Post warranty blues...

[brad]

There will always be a place for well made products that sell for a fair profit margin if they are marketed correctly.

[woofy]

I think that Honda was the last company that increased from 2 years to 3 years their warranty. They had 24 month/75,000km for long time after all others had 3 years. The logic behind is that the good car doesn't need long warranty, just to sell (convince people to buy them).

IMO, people that want bargain all the time (or best for free what I call them) are as responsible for ever dropping quality (of all products, not just cars) as greedy management and CEO's of the companies that want more, more. It makes me sick sometimes.

Well the issue in general is that companies have been increasing what they charge for whatever product, but also making them last just long enough to make it past warranty. Its getting really hard these days to get what you pay for, crap stuff can be the same price or more than better stuff.

There has always been the logic that a premium product doesn't need the longer warranty because its so good. However in the last 15yrs plus, companies that used to make somethign that was true for starting making crap, still charging like a wounded bull and then eventually had to lengthen the warranty in the end as their products quality had dropped so much.

Honda are a great example, a lot of their cars aren't what they used to be. Mazda picked up their game cause they had to with the release of the first 6, and I get the impression quality has dropped after all their success, the new 6 and 3 seem to be built more on the cheap and yet charge even more for them.

[aware]

Honda are a great example, a lot of their cars aren't what they used to be.

You've got that right - wouldn't touch another one again.

It's an interesting discussion looking at warranties, and an area that I do't have a lot of expereince in - so I'll watch this thread with interest.

[woofy]

I should throw in Merc Benz, don't know their current state but a few years back the openly admitted their reliablity had gone down the toilet. Didn't stop them charging even more for each new model though, I think they only reason they admitted it was because there were car owners surveys showing them down the bottom a bit further every year.

[ian]

Well the issue in general is that companies have been increasing what they charge for whatever product, but also making them last just long enough to make it past warranty. Its getting really hard these days to get what you pay for, crap stuff can be the same price or more than better stuff.

There has always been the logic that a premium product doesn't need the longer warranty because its so good. However in the last 15yrs plus, companies that used to make somethign that was true for starting making crap, still charging like a wounded bull and then eventually had to lengthen the warranty in the end as their products quality had dropped so much.

Honda are a great example, a lot of their cars aren't what they used to be. Mazda picked up their game cause they had to with the release of the first 6, and I get the impression quality has dropped after all their success, the new 6 and 3 seem to be built more on the cheap and yet charge even more for them.

Mazda owners still have to have their cars serviced every 6 months or 10,000 km ,so i'd imagine at 100,000km you would of paid double what other car owners have paid for the same servicing over the 3 years

[woofy]

I have one of both (06 Mazda 6, 08 RS), at the moment the Skoda is less doing around 15k/yr, if I did more Kms the Skoda would start creeping ahead. But throw in the $2k 60k/4yr service which is a major with a belt change, then the Mazda will work out cheaper with a bit of change. Admittedly the Mazda has had zero issues in just over 5 yrs, I just couldn't get a second one in the last changeover as they were barely any different and I was bored with it.

[Transporter]

Well the issue in general is that companies have been increasing what they charge for whatever product, but also making them last just long enough to make it past warranty. Its getting really hard these days to get what you pay for, crap stuff can be the same price or more than better stuff..

I'm sorry but most of the cars (if not all of them) cost the same or less what they cost more than 10 years ago. Since then everything else went up, incl. energy and wages. So, don't expect much of the improvement in the durability.

[gldgti]

Well the issue in general is that companies have been increasing what they charge for whatever product, but also making them last just long enough to make it past warranty. Its getting really hard these days to get what you pay for, crap stuff can be the same price or more than better stuff.

What do you mean exactly that companies have been increasing what they charge? Thats a pretty general statement, and if I'm to understand the gist of what your trying to say, it sounds like you undervalue waht a new car really costs.... and dont forget about inflation! A car these days is a lot more complicated than it ever was, and the cost to make a car these days is really large. Even the raw materials cost a lot more now than 10 years ago - copper (a LOT of wiring in new cars, far more than in the past), aluminium (ever increasing usage in cars and much more expensive than steels), plus untold electronic gadgetry that most clueless people seem to think should come for free. All of that adds lots of labour and overhead expense to the price of a car (any new car).

Another point - engineering for a certain lifespan is not a new thing at all. Its an engineering practice thats been around for 100years or more, and has been employed commercially for better than 50 years, including the automotive industry. I would also argue that for the majority or major mehcanical parts, new cars made by GOOD manufacturers, like VAG, are built better than ever before. Car bodies, engine components and suspension/running gear is really engineered well these days, expecially considering the exceptional performance they also give in their function.

I don't mean to overlook common faults, and sure there are a few, but the package on the whole, whether its audi, vw or skoda (and you can't expect the cars themselves to be much different from eachother in terms of reliability and engineering) is one of great quality. Yes, you can buy a toyota, and it will last well, be reliable, and you wont have a problem. But, they are uninspiring to drive to put it kindly.

To my mind, if you're going out to buy a car and reliability is very high on your list, then you want to know exactly what you want and expect, and then if you're sensible you will use your money on something you know is proven. To put any kind of faith in the marketing team of a newly launched sub-brand of a large car company with a slack dealer network in the country you live in falls way short of where I would be if I was in that position.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you ought not expect the manufacturer of the car you paid for to be like some other manufacturer, just because you want them to be. If you really do want a 5 or 10 year warranty, then go buy a car that has one, and try to enjoy it - thats your power as a consumer, so use it. Otherwise, you gotta live with the choices you make.

***woofy, not picking on you, just your statement about expense - the rest is general rant ***

[woofy]

I was actually being general, not just about cars. Some car manufacturers have been slipping the mark, but still charging more. I've just noticed it more lately in the last 10yrs or so, again in general with everything.

In regards to Skoda, there hasn't been much excuse for the poor support from VW Australia. Skoda might be new but they shouldn't be doing so badly especially with direct customer service. If you email Skoda cz, you get a response, if you get one from Skoda Oz you are very lucky. When I was investigating mine, the dealers didn't know what was going on, Skoda Aus didn't reply to anything and in the end Skoda Cz were the reason I bought one as they did answer.

With regards to extending the warranty to 5yrs that was more that I was saying in the direct market Skoda are in, it would go a long way to attract customers.with especially the Octavia which sits in one of the best selling size classes and yet sells poorly. The perception that euro cars have more issues would be outweighed by that. I find a lot of owners here with Skodas are actually leasing their cars, when you start seeing private owners then you are doing ok. Leases indicate people are testing the water, and the option to drop it after the lease is up. I intend to keep ours, so I was in the same category, but will keep ours. I'd be curious to see how many here had enough faith to buy one outright or via a non lease means.

Same deal with them calling you back. There is no excuse for that whatsoever.

[brad]

I'd be curious to see how many here had enough faith to buy one outright or via a non lease means.

Paid the balloon on mine about 3 weeks back.
Quite probably wouldn't have spent the ~$30k initially if I wasn't leasing. Would have looked for something around $20k. Main reason for not rolling the lease over again was I didn't want to commit to 25,000km pa again & the changes in FBT rates made the lease proposition marginal.