Answers to your car questions

QUESTION

I am, for the first time, contemplating on purchasing a new vehicle. I have never owned a new vehicle and I am having trouble trying to decide what I should buy. Do you have any recommendations as to the type of vehicle that I should be looking at? I have spoken to other people and they all like the Chrysler products but I have not taken the time as yet to look at their vehicles. Which manufacturer has the best warranty and service record? Are the imports built better than the North American vehicles? Do the imports have a better warranty? Are the technicians at the import dealers better qualified than the ones at the three big dealers such as Ford, Chrysler and GM? Any advice would be helpful. Betty from Binbrook

ANSWER

There are so many aspects of knowing or deciding what to buy when purchasing a vehicle that it is impossible for me to advise you on what you should purchase. One would have to know what your needs are, your health, weight and mobility before a recommendation is made. When you find a vehicle that you visually like, that is the time to address any of your needs with the salesperson and hopefully he or she will find the necessary options for the vehicle that suits you. Most manufacturers have the standard warranty but some do offer longer warranty on the body of their vehicles than others, but again, if you trade the vehicle in every two years, that warranty will not benefit you. Service warranty is something that you would bring up with the salesperson before you sign on the dotted line. Depending on your finances, you may also look at the option of leasing a vehicle instead of buying it. A rigorous training has to be completed in order to become a licensed technician and the dealers will make sure that their technicians are well trained on their products.

QUESTION

My 2010 Dodge Caravan has a very musty smell that I cannot get rid of. I have used all types of spray to mask the smell but it just comes back when the car is heated up inside. I have checked the floor mats and they are dry so that is not the problem. You have in the past told us about the heater leaking inside but my husband has checked the area above the passenger’s carpet. He found that the area was dry and the vehicle is not losing any antifreeze. Someone told me that it may be that one of the seats is damp and it may go away when the warm weather comes. Is this a possibility? Linda from Ancaster

ANSWER

The seats do not generally hold moisture so I do not think that you have a damp seat problem. I know that you say that your mats are not damp but have you checked the carpets under the mat? I want you to remove the floor mats, which also includes the front and rear factory mats and then feel for any dampness. If the carpets under the mats feel damp then leave the mats out for a week or so to see if that dries up the carpet. If the musty smell persist, you may have to wait until the warmer weather in order to lift up the carpets to dry out the under pads.

QUESTION

I need your help. I had just purchased a set of wipers blades and one of them came off that same day while I was driving. It was a busy road and I did find the wiper blade but it had been run over and was damaged. I went back to the garage to complain but they would not do anything for me. I showed the garage that the plastic clasp for the wiper arm had been broken but they told me that it was not broken when they sold it to me. I think that the garage has an obligation to replace the defective wiper blade for me and to not be so cheap. Can you do anything for me? Janet from Paris

ANSWER

I agreed with you until I called the garage and was informed that it was your boyfriend who installed the wiper blades on your car and not the garage. The plastic clip, that you are referring to, could very well have been damaged when it was run over and you did not dispute the fact that it was not broken when it was sold to you. If the garage had replaced the wiper blades for you and one had come off, that would have made a big difference as to what I could have done for you.