SUZUKI NOT HONOURING THEIR WARRINTIES *now diff hunting*

[oozuk]

Hi everyone, i feel that i need to have a bit of a winge bit of a long one so bear with me

A couple of days ago my GV broke it's rear diff wilst commuting to and from work, so i loaded it onto the towtruck and it was off to zupps suzuki at southport, This is where the fun started!! no lets take a step back for a sec

i bought this car new as a dealer demo, ive had issues with driveline noise ever since after a couple of months of owning it (really light noise), i've had issues with the crunching gears slow syncros as well and every time i've taken it to keema suzuki at springwood they've say'd there's nothing wrong with and that's just how they all are (rubbish)

now i've done all my servicing on this vehicle if anything i've over serviced it (mobil 1 full syn every 5000Kms ect ect)
the only time it's ever gone back to the dealership is when i've had a warrinty concern and there's been quite a few

*failed Body control module
*failed A\c compressor
*dash trims falling apart
*2'nd failed a\c compressor
*3'rd failed a\c compressor
*failed rear diff

i'm let to believe that there's a possibilty that when the first a\c compressor dropped its guts thru the system they haven't been cleaning out the a\c system correctily so on the second compressor they also replaced the tx valve and reciver drier, and within a wk of that happening there was another noise back in the a\c system again (really cranky at this point)

now with my job now on the gold coast i'm working really long hours and really only leaves me the wkends to orginise stuff, so i called up springwood suzuki and told them about it and said i'ed be there on the wkend to show them and that was ok by them.
Wkend came, i turned up and informed the guy at the counter about the problem and then he say'd (with a dumb look on his face) that he's not a mechanic and that he only works in the office, he could come out and listen to the noise but he wouldn't know what he's listening to so he wouldn't bother, and the foreman wasn't there on the wkend to listen to the noise, and began to advise me that i should come back during the week to get it looked at!!! we at this point i went apeshit at him about how they tell me one thing then do another and that it was nearily impossible for me to get there during the wk and thats why i previousily orginised this!!!
Well i left there with absoultily nothing acheved

During all this time the light drivetrain noise had slowy progressed into a light rumbeling noise, not too alarming just time to do something soon,
the following day that light rumble turned into a god awful banging noise from the rear diff that was ohh too familar sound i was used to from hearing it from my old sierra's but not my belovid Grand Vitara i was shattered at this point (much like my rear diff was!!).

So i called keema springwood and explained my situation that i still had an ongoing issue with the a\c that needed resolving and now the rear diff had failed on it too, they told me they couldn't fit it in for 4wks which is fair enough but i needed my car asap, so he informed me about that my suzuki warranty is australia wide and i could get it fixed anywhere, kewl i said and then i called zupps suzuki at southport and explained my situation to them and they begain to inform me that they would not carry out my warranty work and that i'ed need to go back to the place i bought it from, huh wtf ??!!?? so i called keema again and they said that zupps were wrong, so i got bounced around a bit untill keema called zupps up them selfs and set them straight, 5min's later i get a call from zupps asking me to bring my car down and they would love to have a look at it asap AWESOME!!! thankyou keema you finally helped me for a change

day later after i drop off the vitara i get a call from zupps, Mr Browitt we believe that the a\c system has a blockage in the system and we should be able to rectify the problem , kewl, as for the rear diff, we've called suzuki for a second opnion as we've never seen one of these break before
(what have they been living under a rock !!! there the weakest diff in mankind)

another day goes and i get another call saying that they will not cover the damage on my rear diff under warranty because it's been "OVERLOADED"
what a load of crap !!!!! i begin to ask how is that possible when the cars drivetrain is completily standard and not pruducing anymore HP than normal then he begain to say that my vitara was heavily modified I Laughed my ass off !! it's only got a 2" OME lift, 235 BF AT's and a roof rack basket !!! how in the hell could they contrubute to the rear diff breaking !! what a load of crap.
He said that the answer came from suzuki australia's warranty guy and i could call him if i liked, so the following day it was on for young and old!!

i talked to the suzuki warranty guy and unfortunately with him it was like talking to a brick wall, we wasn't intrested in what i had to was and no matter wat i said the desicion was made, i informed him that i was really uninpressed with his desition and that it would not be the last he would of hear from me either!!

I called up zupps and informed them that i would be picking it up and going to get several 2nd opnions from various suzuki shops and diff shops

so we'll see where this panns out from here huh........



has anybody else had any dealings with suzuki like this before??

i've always been the biggest supporter of suzuki pruducts but after this crap after sales service i wouldn't buy another or reccomend them

rant off

[SLOGQ]

This isnt the first time i have heard about issues with suzuki and their warranty service......

Goodluck dude, it can be a big battle but you can win, you just might have to become the customer from hell. Kick and scream and make a huge fuss till they come to the party.

Might be worth calling small claims ect. to.

