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The Holden Recall – What’s It All About?
A couple of weeks ago, the radio and other new channels rang with the news that Holden had ordered a recall. Now there are a lot of Holden enthusiasts out there, and a few of them might have got a bit worried that their new pride and joy might be part of the recall. And now another one’s just been launched. What is going on?
In a nutshell, if you haven’t got a letter from Holden, don’t panic: you’re fine. Holden took responsibility for tracking down the owners of the vehicles affected by the product recall. Two types of Holden have been affected by this recall. First of all (recall notice issued 21st November) , there’s the 2.0 L Diesel Holden Captiva Series one with the following VIN numbers:
• KL3CD26RJ8H307843 to KL3CG26RJ8H313387 (2008)
• KL3CA26RJ9B258567 to KL3CD26RJ9B557340 (2009)
• KL3CA26RJAB000715 to KL3CD26RJAB118110 (2010–2011).
The second Holden recall which was only issued yesterday (5th December) applies to the 2.0 L Diesel Holden Epica with the following VIN numbers:
• KL3LA69RJ9B137502 to KL3LA69RJ9B529009 (2009)
• KL3LA69RJAB000281 to KL3LA69RJAB099015 (2010)
• KL3LA69RJBB005838 to KL3LA69RJBB065472 (2011)
To find out more about the details of the recall, visit http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1008793 about the Epica recall and
http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1008473 about the Captiva.
If you have another type of Holden, then this recall doesn’t apply to you. You can keep driving your Commodore or Calais quite happily.
Product recalls happen because of a flaw in the product – in this case, the car, and it’s the same problem in both the 2.0 L Captiva and the Epica. And because bringing your car back to an authorised Holden dealer to be given a clean bill of health or to get the problem fixed is a nuisance, especially at this time of year, we’re not talking about some fiddly little thing. Here, the problem is a potential leak in the fuel feed hose – in other words, there’s a risk of diesel getting where it shouldn’t be, which is a very dangerous situation, as the stuff’s highly flammable.
Product recalls are annoying, but they’re part of the way that manufacturers ensure that their product is safe. I, for one, am glad that Holden is checking their products and taking action now that they’ve found an alarming (but easily fixed) flaw in their vehicles. It’s much better than doing nothing – and, according to the Dog and Lemon Guide, there has been a case in history where an automotive manufacturer – which will remain unnamed because it was in the past and the cars in question are off the road, but it wasn’t Holden – decided that it would be cheaper to pay compensation to grieving relatives than to fix a design flaw that could lead to the cars catching fire. So, Holden, thanks for caring and making sure that customer satisfaction and safety are important to you.
And if you have been contacted by Holden about your Captiva or your Epica, don’t be a silly muggins and ignore it. Yes, it’s a nuisance to have to take your car back to an authorised dealer to get it checked and fixed, but if you don’t do it, you could be putting yourself at risk. We don’t want that. Holden doesn’t want it. And you don’t really want it either.
PS: If you want to know more about product recalls and consumer rights, visit the Product Recalls page of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commision’s website at http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/952401.
Women and Car Servicing- What It Means To Us In 2011/12
Today more and more people are moving to minor ‘self-servicing’ of their vehicles due to the financial crunch hitting the world and everyone’s pockets. What is staggering is who is doing it?
There is an enormous growth in ‘back yard’ servicing today. 1 in 3 people have said that they carry out basic home servicing, changing oil and filters when it is required rather than taking it to their service centre.
Women are joining into this trend more than anyone, particularly Gen Y. They are more likely to take things into their own hands today than be ‘conned’ into paying for unnecessary work or being up-sold over the counter. The later is particularly so. It has come to their attention that the every time the dealer services their car they will inevitably be a phone call asking if they would like some other ‘recommended’ servicing before they collect their vehicle. It seems like revenue raising or overselling – and for the most part it is.
People today are recognising the cheaper avenues for servicing such as their local garage and places like Ultratune and K Mart Tyre and Auto as safe, reliable and cost effective. The ever increasing information flow such as warranties are NOT void by manufacturers if work is carried out by professionals with log book history are showing how much money the manufacturers service centres are actually making, and people are not prepared to pay over the odds anymore. Gen Y’s are more capable than ever as they have been raised by Gen X’s mistakes…not to follow. Gen Y’s may not know how to ‘play’ a record, talk to your face or ‘dial’ a telephone, but they surely know how to research and act on anything. In 10 years time Gen Y’s will be in their forties, so watch how things change faster than ever before!
People generally today are now convinced that they will not get value for money or over the top customer service by going to the ‘dealer’ for servicing their car. The survey involving 2091 customers who had booked a service in the past 2 years was conducted by Colmar Bruton and commissioned by the customer satisfaction rating agency Canstar Blue.
The motor vehicle has come a long way and many of us look under the bonnet and just see a blur of technology, metal and plastic. You would be right, but under all that protective plastic and computer wires still remains an engine that needs oil, water and TLC before anything. An impressive 26% of women and 38% of men bucked the stereotype or norm to perform basic car servicing at home.
It is good news to hear that people are still confident (at the most part) for professional service. What this survey shows is that it is up to these professionals to remain so and be competent and cost effective to gain and retain customers. It is time for the dealers to re-evaluate their costs and work practices to draw their buying customers back.
The first step in the right direction is seen by companies like Ford, Toyota, Hyundai , and Mitsubishi who are now ‘price-capping’ their scheduled service costs. Some have even offered ‘free servicing ‘ as part of the deal
We all know the best customer is a return customer, for with them comes their family and friends, so don’t expect the manufacturers and dealers to keep losing their customers. There will be much more aggression from them, which can only mean one thing…a better deal for us, the customer!
