Reports - The most dependable car brands

Reliability survey ranks Mini last, with Porsche pipped from the top spot.


Mini is the least reliable brand of car you can buy, according to a new US long-term dependability report.

The 2011 JD Power survey reveals the BMW-owned British brand experienced more problems with its vehicles than any other manufacturer in the US during the past 12 months.

The US-based report measures the number of problems per 100 cars that owners experience during the first three years of ownership – meaning the lower the number, the better the reliability.

Advertisement: Story continues below Mini ranked last with 221 issues per 100 cars despite an overall increase in dependability rankings - more than double the issues of the Ford-owned Lincoln (101 per 100 cars) that became the first American luxury brand to top the list in more than a decade.

Mini’s parent company improved marginally from 165 to 164 issues, but BMW’s result was inferior to those of its closest rivals and below the industry average of 155 problems per 100 cars.

Mercedes-Benz scored 128 (down from 142) and was the best of the big three premium German brands, with Audi reducing its issues from 182 to 161 compared with 2010.

Luxury brands otherwise dominated the top four positions. Lexus placed second with 109 issues, while Jaguar leapt into third place after cutting its number of issues by nearly a third – up from 175 to 112.

Porsche, last year’s leader, slipped to fourth place in 2011 after its problems rose from 110 to 114.

Mainstream manufacturers also increased their reported reliability in the survey in which 25 of the 36 brands monitored offered improved reliability compared with last year's rankings .

With pre-accelerator-fiasco models from Toyota ranking fifth (122, down from 128); while Hyundai grabbed 10th spot with 132 (down from 148) and sister company Kia jumped up one spot to 20th with 160 reported problems (down from 167).

Volkswagen continued to disappoint despite improving from 225 to 191 issues, while Japanese maker Honda slipped from 7th to 11th, with issues increasing from 132 to 139.

Despite an American brand topping the list, other US makers did not fare so well. Chrysler (202) and Dodge (206) both fell further down the rankings (where they scored 166 and 190 respectively), while Jeep still ranked second last, despite improving with a score of 214 (down from 222).

Land Rover again fared poorly, ranking third last with a score of 212, although that score was a marked improvement on 2010's result of 255.

There were 202 "problem sypmtoms" addressed in the survey, which relied on information from 43,700 owners of 2008 model cars.

As Drive has previously reported, JD Power has been working unsuccessfully towards publishing an Australian vehicle quality study for more than a decade.

The research company says local manufacturers are not willing to allow the information to be made public despite their American parent companies allowing US findings to be published.

(Source: drive.com.au)

Don't be trapped into flood damaged cars

NRMA says the following may help to identify any water damage:

• Water or condensation in exterior lights
• 'Tide marks' at the carpet and door trims
• Dampness or musty smells
• Shrunken carpet
• Missing or ill-fitting drain plugs
• Surface rust at brackets under dash and under seats, although some light rust here is considered normal for older cars
• Difficult-to-operate door locks, ventilation controls and switches

An owner who wants to keep a flood-damaged vehicle should:

• Free drain holes from obstructions
• Check for dampness or mould and replace carpets if affected
• Listen for noises that get louder with speed and time, which could indicate imminent bearing or driveling failure

(Source: "Open Road")

Vehicles excluded from second-hand warranty

Commercial

Commercial vehicles are excluded from the statutory warranty. Basically, a commercial vehicle is a motor vehicle constructed or adapted principally:
to carry goods
to carry 10 or more adults
for industrial or agricultural use.
‘Dual-cab’ or ‘crew-cab’ vehicles are commercial vehicles.

Note: The following are not commercial vehicles, and (subject to age, distance and price) will be covered by warranty.
1.A utility, station wagon or panel van: that is the same make as the factory-produced motor car; in which the part of the body form, forward of the windscreen and the greater part of the mechanical equipment are the same, or substantially the same, as in the motor car.(Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon station wagon or utility).
2.A motor vehicle that is adapted for camping use (for example, a campervan).
3.A four-wheel drive with at least one forward-facing rear passenger seat ie. most of the normal long wheel base four-wheel drive passenger vehicles (apart from dual and crew cabs which have been excluded).

