Vf locked steering while driving.

[VS 5.0]

Well that's not an unreasonable request, they have to diagnose it before taking further action...

And if a fault exists that is covered by ACL, they should be charging the manufacturer, not the customer.

 

[Georges dagher]

So update guys, took the car down to the Holden centre and spoke to the guy at the front Counter and explained to him what happened. Straight away he recognised the problem but said that they can’t do nothing for me as I’m out of warranty and that I would of haved to be charged for the fix. Quiet disappointed with this, i immediately called Holden customer care and spoke to a fella named nick who was super helpful, told me about a couple of the previous cases that have occurred regarding the power steering failure and that many cars were fixed “complimentary of Holden” and then ended up telling me that they’ll wait for the diagnosis from the service centre and then let me know if they are willing to cover the cost. Hung up the phone and started speaking again to the guy at the counter who was still pretty adamant that I will at least have to pay the Diagnosis fees which I guess I’ll cop if it means I can drive my car without being worried that the life of fellow family members, friends or my life are in danger. Fingers crossed good news coming my way on Thursday.

 

[Skylarking]

@Georges dagher keep in mind that the D.I.C. message "service power steering lock" is a different to that of "service power steering drive with care".

The first issue is retaled to a mechanical lock pin unable to be electrically retracted from the steering shaft and making it impossible to turn the steering wheel where as the later is an intermittant electical connection issue causing the electrical power stering assistance to not work making it rather difficult to steer. Both can be dangerous in their own way and in some cases very very dangerous so take do care and prioritise to get it resolved.

One member had the steering lock issue here and i explained the background here. Within the 16 pages ot the linked thread, many have had steering assistance failure and had it fixed, sometimes with some dramas.

So if your steering locks while driving, it is very very dangerous situation and in some ways much worse than power steer assistance failure. I'd be furious with the dealer and Holden if they simply try to fob me off and/or charge me to fix this fault.

Keep in mind that a manufacturers warranty of fixed duration is just one remedy available to you but it does expire after a while.

In Australia, the Australian Consumer Law, ACL, provides a "statuatory warranty" for all products sold in this country. This warranty can not be excluded by the selling business and more importantly does not have a defined period specified within the law.

What this means is that the dealer/manufacturer can't simplty state that the vehicle is outside its warranty period as your statuatory warranty provided in law does not specify a period, period.. The statuatory warrany period is dependant on the product type, price paid in comparison to similar products and public perseption in some sence. It is yet to be cleary defined via case law.

So, though your manufacturers warranty may have expired, your statuatory warranty is almost certainly still in force. That is because one does not expect the steering system to fail in a reletively young car, heck i'd expect it should not fail in a 10 year old car unless it has never seen the inside of a service workshop.

Buying private may possibly make it a little more complicated accessing your statuatory waranty so it could be worth ringing your state consumer group for advice. However i'd expect you should still be covered and the sellling dealer can back bill Holden for resolving your statuatory warranty claims.

Don't let the dealer/Holden banboozle you with their bullsh!t "diagnostic fee" and "guesture of goodwill" phrases and the like. You have a legal expectation that the product is fit for use and of acceptable quality. You shouldn't have to pay to excersise your statuatory warranty.

So get back to HCC and demand your statuatory rights and remind them that a steering failure should be considered a major fault under ACL in which case you're within your rights to chhose the remedy including a full purchase price refund. Maybe then the'd get off their arse and solve your serious issue pronto (and give you a loan car for your troubles wile they do it).

 

[VS 5.0]

I will at least have to pay the Diagnosis fees which I guess I’ll cop

You don;t need to cop it. Read the info and argue your case.

 

[Smashfist]

And if a fault exists that is covered by ACL, they should be charging the manufacturer, not the customer.

You would be correct. There's no way to determine whether a fault is a manufacturing defect or not without diagnosing it though, so the customer would be required to approve a diagnosis fee if such a fault weren't covered.

 

[VS 5.0]

You would be correct. There's no way to determine whether a fault is a manufacturing defect or not without diagnosing it though, so the customer would be required to approve a diagnosis fee if such a fault weren't covered.

Agreed.

They just shouldn't be told there is a fee regardless.

 

[Banjo79]

As if you'd pay a diagnostic fee when the cars telling you to service power steering! Its done the diagnosis for all involved.

 

[Smashfist]

As if you'd pay a diagnostic fee when the cars telling you to service power steering! Its done the diagnosis for all involved.

The car's smart enough to tell you there's a problem, not what the problem is. The one time you "shotgun" a rack failure would on the balance of Murphy's Law, be the one that some muppet has installed a sound system and drilled through some wiring with a self-tapping screw or something equally as stupid.

 

[Banjo79]

The car's smart enough to tell you there's a problem, not what the problem is. The one time you "shotgun" a rack failure would on the balance of Murphy's Law, be the one that some muppet has installed a sound system and drilled through some wiring with a self-tapping screw or something equally as stupid.

True and good point, but how many home handy men are drilling through wiring or tampering with something specific to the rack vs the known Holden/GM problem presenting again, on what will be probably every S1 rack before too long
Its offensive to the customer to mention $$$ to diagnose for something that every dealership should know about by now. I think the dealership should be giving the benifit of the doubt, at least on this Aus/Us known issue and then charging later on the rarest of chance its owners fault, would be far more polite and sensible.
It amazing we are all still talking about it really. Should have just been dealt with ASAP like other recalls/problems and should be behind every owner and dealer.

 

[Georges dagher]

So another update guys, Holden have agreed to cover 100 percent of all my costs which is relieving to say the least ! I’d like to thank @lobbie specially for both referring me to that previous forum and @Skylarking giving me the confidence to plea my case. Holden need to recall all this defected VFs as soon as possible as this vehicles don’t meet safety regulations and someone is going to lose a family member because of the lack of action on behalf of Holden. Also @Banjo79 and @VS 5.0 thank you for your support.