For more information about customer service, car leasing or current car reviews visit www.privatefleet.com.au or for an explanation watch the video.
Protecting Your Vehicle's Resale Value
Protecting the of your vehicle is not only prudent but necessary in attaining the right lease package for you. One of the major costs in owning a motor vehicle is depreciation. A car is a depreciating asset. It seems like an oxymoron ‘depreciating’ – ‘asset’. In fact it is quite straight forward. The car is the ‘asset’ and the aging process is ‘depreciating’ its value to the next buyer.
By simply thinking ahead and planning your purchase and taking a modicum of care in its condition you can save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
By projecting the resale value you can also determine an appropriate ‘residual payment’ or balloon payment for your car finance. This will set your monthly payments and allow you to avoid any unexpected surprises when it comes time to sell and/or refinance your vehicle.
You should also take the vehicle itself into account. Do your homework on the make and model you want. Also include such factors as reliability and practicality into account. A family of 5 does not fit into a cabriolet – It may look good in the office car park, but your own bed at night is always warmer!!
Other important qualities in retaining resale are to look for a slightly used, demonstrators or end of model/year run-outs. They can save you thousands with only minor kilometres that can still be fully leased.
If you are time poor, weary of the ‘car salesman’ or simply a novice; seek professional help in obtaining the vehicle you have chosen.
Another trap many people fall into is the monumental catastrophe of colour choice. Bright yellow belongs on Ferrari’s and Fiat 500’s not a family CX-9.
Watching the current market leading trends is also important, such as the decline in purchases of large vehicles and the increasing popularity of diesel and LPG driven family sedans.
And finally before you do trade-in your current car assess any minor damage as a cost to your sale price. Sometimes a minor scratch will be over looked but smelly internals and/or stained seats may need a steam clean to increase the appeal to a future buyer. You will also have to weigh up the time involved in a private sale verses a trade-in price. Generally you will get a little more in a private sale, but this may take up time you do not have. Do what is best for your situation.
Thinking ahead with a clear head is the best way to increase your re-sale value of your car. Likewise selecting an appropriate residual value will protect you from having a shortfall payment at the end of your lease. Private Fleet consultants can create a tailored finance package which takes all these aspects into account for you including an appropriate lease term, residual payment and cost of ownership packages.
For an explanation of how it works watch the video.
Fuel Efficient Driving Advice From The Boffins
Sometimes, it’s not what you drive but how you drive that counts. The boffins have done all sorts of research into cutting fuel costs and driving more efficiently to find out just how you should drive to trim down the fuel costs. Sometimes it’s not as simple as looking for a little small-engined hatchback such as a Peugeot 207 or a Mazda 2 to replace a large gas-guzzler.
A lot of that research has been done with heavy trucks – after all, if you’re the owner of a company with oodles of big rigs to top up with diesel or petrol, you will want to know what you can do to save on fuel bills without affecting your performance. And, as the boffins found out, what works with heavy vehicles tends to work with smaller vehicles – fleets and privately owned vehicles – as well.
One of the most interesting ways of saving fuel that does apply to all vehicles (obviously, things related to truck design don’t relate to your family wheels) is how you drive. The difference in fuel consumption between a good driver (i.e. one who drives efficiently) and a not-so-good one could be up to 35%. As an added bonus, the boffins found that the more fuel-efficient drivers were also the safer drivers, which provides an extra incentive for improving your driving behaviour.
What were the factors that made the difference between a good driver and a not-so-good driver? Speed was the first factor – if you keep under or to the speed limit, you will consume less fuel than you would if you stepped on the gas a bit more. Gear selection, i.e. picking the right gear for what you’re doing, was another important factor mentioned, as was changing gear at the right number of engine revs. Of course, if you have an automatic gearbox, these two factors aren’t really an issue.
The fourth point on the list is one that does come down to the individual driver: the aggressiveness of using the brake and the accelerator pedals. In a nutshell, if you step on the pedals like you’re trying to squash cockroaches, you will go through the gas a lot more. If you use the pedals like you’re trying to walk across gravel barefoot, you use less. This factor has been noticed by the car manufacturers as well, and they’ve introduced indicators on the dashboard to let you know if you’re driving aggressively or not – the Honda Insight is one good example.
Idling time was another factor that the boffins noticed, but is probably one that we could have told them about. If you leave your motor idling for longer, you go through more petrol. Unless, of course, you have a hybrid vehicle such as the Toyota Prius that lets the electric motor take over if you do have to sit there with the motor going – at the traffic lights, for example. What shouldn’t be done, electric vehicle or otherwise, is sitting there at the side of the road with the motor going. If you have to take a phone call (and you haven’t got a hands-free phone) or if you’re a courier or tradesperson who has to do a bit of paperwork at every stop, then leave the motor off when you’re doing it.
One factor, albeit a lesser one, could be controversial. This advice was to open the windows instead of using the air conditioning, as this uses less fuel. However, another set of boffins have concluded that doing this exposes you to more nasties from pollution getting into your airways and you should use the air conditioning if you want to minimise your exposure to particulate matter, carbon monoxide and all the rest of it. On the other hand, if everybody opened their windows instead of using the air conditioning, we’d all use less fuel and there’d be fewer pollutants in the air. The big thing here is getting everyone started with the good habits.
Other factors mentioned by the boffins for reducing fuel consumption included aerodynamics (take those roof racks off if you’re not carrying them), keeping tyres at the right pressure and maintaining the engines properly (a clogged air filter can increase fuel consumption by 10%, for example). Another one was picking the right vehicle for the job, which is very relevant to a fleet but is less relevant to the private driver, except it gives you an excuse to ask your mate for the loan of his/her Land Rover if you need to shift a heavy load of furniture and you’ve got a little Mini.
Level 2, 9 Help Street