The definition of commercial vehicle does not apply to the Suzuki Hatch and Mighty Boy because their cargo space is not considered to be constructed or adapted principally to carry goods.
These and similar vehicles are considered to be covered by warranty if the criteria of distance travelled, age and price (luxury vehicle) applies. The fact that a vehicle may be used for 'commercial' purposes (courier, taxi, etc) after purchase does not void the statutory warranty.

Luxury vehicles

A luxury motor vehicle is a vehicle where the cash price exceeds a prescribed amount. The prescribed amount is the motor vehicle depreciation limit under the Income Tax Assessment Act and is set in the annual Federal Budget.
For the purpose of the Motor Dealers Act the figure effective as at 1st July 2002 was set at $57,009. Vehicles sold above this price are not covered by a Statutory Warranty or the Motor Dealers Compensation Fund.

Other vehicles not covered by statutory warranty

These are:
A trailer (which includes a caravan).
A motor vehicle or a second hand motor cycle that cannot be registered on New South Wales roads.
A substantially demolished or substantially dismantled motor vehicle.
A four wheel drive vehicle that has no forward facing rear passenger seat.

(Source: Office of Fair Trading NSW)

Cooling off periods when buying cars

From 28 January 2003 a one day, waivable cooling off period applies to purchases of new and used cars where the purchase is financed by a linked credit arrangement. Linked credit is where finance for the purchase is provided by or facilitated by the motor dealer selling the vehicle.

A purchaser may terminate the contract by giving written notice to the dealer during the cooling off period. The notice of termination must be signed, either by the purchaser or the purchaser’s solicitor or barrister. The right to terminate a contract may be exercised even though the purchaser has taken delivery of the motor vehicle concerned.

On termination of the contract the purchaser is liable to pay the dealer $250 or 2% of the purchase price, whichever is the lesser. (This means 2% of the purchase price for cars priced $12,500 or lower and $250 for all cars over $12,500).

There is NO cooling off period for sales:
1) of motor vehicles other than cars (eg motor bikes, farm equipment);
2) of commercial vehicles;
3) at an auction;
4) paid for by cash;
5) on credit other than linked credit. (The cooling off period does not apply where credit is provided by a finance institution contacted directly by the purchaser, that is, where the dealer does not provide, arrange or facilitate the credit);
6) where credit is provided by a linked credit provider of the dealer but the provision of credit is not arranged or facilitated by the dealer;
7) made by a motor dealer to a trade owner.

The cooling off period begins when the contract is signed (entered into) and ends at 5pm on the next day on which the dealer carries on business with the public. However, if the dealer closes for business before 5pm on that day, the cooling off period ends at the close of business on the next day the dealer is open for business following that day.
Example A: a dealer is open for business 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 3pm on Sunday. If a contract to purchase was signed on Friday the cooling off period would end at 5pm on Saturday.
Example B: a dealer is open for business 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm on Saturday and closed Sunday. If a contract to purchase was signed on Friday the cooling off period would end at 7pm on Monday.
Example C: a dealer is open for business 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm on Saturday and closed Sunday. If a contract to purchase was signed on Saturday the cooling off period would end at 4pm on Tuesday.

The cooling off period may be extended by a provision in the contract of sale or by agreement with the dealer.
The cooling off period can only be waived by the purchaser signing the prescribed form. The prescribed form is Form 21 in the Motor Dealers Regulation 1999.

(Source: Office of Fair Trading NSW)

Warranties for cars

A statutory warranty under the Motor Dealers Act 1974requires a licensed dealer to fix certain defects that occur in vehicles they have sold. When buying a second-hand car you can only get a statutory warranty if you buy the car from a licensed motor dealer.

　

In NSW all passenger cars under 10 years/160,000km and under the luxury car tax limit, have a minimum warranty of 3 months or 5,000km - whichever comes first. This is called the standard warranty and applies to cars with no known defects.

　

The car and all accessories fitted at the time of sale
are covered by the warranty. Superficial damage (such as paint and upholstery) and normal wear and tear are not
covered by the warranty.

　

The warranty does not cover:

• routine services

• tune-ups

• batteries

• tyres (however, tyres must be roadworthy at the
time of sale)

• defects that arise from an accident or misuse
of the vehicle.

