Dealer refuses to acknowledge new car defect

[Alain Folly]

I'm pretty sure I have a problem with (insert Japanese carmaker).

 

After having test driven the "equivalent" car from the lot 10 days ago, I ordered a new one, which arrived in a few days.

 

Before paying, I requested to test drive my new car. "Cannot! New car." I paused, but naively figured it's under warranty, so what could wrong? Paid the ฿1 mil, and drove away.

 

Here's what could/did go wrong: minutes later the (automatic transmission) vehicle stalled in traffic. I immediately told salesperson, drove back to the dealership and requested diagnostics.

 

I repeatedly requested (audibly and visually w/ Google translate) that they connect the computer (obd, obd2 system) and provide to me a copy of the trouble codes. I just wanted proof so they acknowledge the problem.

 

Instead of that, the mechanic drove the vehicle 6 km/hr around the block and concluded, "everything ok".

 

Everything not okay, evidently. What should I do?  Seems too soon for lawyers, but still.  (Recent news suggests THIS carmaker only responds when the legal process is involved.)

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CharlieKo]

Is it really a defect of you just needing to get used to driving a new car?

[Alain Folly]

17 minutes ago, CharlieKo said:

Is it really a defect of you just needing to get used to driving a new car?

Of course one needs to get used to each new manual transmission vehicle.

 

A reasonable question, though is can a properly working automatic transmission car stall?

 

Let's google that together

 

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=automatic+transmission+stall

 

Answer: Seemingly not without some problem.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  (BTW I'd love to be wrong)

[phetphet]

Maybe do a search and try and find head of the car company in Thailand. Not the dealership, but the car manufacturer itself. Let them know and ask for advice on what to do.

 

Make make a video of what is happening as proof if possible.

Edited April 2, 2023 by phetphet

[simon43]

AFAIK, a 'healthy' automatic transmission car cannot stall!

[ericthai]

Some new cars shut off when stopped and then restart when the gas pedal is pressed. 

 

[digbeth]

8 minutes ago, ericthai said:

Some new cars shut off when stopped and then restart when the gas pedal is pressed. 

 

most new cars also have brake hold where it won't creep in traffic

[Andrew Dwyer]

Some japanese cars now come equipped with stop-start technology, sure it wasn’t that ?

 

I rented a car in the U.K. recently and it had stop-start enabled as default every time you started the engine.

Damn annoying ,

[Fab5BKK]

Are you sure that the Stop-Start Techno function is not enabled ?

 

"Auto Idle Stop system will stop and the indicator (Amber) will come on. The Auto Idle Stop system is turned on every time you start the engine, even if you turned it off the last time you drove the vehicle. The vehicle stops with the gear position in (D and the brake pedal depressed"

Edited April 2, 2023 by Fab5BKK

[Alain Folly]

Thanks for all the input. 

 

This was a genuine stall.  Engine light on, accelerator did nothing.  It required full return-to-park, then foot-on-brake restart.  

 

I'm no expert on obd(2) systems but I strongly suspect this kind of engine light stall would register as specific trouble code.  But they refused or didn't understand.  

 

 

[Hummin]

Another crazy tupid falang? 

 

If you haven't figured, take it to another dealership who would love to have you as their new customer, and maybe have more patience with you and do as you say, and also be able to explain and teach you the settings on the car if that is the problem 

[Alain Folly]

6 minutes ago, Fab5BKK said:

Are you sure that the Stop-Start Techno function is not enabled ?

 

"Auto Idle Stop system will stop and the indicator (Amber) will come on. The Auto Idle Stop system is turned on every time you start the engine, even if you turned it off the last time you drove the vehicle. The vehicle stops with the gear position in (D and the brake pedal depressed"

Yes I know about this, and this feature was not inhibited at the time.

 

Like I reported in another post, the engine light triggered ON, and the car needed full restart.

[TimeMachine]

You can buy obd2 real cheap. I would check it yourself. Easy to do. Check Goggle. Don't trust anyone. Not your wife, mother, children , or favourite politician.

[KhaoYai]

31 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

You can buy obd2 real cheap. I would check it yourself. Easy to do. Check Goggle. Don't trust anyone. Not your wife, mother, children , or favourite politician.

A cheap OBD 2 scanner will only report existing problems. They rarely interogate the ECU for past faults. So if the fault has cleared, its most likely that is will not show up with many cheaper scanners.

Edited April 2, 2023 by KhaoYai

[KhaoYai]

OP, unless I've missed something, this fault only occurred once right?  If it did and hasn't repeated, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

It sounds like a communication/language problem with the dealer but if the problem persists, go back with a Thai speaker.  If you don't get anywhere, write to the manufacturer's customer care department, or see a lawyer.

Edited April 2, 2023 by KhaoYai

[Ralf001]

the drive with mechanic, did you go with him ?

[Alain Folly]

30 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

the drive with mechanic, did you go with him ?

