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dchhita
By dchhita | AA Member | 1 Post | 27 July 2011 at 7:06pm

I bought a 2000 Toyota Corolla Fielder bout 18 months ago from a jap import dealer - odometer:70000km. had it pre-checked by the AA and was all good.
After about 2-4 months I figured out that the oil was consistently disappearing at a fairly high rate. no leaks etc so can only assume its been burning oil.
Went back to the dealer and they tried replacing a small valve and swent me on my way. since then
Ive had to put about 7 or 8 litres into the car over the last 8000km - since its last service.
Seems after some recent online research it looks to be a common fault in the design of 1.6 and 1.8 toyota vvti engines from 2000 to 2003. They develop the same problem after the first 50,000ks.
I did purchase a mechnical breakdown policy from Protecta insurance and am looking into having the car looked at soon, but I believe this fault was likely there from when I purchased it, so would the dealer have been liable to fix the problem had I spotted it early enough?
if so what time limit is there on this kind of thing?
A friend of mine bought a 2000 fielder about 6 months ago and is experiencing s similar issue.

jbiddle
By jbiddle | Community Member | 1657 Posts | 28 July 2011 at 12:02pm

Your very first priority is to report the oil consumption to the car Dealer concerned. Private buyers are protected under the Consumers Guarantees Act when they purchase from a Licensed Motor Vehicle Trader (Dealer). A car must be fit for purpose and excessive oil consumption would make your vehicle unacceptable under the CGA.

The Dealer however must be given the chance to firstly investigate any buyer concern, and if they felt it appropriate be given the opportunity to repair the vehicle to an acceptable standard.

In your case a monitored and proper oil consumption test would need to be undertaken so both parties can verify the amount of oil consumed.

The fact the Dealer has already taken some action to reduce the oil consumption would appear to be an admission of a problem by them. They may be able to prove however the work they have already done has reduced the oil consumption to an acceptable level.

I suggest you put your concerns in writing to the Dealer and ask for their help in firstly confirming the oil consumption is excessive and if so, taking the appropriate steps to rectifying the problem.

If they refuse to take any further action you do have the option of returning the car and asking for your money back in full. If that request was not acceptable to the Dealer you may have to lodge a complaint with the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal.

My best advice is to try and work this through with the Dealer as the first step. Do not get another party involved in repairs and then expect the Dealer to cover those costs.

The GCA has no time limits but it is fair to say it has less strength as time marches on.

For further advice you can contact the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal on 0800 367 6838.