　

Every second-hand vehicle for sale within a
licensed dealership should have a form describing the vehicle displayed. The form includes the dealer's name, cash price, engine number, odometer reading and whether a
warranty applies. The form displayed will either be a Form 4, 6, or 8 and this will indicate the term of the warranty applying
to the vehicle.

　

Form 4 indicates the car has a standard statutory
warranty as described above.

　

Form 6 indicates that the standard warranty of 3months/5,000km applies, but only to defects relating to safety. The dealer should list on the form the items that will not be covered by the warranty as well as an estimate of the related repair costs. A car displaying a Form 6 must also be sold with a pink slip showing that the car is roadworthy.

　

Form 8 indicates that the car is not covered by a warranty. Generally the car is older than ten years or has travelled more than 160,000km. A car displaying a Form 8 must be sold with a pink slip showing that the car is roadworthy.

　

In addition, Form 14 indicates that the car is not covered by a warranty and is displayed on a vehicle priced above the luxury car limit. The car is to be sold in a roadworthy condition.

　

Extended warranties are available when you buy a car. Often they are provided by the manufacturer and are sold by the dealer when you purchase a car. Before deciding to buy an extended warranty you should make sure you understand fully what is being covered.

　

There are often a significant number of exclusions and conditions in extended warranties. For more
information contact the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) web site at http://www.asic.gov.au/ or call 1300 300 630.

　

(Source: Office of Fair Trading)

Where to buy a car

There are a number of options available in terms of where you can buy a car. They each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Buying from a car dealership
Buying a car from a licensed motor vehicle dealership is the safest way to purchase a car and provides many advantages. Unlike buying privately, the dealer has an obligation to guarantee that there is no money owing on the car. In certain conditions the dealer is also obliged by law to provide a warranty, which gives you great peace of mind.
Also the dealer often provides the opportunity to trade in your old car. However, you may not get as much money trading-in your car as you would if selling it privately.
Unlike buying from an auction, you get to test drive the car and make sure it has the power and features you require. Finance can also be obtained through most licensed car dealers again saving time and headaches.

Buying a car from an auction
The benefit of buying a car at auction is that you could pick up a real bargain. The cars come from situations that include deceased estates and repossessed vehicles, and quite often are in satisfactory condition.
The risk with buying at auction is that the cars are not covered by a statutory warranty and generally the auction house will not allow a test drive. You can arrange an independent vehicle inspection at your own cost but not on the day of the auction.
Most auction houses will require a 10% deposit or $500 at the fall of the hammer.

Buying a car privately
Buying a car privately involves relying on your own judgement and knowledge. You can arrange for a vehicle inspection at your own cost but there are no statutory
warranties. Also, making sure that the vehicle is not encumbered, stolen or de-registered is the responsibility of the buyer.
Doing a REVS check will help you ascertain this. Always ask the seller for, and note down, the information listed below. Ensure the information shown in the paperwork matches what is on the actual car.
• The current certificate of registration.
• A pink slip which is no more than 42 days old (unless the car was registered in the last 42 days).
• Proof that the person selling the car is the owner eg. a sales receipt or driver’s licence to help identify the seller.
• The registration number.
• The engine number.
• The VIN (vehicle identification number) or chassis number.

Buying from a car market
Car markets bring buyers and sellers together in the one place without the need to drive all over town. However, you are still buying ‘privately’ and therefore need to rely on your own judgement and knowledge. There will be no guarantee of title or warranties supplied. They are often temporary situations and have become an outlet for backyard operators to dispose of substandard vehicles, or even possibly stolen
vehicles.

When do you need a pink slip?
If the vehicle has been registered in the last 42 days, you do not need a safety check report (ie. a pink slip). The pink slip shows if the car is fit for registration or not. A pink slip must not be more than 42 days old.
If the vehicle is not registered you need to take it to an Authorised Unregistered Vehicle Inspection Station (AUVIS). They will conduct a roadworthiness check and identify the vehicle for the purpose of registration for the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA). To find your nearest AUVIS, contact the RTA on 13 22 13.

Something to avoid – roadside selling
There are no safeguards with this type of car sale. There are no guarantees of title and no warranties supplied. You could be stuck with a vehicle that has been poorly repaired or even written-off. No matter how good the bargain looks, steer well clear of this method of purchasing a car.

(Source: Office of Fair Trading)