Broken hinge on roof-mounted LCD screen

[simon.w]

Hi all,

For those of you with the roof-mount TV/DVD in your VE, if the screen ever becomes loose as it folds down, it will be the same problem as I have just discovered.
Normally it folds down firmly, so that you can leave it at the best viewing angle and the hinge is mounted in a plastic cylinder.... about the size and diameter as if you cut 8mm off the end of a ball point pen.

This cracks through.... so rather than the screen pivoting on the metal shaft, the whole lot turns inside of the cracked plastic cylinder.

The tell-tale sign (apart from the screen going loose), is that it forces the join apart at the top right hand side of the screen.

I have fixed it temporarily by removing the top screws under the rubber plugs at the top of the screen, splitting the cover, and putting a cable tie around the cracked plastic mount.

I'll be taking mine back for replacement.... but looking at the poor industrial design, I expect it will happen again.

So... after 4 months and 7500km... I have had issues with:

- specs of dust in the paint causing pimples in the duco
- cracked floor mats
- peeling and cracking track stripes
- broken TV

Don't get me wrong... I love my SS... but the build quality and industrial design is not a patch on the Mazda6 luxury sport that I owned for 5 years previously.

So much for the Billion Dollar Baby Holden!!!!!

 

[andyman]

ride it out and get it sorted, think of it this way, your doing one for australia because you are the privilleged owner of a first release commodore, remember commodores are just like vb, cheap, leaves a dirty taste to the mouth but everyone still buys it. lol

i do understand that things like that should be better designed tho

 

[1991_Vn2nV]

simon.w seems to be having more issues than others though, perhaps just one of those cars.

 

[simon.w]

I think the point that should be made is that apart from the dust in the paint (which is totally unaaceptable in this day and age), my other problems are all with products that have been supplied my an OEM - the mats, the TV, the stripes - they would all be purchased from a third party.

What Holden has to do is better testing and QA on the products that other manufacturers make for them.

These three issues are caused purely by poor design and inferior materials.

While I understand that they cannot make everything over the top expensive, I can say with experience as the Marketing Manager of one of Australia's bigger manufacturers, that this should never happen if effective QA procedures are in place.

The reality is that this cost-cutting will impact Holden more via loss of good will and warranty claims, than making less margin by using higher-grade products.

 

[andyman]

The reality is that this cost-cutting will impact Holden more via loss of good will and warranty claims, than making less margin by using higher-grade products.

any logical person would work that work its just the fact someone in holden wants to turn a blind eye to it and think it'll be right, also holden can claim back from the manufactors so they not losing out too much

 

[satos]

remember commodores are just like vb, cheap, leaves a dirty taste to the mouth but everyone still buys it. lol

Paying $50,000 to 60,000 for a car doesn't sound cheap to me.

 

[andyman]

Paying $50,000 to 60,000 for a car doesn't sound cheap to me.

it isnt but when it has comparable technologies / features / power / ride (which its getting close too) to say a bmw or lexus which would cost $100,000 it is cheap in that respect

 

[simon.w]

any logical person would work that work its just the fact someone in holden wants to turn a blind eye to it and think it'll be right, also holden can claim back from the manufactors so they not losing out too much

I wouldn't be so sure that Holden can claim back from the manufacturer. In my industry, you have a choice when you buy products from an OEM - pay extra and get warranty, or cut the best deal and wear it yourself.

The only time you will usually get the manufacturer of an OEM wearing a claim is if they acknowledged a faulty component or a maunfacturing defect.

Bottom line is that the floor mats are crap, the track stripes are crap, and the design of the hinge assembly on the TV is crap.

Absolutely no doubt what so ever.

Interestingly... the only 2 issues I had with my Mazda6 luxury sport were the mats, and the screen on my TV. There is a message in there somewhere!

 

[andyman]

i only mentioned that becaue the diffs are claimed back through the manufacturer for the vz's, ie they are sent back to be examined manufacturer if they are found to be fine holden cops the bill, thats why they dont like replacing them i guess

 

[Supe]

i only mentioned that becaue the diffs are claimed back through the manufacturer for the vz's, ie they are sent back to be examined manufacturer if they are found to be fine holden cops the bill, thats why they dont like replacing them i guess

Thats the same thing with my Battery, they didn't want to replace it because they told me they'd be back billed if it turned out not to be at fault.