is up a creek…Today after a hiatus on the issue I had decided to Call Honda Canada one last time, one last ditch effort to get them to reconsider…then I got a call From FB, “you’re not going to believe “ she said. “You got a letter from Honda Canada; your warranty on the center console has been extended”. Suddenly I heard a thunderous crash…that was the sound of Goliath crashing down.”
(Source)

Well, that’s not actually what they said, but some might conclude that this is taking self-help to an unknown degree of application. Build your own car? Well, that’s what Kia wants to offer their customers in the UK.

“Kia will become the first manufacturer to offer a self-build car for UK customers known as the Concept i Self-Build.

Buyers will be able to choose an engine, transmission and trim specification and specify a saloon, hatch, estate or pick-up.

Dealers will then supply the modules to the customer, along with a manual, presumably written in every language under the sun bar English.”

Not only will the customer be permitted to build his own vehicle but he will be granted an auto warranty based on his or her competency .

A selection of powertrains will be included, while a range of transmissions will be available, including a four-speed automatic and six-speed manual.

The rear module of the Concept I can be swapped for another at any time. Warranties will be awarded on the basis of the competence of the car builder. Paul Philpott says:

“A high score will get a seven year warranty, a low score about a couple of weeks.”

An on-sale date and pricing are yet to be announced.
(source)

It doesn’t matter how good your used car warranty may be, maintaining your car properly just simply has to be the first rule of the road. It’s preferable never to see the inside of a car repair shop, warranty or not.

You were admonished in the fall about winter prep. Well, cars need some spring cleaning too.

Car Max provides the following tips.

1. Take your car to an automatic car wash that has an under-carriage wash. This can help remove corrosive residues left behind by winter road treatments used to melt ice and snow.

2. Wash and wax your car. The wax will protect the paint from damaging UV rays.

3. Change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles, and have the air filter and PCV valve checked and replaced if needed. Winter temperatures can cause the formation of harmful condensation and acids in the engine oil.

4. Have a qualified automotive technician check the following:

• The condition of the engine coolant, belts, and hoses; hoses deteriorate from the inside out and summer driving gives your cooling system a workout.
• All the lights and lenses for cracks; you should also replace wiper blades each spring and fall to ensure optimum visibility in all weather conditions.
• The tires for any abnormalities; the tire pressure should also be set at the level specified for your vehicle.
• All the wheels and inspect the brakes thoroughly; during this process, it is also a good idea to have the tires rotated.
• Your vehicle’s steering and suspension for loose, worn, or damaged components often caused by potholes and other road irregularities.
• The air conditioner now so you can avoid the wait if you need to have it repaired during the summer.

5. Have your vehicle diagnosed by an automotive professional if the engine is not running smoothly or any other conditions arise. Preventive measures can help extend the life of your vehicle and improve gas mileage.
(Source)

Is there a Saturn diesel coming our way? The thought of cruising down the highway at 100 m.p.h. burning only 37 m.p.g. does have it’s appeal. Alas, GM’s latest turbo diesel in the European Opel Astra 1.9 CDTI will not be coming America’s way this year, but Saturn has an eye on diesel.

“Saturn executives have their eye on GM’s European diesel lineup. The brand could offer the latest generation of low-emissions diesels alongside its growing lineup of hybrid-electric models as it works to polish its earth-friendly credentials.

The main questions are how much could Saturn charge for the diesel and how many customers would pay for it.

Diesels are more expensive than most gasoline engines because of costly additional components like turbochargers, intercoolers, high-pressure fuel pumps and extra emission-control systems.”
(Source)

In the past,because of the diesels durability, auto makers like Chrysler extended its warranty to five years or 100,000 miles on all diesel engines in the Dodge Ram, Sprinter and Jeep Liberty lineup. Even with a better extended warranty, experts predict that buyers are going to balk at paying an additional 1000 dollars for a diesel.

“It’s not a bad thing that if you’re stranded by the side of the freeway with a catastrophic engine failure and the odometer reads 98,600 miles, you know you’re not going to have to shell out thousands…”

And that is what will be the Rondo’s greatest kicker;the auto warranty.

“The fit and finish on the Rondo were fine — nothing extraordinary, but then I found no glaring gaps or odd-sized seams — and whoever designed this thing must have been really thirsty. Our seven-passenger car had 10 cupholders sprinkled about the cabin.

If you’re curious about this car, you should also look at the Mazda 5 and the Toyota Matrix, which fit in the same mold of squarish car-like SUVs … more car than truck.

What tips things toward the Kia, however, is its 10-year/100,000-mile power train warranty, a gift from its equally warranty-generous corporate parent, Hyundai Motor Group.”

But to hear this reviewer tell it, the Rondo does have some unexpected surprises.

“What is really stunning, however, given that the Rondo is only 179 inches long, is the amount of cargo room this thing has. With both rear-seat rows folded, you get about 74 cubic feet in the Rondo, a capacity that’s competitive with bigger SUVs.”
(Source)

2007 Kia Rondo EX Specs

• 2007 KIA RONDO EX
• Type: Front engine, front-wheel-drive SUV
• Base price: $20,195
• Price as tested: $23,495
• Power train: 2.7-liter, V6 182-horsepower engine; five-speed automatic transmission
• Curb weight: 3,511 pounds
• Seating capacity: Five to seven, depending on seat configuration
• Mileage: 20 city; 27 highway
• Fuel tank capacity: 15.8 gallons
• Dimensions: Length 179 inches; width 71.7 inches; height 65 inches; wheelbase 106.3 inches
• Warranty: Bumper-to-bumper, five years/60,000 miles; power train, 10 years/100,000 miles
• Source: Kia Motors America, Inc. (www.kia.com); U.S. EPA (www.fuel economy.gov)