No ‘oil’s well that ends well’

A man whose new Maserati broke down, costing him ‘‘many thousands’’ of dollars, has lost a bid for a refund because he used the wrong type of oil.

Auckland company C&P Beauty Services bought the car – a Maserati Ghibli – for $87,400 in April 2017.

However, it broke down 10 months later, suffering ‘‘significant’’ engine damage.

Company director Jiawen Tang took the seller, Penrosebased NZ Motor Sport Imports, to the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal, saying the car was not of acceptable quality and was not fit for purpose.

The case was heard by barrister Brian Carter in late 2018. A decision was released on December 19.

Last January, the vehicle was serviced by GT Auto Source, which topped up the oil with Fuchs 5W/30. The next month, the car broke down. Winger Maserati found extensive damage to parts of the engine due to ‘‘excessive heat caused by insufficient lubrication’’, the decision said.

Peter McPhail from NZ Motor Sport Imports said the damage to the engine was caused by the wrong oil being used.

Carter declined to order NZ Motor Sport Imports to refund Tang, saying the damage was most likely caused by the oil type and the car was fit for purpose.

‘Once riflemen are lost from an area, they don’t naturally recolonise.’ SIMON FORDHAM

ALDEN WILLIAMS / STUFF Simon Fordham nets a rifleman on Tiritiri Matangi – an island sanctuary renowned for birdlife such as riflemen, main photo, saddleback, above left, and the north island robin, above right.