- The Savvy Promise
Nonetheless, engine problems seem to be next in line, accounting for 15 percent of the total claims. The lengthy list of dissatisfactions is linked to interior blemishes, odometer fraud, faulty batteries and so on and so forth.
Choice survey aims at helping Australian car owners
A study conducted by Choice was meant to pinpoint where each car brand stands, and highlight the problems they are mostly associated with. That is supposed to come in handy for new-car buyers. Whereas it’s true that the greater part of reported issues were overall minor, nearly 14 percent of new-car owners dealt with major problems, which prevented their vehicles from functioning properly. According to the survey, Holden holds the reign when it comes to complaints – 68 percent of owners have reported a malfunction, being high above Audi and Ford.
Even Toyota, which is acknowledged as a high-quality, reliable brand in Australia caused problems in 50 percent of the cases. Mazda, apparently, holds a good spot in the survey, being rated at 44 percent. As opposed to the studies conducted in the U.S., the one carried out by Choice is relevant for the Australian consumer body.
A primary concern is that owners are frequently required to sign confidentiality agreements, in case their new cars are in need of repairing. On that account, the research specifically illustrates that car companies are eager to cover up the scale of problems associated with the cars they produce. For that reason, they enforce customers to sign nondisclosure agreements, which put them in an awkward position.
It’s crystal clear that such a practice is, by all means, unacceptable, especially as we’re talking about significant purchases, such as vehicles. Not to mention that many of the problems were connected to vehicle safety.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries argues study findings
However, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries that officially represents car companies disputes the claims. They affirm that new-car owners in Australia benefit from long warranties, in comparison with other countries in the world. It appears that the growing competition in the vehicle market implies that the FCAI members’ primary objective is to offer support. In the same respect, they claim that these kinds of surveys are, by all means, inconsistent, unless the research determines the cause.
Nonetheless, Choice reports that 15 percent of the people who encountered problems with their newly-bought vehicles were unable to solve them. It would seem that some companies aim at solving consumer problems, as opposed to others.
Brand and percentage with problems
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