Parking distance sensor problem

[Transporter]

The parking sensors are sealed against water and you can't harm them if spraying at them even with the high pressure cleaner from a reasonable distance of course. Remember? We also have the car wash places that use pressurised water sprayers.

Now, to the perception that everything on your car is covered by the statutory warranty just because, it's not unreasonable to expect that the car should last longer than the warranty period. Let's use your word "life of the car", which may be what? Ten years? maybe more to some people? All this brings up the question. Why are there the 3, 5 and now 7(Kia) years warranties? If you could get EVERYTHING on the car repaired for free under the statutory warranty anyway?

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to buy just one product and get it always repaired when it brakes down. Because, it's not unreasonable to me, that the car (and many other things) should last 10-20 years, including fridges, washing machines, TVs and other electronic gadgets, the house roof made of tiles should last me a lifetime - hell, my grandma had the fridge for 40 years and house she lived in was more durable than houses built today, and my Philps TV I bought in 1992 is still working.

So, what do you and other people here think? Do we have a lawyer here who could tell us more. Because honestly I think that this statutory warranties fly only because the repair is still cheaper than courts. Which means that one day the car manufacturers can say enough is enough and say what I've said the above 3 years is 3 years and not 4 years.

Maybe we should start a new debate about the "Warranties" in the general section.

Now, to your parking sensor, I'm positive that you should get the PDC sensor fixed at no cost to you, because as I said, believe that nothing should stop working as soon as the warranty is over. But, it's good to be aware that the statutory warranties don't always have to work 100%.

Let us know how did you go.

[k_rider]

Transporter, I understand exactly what you're saying, every product has some probability of failing and I completely accept and understand that - professionally, I'm involved in product manufacture. The fact that the PDC sensor has (partly) failed just out of warranty doesn't bother me that much and as I said in my earlier post, it's just a pest that it has. That said, I still expected it to last longer than it did, but hey, it didn't, simply the luck of the draw...

I'm not about to start banging the dealer or the manufacturer over the head about statutory warranties, it was more a hope they'd maybe cover it as a goodwill gesture. If they did, then great, if not, then so be it, I'll fix it myself.

I think statutory warranties have come about because of the proliferation of cheap, poorly made products now on the market. For some reason, people expect a $300 "Chonghong" or whatever no-name TV set to last as long as a $1500 Sony and complain loudly if it doesn't.

I'm a very firm believer of "you get what you pay for". If I buy a $10 toaster from K Mart, then I don't think I'd have any right to complain if it fell apart after 6 months, but if I buy a $3000+ Miele washing machine, then I think it's reasonable to expect it to last a good number of trouble free years (despite Miele only offering a two warranty...).

My personal rule of thumb for a reasonable product life is 10 years. In my case, most of the appliances, tools etc I own/have owned have actually done much better than this, but then, my other rule of thumb is not to buy cheap crap in the first place!

Anyway, I'm wandering way off-track! I'll run a few more tests on the offending sensor, see how much a replacement costs and go from there...

[Transporter]

No worries mate, it's good to see that the others view of the products quality and how long they should last is similar to mine.

You're right, some people these days complain even if they get something for free.

[woofy]

Cough U2 album cough.....I think it's reasonable to get it fixed that close. FYI I've had a sensor pop inside the bumper a number of times in the corner spits from people brushing past or possibly thumping it. The dealers just put it back no issue, apparently it's not uncommon for someone to bump your car with theirs and break or push them with hidden damage in behind. One lady at our dealer had 1000s of $ damage and the only sign was a faulty sensor. Great to know people own up to hitting others cars.