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but I hope to get out and about with you guys some time in the very near future and I am active in other forums around SEQ.... however in the hope of saving someone from a similar fate I figure I should post this here..... so hope it helps
I recently traded a 2005 57000k 5 speed automatic V6 Hilux tray back 4X4 on a GU Patrol......now yes, its a 3l diesel and I know these things have issues but Im planning a trip to the cape at some point soon and the Patrol should serve my needs better than the ute even if I end up replacing the engine plus the Patrol had the added bonus of already being partially setup..
Anyway the Patrol isnt really my problem......apart from the following issues, Im more than happy with the truck
I did this deal 3 weeks ago with BRISBANE CAR MARKET 'remember that name everyone' seemed as nice as pie right throughout the whole transfer and mostly came off as helpful and courteous "as they do"
The big day came for the pickup and when I arrived the first sign of trouble raised its head...the Patrol was supposed to be fitted with a set of driving lights as part of the deal 'NO LIGHTS'...It was explained there was an oversight and all would be corrected the following day...no drama, following day rolls around and I call but Im told the guy that needs to source the lights is away and to call Saturday, during this same call I mentioned the Patrol had 'NO JACK HANDEL' another thing they said would be corrected so they tell me NOT A PROBLEM!!! When you come in on Saturday we will have the jack handle and the lights ready to go .....I go in on Saturday morning and get palmed off on some yard boy who is supposed to find the jack handle, 1/2 hour latter with no luck they decide to steal one from another car... then Im still left standing there to wait for the lights, another 1/2 hour rolls over and finally they say 'sorry' we dont know what lights to give you and the guy that knows has now left for the day but they asked how everything was going with the car and I mention for the first time that Im noticing an irregular noise coming from the alternator pulley clutch....they assure me it would just be from the detailing and sitting in the yard but they say 'keep an eye on it' with all indications that they would fix it if it continues....so Im starting to get a little upset at the long wait and lack of resolution but I bite my tongue and left on good terms being told it would all be sorted on the Monday.
Monday comes and I call saying I need to get the Patrol into them as the noise from the alternator is a constant high pitched scream unless I coat it in INOX which seems to last an hour or two, they agree and tell me to continue lubricating it and see if it frees up but to bring it in on the Tuesday.... Tuesday I call to set a time, no answer, rang all day, left message after message with my mobile, work and home numbers along with my email "home, work" and even a fax number...."NO RESPONSE" I drive in and get told they are trying to organize a mechanic to look at it but none are available....Im guaranteed by them they will call back 'NO CALL' I rang all day Wednesday 'NO CALL RETURN' Thursday I ring from another phone, give a false name and surprise, surprise they answer but once they realize its me they are upset and tell me to bring it in on Saturday and they will sort it out....as a side note 'STILL NO LIGHTS' but by this point the lights are becoming less and less of an issue.
Saturday comes, Patrol is now a week and a half old and almost un-drivable.... I get in there and they send out another yard boy to listen to the noise.... he goes away and then comes back to say 'there is nothing they can do because its a Saturday!!!!! so now Im getting real PISSED but hey, Im still cool and go back to the phone because I know its under a stat warranty of 30 days or 1000ks ....I ring, ring and ring without a single returned call.....Tuesday morning 'due to the long weekend' Im in the yard waiting for them to open.....yet another yard boy listens to the now unbelievable noise and finally 'David' comes out from his heated office with an arrogant grunt and then just palms it off to the first sales guy 'John' who agrees it's a major problem, promises me that not only will the car be fixed but the lights will be there that week and he will contact me once he has a mechanic that I can take it to....so Im cool, well not really but I move forward, Wednesday afternoon and still 'NO CALL' I start to ring and again my calls are screened so I start sending text messages all with no reply, so I lost the plot, finally I get someone on the phone and told them if it wasnt booked into a mechanic by the next day I would do it myself and every defect they found I would pursue a replacement under the yards stat warranty.... Now I get 'SOME' response but they tell me the number they have for the auto elec is missing a digit so they cant call him 'WTF'?.... I kept my cool in the face of MORE BS and texted them several numbers of alto elecs in and around Brisbane....god only knows why they didn't have a yellow pages or Google? but finally they agree to send it to one at Browns plains and they set it up with the alto elec for the dealer to pay the bill....Im there first thing Friday and left the car, alto elec pulls it down and finds not only is the alternator clutch stuffed but the water pump bearing is also gone.....He contacts me first with the good news then calls the yard with his report, then 'GET THIS'!!! the dealer then says they never authorized him to look any further than the alternator and tells him to put it all back as it was and REFUSES TO PAY HIM!! now my car is even worse than before plus the alto elec wont let me take it home without paying his labor.....which is only fair as its not his fault
The only card I have left in the deck now is that when I took the patrol knowing the 3L can be a bit of a grenade I also took out an extended warranty with Ultimate.....I ring them and fax through an itemized report from the sparky and they tell me it should all be fine as its totally covered under my policy.....unfortunately now, they have seen the vehicle is less than 3 weeks old and they are in a battle with the yard as to WHO SHOULD PAY when it is still covered by the yard under state law plus my extended warranty only covers up to $750 so Im still looking at a bill well over $500 even if the insurance do pay up....mind you, this is all on a $21000 truck so its not like some banger piece of junk that I should have been sus on
As I say, Im not trying to bad mouth or slander anyone here.....Im just stating the facts as they have happened so if you are in the market for a new/ used 4X4 IMO stay the hell away from BRISBANE CAR MARKET ...... "REMEMBER" BRISBANE CAR MARKET!!!! 972 Beaudesert Rd Coopers Plains
And NO I still dont have the lights......Nor do I ever expect them