[Huggy]

i work for a company that has suzuki in its list of other cars we sell .
Bought my gv with 80000 on it , got it serviced at work every 5000
all filters as well (not just oil) Come 102000 it put rods out of the block
When the head of suzuki from my work rang suzuki and told them how good id looked after the motor and they did all the work on it all they said was bad luck and would you like a price on a new motor for it .By the way it will be llast suzuki i will ever own
And yes i have to smashed 2 rear diffs (running a 2.7 v6 245/75/16 and a few other mods)

[Zute]

Go straight to MTA.

[oozuk]

i work for a company that has suzuki in its list of other cars we sell .
Bought my gv with 80000 on it , got it serviced at work every 5000
all filters as well (not just oil) Come 102000 it put rods out of the block
When the head of suzuki from my work rang suzuki and told them how good id looked after the motor and they did all the work on it all they said was bad luck and would you like a price on a new motor for it .By the way it will be llast suzuki i will ever own
And yes i have to smashed 2 rear diffs (running a 2.7 v6 245/75/16 and a few other mods)

can you put that in writing for me about your broken diffs?

would be appreciated

[Huggy]

ill send them to you if you want

[Gwagensteve]

I really feel for you - over the years we have had to deal with amazing warranty arrogance from Toyota as well, but here is my understanding of the warranty process re modifications. I do feel that suzuki should step up, but I can see why they a refusing you. If they honored your claim, it would be out of goodwill only, not because of any obligation.

Any non factory approved modification voids warranty for the systems associated with it. In US law, the burden of proof lies with the manufacturer to prove that your modification caused the failure, but this does not, as far as I am aware, apply in Australia.

As you took the car to the dealer with non-factory approved equipment on the car, you have provided them with all the ammunition they need to void your warranty.

Obviously, your tyres are both larger and generate more traction than the factory tyres, increasing the load on the differential. In itself, this will be enough to void your warranty for any driveline related issues. The secondary issue is the fitment of stiffer springs and the roof basket would indicate that you intend to load the car beyond its GVM.

If you make enough noise, you might get a settlement out of suzuki, but as I have said, this will be out of goodwill only- suzuki have no obligation to replace your differential, IMHO.

As a side note, I have heard of manufacturers refusing warranty on cars "because they have been off road" Not sure that that is kosher at all.

As an idea, the best way to go might be to always return the car to standard condition before claiming any warranty - It will give the manufacturer the least room to get out of it.

Steve.

[da13ro]

I agree, become the customer from hell , just keep calling them several times a day, say that you will go higher, and shows like Today Tonight (oh they love these stories) Good luck though, youll win eventually!

[Squik]

The problem is simple, we hear aboutit at work on a regular basis:

Some companies are happy to sell you what they tell you is a 4WD that will take you anywhere you like, but will not cover anything if there is an indication that the vehicle has been used offroad.

This is where the public needs to start calling car companies.

Many years back, out of sheer anger, I targeted a certain brand of '4WD' that showed ads of their '4WD' doing the impossible for a vehicle so low and with no low range. A bit of research landed the information that on a certain photoshoot on Stockton, the vehicles only got to where they were shooting due to:

Rubber conveyor tracks laid out
Helicopters (rumoured)

I launched an assault by calling EVERY dealer and asking them questions about the cars capabilities... drove them nuts... asked for certain things in writing... asked if I could drive this vehicle sideways across dune faces... if I could jump it off dunes and still be covered by warrantee. I got a bunch of associates to do the same thing, there was about 30 of us.

We then followed up with calls again asking the question "Is it a real 4WD? Does it have a transfer case with low range?" When they couldn't answer us, we'd say "I'll call back tommorrow then"

Once we got the answer of no, we started with "Well why are you selling them as 4WDs and then not offering warrantee when they are used offroad?"

The beauty of all this is that I got everyone I knew involved and the manufacturer was driven nuts....

I like to think those dune-jumping, dune traversing ads are gone because of our efforts

[Squik]

As for Suzuki....

If you add an accessory that is not a genuine Suzuki item, you risk losing your warrantee... it's got to that point.
You want a 2" lift, front bar and muddies? Get Suzuki to put them BEFORE you pick it up IF they say they'll cover it.

I argued with them a while back over the Jimny, the thrust bearing went and they wouldn't replace it, it had mud around it.
Podge went into battle for me and it was replaced on goodwill...

However, if you get in a situation like this PULL OUT YOUR BROCHURES... if they show your new 4WD (whatever make or model):

On a gravel road
With ANY indication of articulation
In ANY depth of water - even a puddle
On GRASS

Unless every picture is on tar... you have a case.

They have sold you a 4WD and if they deny coverage you have been misled in their advertising and claims...

[=SKB=]

I think Gwagensteve covered it. Your rig has been modified (however slightly) and this has given Suzuki the excuse not to cover it. If they wanted to be anal (more so) they could point out any mod, minor or not, and claim that that had affected the functionality of the now broken part.