Yes.  Literally 100 meters around the block, at low speed.

[Alain Folly]

5 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

OP, unless I've missed something, this fault only occurred once right?

Yes, only once.  But in only a couple days of driving, so the frequency -- of an event that should never happen -- is disconcerting...

[Ralf001]

12 minutes ago, Alain Folly said:

Yes.  Literally 100 meters around the block, at low speed.

low speed or 6km/h ?

 

Have you googled the vehicle (make/model/drivetrain) to see if anyone has had the same issue ?

[KhaoYai]

17 minutes ago, Alain Folly said:

Yes, only once.  But in only a couple days of driving, so the frequency -- of an event that should never happen -- is disconcerting...

Naaaa, cars are strange things. If you think they run them for hours to check them before they leave the factory, youl be sadly disappointed.  The longest the engine will have run is on a PDI road test by the dealer and there's no guarantee they will have done that. An airlock, bit of swarf etc. could have caused the issue you describe.  If its fine now - don't let it make you paranoid or you'll be hearing and seeing things for months.

 

Anyone of a thousand things could have happened.  The event may or may not be recorded on the car's ECU. Accessing 'cleared' faults is not always possible without dealer software. Not every fault throws up a code and sometimes the same fault can generate a code one day and not the next.  Unless it comes back - just enjoy the drive.  I'm a retired mechanic by the way.

Edited April 2, 2023 by KhaoYai

[TimeMachine]

6 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

A cheap OBD 2 scanner will only report existing problems. They rarely interogate the ECU for past faults. So if the fault has cleared, its most likely that is will not show up with many cheaper scanners.

The cheap one I bought showed up faults but yes you are right there are more expensive ones that go deeper into functionality. Maybe as someone suggested design is becoming more iphone like and locking people out completely of servicing or repairing their own cars. First thing to do is waste a few dollars on one. Or let me know if you wanna borrow mine in Pattaya. Plug it in. Assuming your new car has obd2 port.  Load an app on your phone and drive baby, drive. And you just might find an error code you can snap shot a photo of. Permanent undeniable proof you see with your own eyes rather than relying on black holed people who find pleasure in star gazing. Congrats to Max for winning Aussie GP btw.

Edited April 2, 2023 by TimeMachine

[Dante99]

39 minutes ago, Alain Folly said:

 

6 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

OP, unless I've missed something, this fault only occurred once right?

Yes, only once.  But in only a couple days of driving, so the frequency -- of an event that should never happen -- is disconcerting...

 

 

25 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Unless it comes back - just enjoy the drive. 

Yes if not repeating let it go.  Trust me, something else will come along for your attention.

[AustinRacing]

Does the issue happen often or was it a one-off. As said by some take a video of it. 

[stix40]

How long have you had the car km/s 

Has the issue happened again ?

[Road Warrior]

11 hours ago, Alain Folly said:

Of course one needs to get used to each new manual transmission vehicle.

 

A reasonable question, though is can a properly working automatic transmission car stall?

 

Let's google that together

 

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=automatic+transmission+stall

 

Answer: Seemingly not without some problem.

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  (BTW I'd love to be wrong)

i thought auto gear box CANT STALL ????????

[geisha]

10 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Some japanese cars now come equipped with stop-start technology, sure it wasn’t that ?

 

I rented a car in the U.K. recently and it had stop-start enabled as default every time you started the engine.

Damn annoying ,

I had my new automatique VW start stop turned off. It’s very annoying. I would say that if the battery isn’t fully charged the car can stop. Happened to me on a main road , although I’d just driven 50 km. You can’t move an automatique to the side of road, it won’t budge.  Had a lot of beeping. Towed away, they changed the battery !

[JackGats]

Dealers are notoriously unreliable, they will sell you dope that has been stepped on and has no effect or makes you sick, so I'm not surprised they don't come clean about a car.

[G Rex]

If this stalling event only happened on one occasion - and the car has been okay since then - I think you are worrying unnecessarily - possibly overreacting?

Enjoy your new car.

[spidermike007]

1. Escalate it to management in Bangkok. Forget the dealership for now. Often, once you reach a more senior person, with common sense, reason, intelligence and vision, they will often take things into their own hands and make it right. 

 

2. If this does not work, start a major social media campaign. Slander them to no end. Don't even concern yourself with the dumb and cowardly libel laws. Do what you need to do. It will get their attention. Shame and humiliation is often a powerful tool here. 

[Dante99]

45 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

1. Escalate it to management in Bangkok. Forget the dealership for now. Often, once you reach a more senior person, with common sense, reason, intelligence and vision, they will often take things into their own hands and make it right. 

 

2. If this does not work, start a major social media campaign. Slander them to no end. Don't even concern yourself with the dumb and cowardly libel laws. Do what you need to do. It will get their attention. Shame and humiliation is often a powerful tool here. 

Really?

He has not even had the problem repeat a second time so what does he have to show that there is any problem?