If you make enough noise I am sure there would be some common ground that Suzuki would meet you on. I believe they should replace the diff without question, but they can invoke any number of warranty loop holes to get out of it also.

One tip though, try and remain calm throughout any phone or face to face discussion with them. If you blow up they can put you down as unreasonable or irrational and this will make it harder to get what you are entitled to.

[oozuk]

thankyou for all your words of advice and support, i think i'll keep plugging on with this, but i'll have to learn to calm down and stop yelling at suzuki staff might get me further

[gecko270]

Can you also keep us posted on how you go mate. The more this sort of thing is talked about on forums like this then the more chance the rest of us might have in the future.

It is disturbing to hear that suzuki are reluctant in a way to follow though on a warranty even if they show their vehicles in certain situations (jimny in mud) only to tell you the warranty is void due to it being off road . Why in the hell else would you buy the 4WD in the first place? The only reason these clowns seem to get away with it is because no one has a go at them about it.

I applaud you my friend. Keep at them. I have had similar situations with a Ford XF falcon ute I used to own before I woke up to the funcionality of a 4WD. Percistance is the key. The more you and others hammer the mongrels the further you will get. At any opportunity they will deny the warranty if it means they don't have to fork out anything. Same goes with any type of warranty. (As a service tech I know all about confusing the customer with jibberish to favour the company). I feel bloody wrong some times, but it's they way any company will run.

With the internet being so big these days and information being trasfered so easily, it might be the last thing they want to see when a forum as big as this one is portraying their company as decieptfull.

F*%ck 'em. If we buy a 4WD for what it is advertised as then they should by all rights be abliged to guarantee it as one. After all, aren't they the ones who have vigerously tested these vehicles proir to sale. Why else would you market the vehicle in such a way? If it's a 4WD then by rights it should be used as one and the warrenty should still be covered.

Good luck champ.

Refer them to this site if you have too many drama's. They might then get an idea of the general concesus of the public's opinion and change their view accordingly when they wake up and realise that the web is bigger than them and everyone can see the issue you are facing.

Your drama is exactly the reason I won't buy a Ford ever again. After all....customer satisfaction = sales.

[Remydog05]

00zuk
I have a mate who has a toyota dealer, and DID have suzuki.

they dropped suzuki due to many f*@k ups!

I will give him call and see if he knows anyone to speak too or something to do/say that may get them to think more about this!

I will let you know if I can come up with anything.

[Gwagensteve]

I understand everyone getting very excited by this, and as I said, I do feel for the people concerned. Oozuk - this not mostly not relevant to your situation now, so don't be offended by anything I am writing here - it is not directed at your specific case. It seems that this warranty thing has become of a bit of a "takin' it to the man" rallying call.

There are some interesting points raised here, but unfortunately none of them really help the warranty issue raised here.

Responsible advertising of four wheel drives is a significant issue and indeed improvements have been made, however, if every manufacturer promoted their vehicles without using off tarmac shots, this would totally close the possibility of fair off road use being acceptable as part of a warranty claim.

Gecko270- there not, as far as I am aware, any suggestion on Oozuk's case that off road use has be cited as the reason the claim is being denied.

Now, for the sake of balance, have a look at this issue from a manufacturers perspective. Where do they draw the line at was is fair coverage? If they permit a 1" bigger tyre, do they permit 2"? what about rim width? How much suspension height? At what point does warranty coverage cease to cover off road damage?

People like us have been guilty of getting warranty coverage of the years for all sorts of spurious claims that have probably been due to abuse. When it comes to aftermarket accessories though - it is very clear and in the owners manual of every new car sold - the fitment of non-approved accessories or unauthorised modifications voids your warranty. Unfortunately, that is the end of the matter. By purchasing the car, you agreed to those terms and conditions.

In relation to off road work - My guess is if there is evidence of the car being grounded or mud/tidemarks up around the body, it's all over. Significant grounding of the car, or water deeper than the maximum fording depth for that vehicle (bottom of RIM -i.e tyre sidewall height, or bottom of hub for most cars) Would therefore have to void the warranty.
If no fording depth is specified in the owners manual, then any evidence the car as been in deep water/mud will void the warranty.

CJ and I were talking about this yesterday. If you expect warranty coverage, return the car to standard condition before you attempt to make any claim, and make sure there is no evidence of significant off road use.

As a few of us are saying, those that have a claim settled with a modified car or with an off road related failure are only having it settled out of good will. The more people whinge, write angry letters yell down the phone, talk about consumer affairs etc might get your individual claim settled, in order to shut you up, but it will not make the next guys life any easier.

Be persistent, sure, but logical, polite and courteous. If you are on shaky ground in relation to use or modifications, you are effectively having a gamble that you will get it settled - the manufacturer has no obligation. Obviously a good dealer or talking to the right person will help.

Steve.

[Gutless]

I understand everyone getting very excited by this, and as I said, I do feel for the people concerned. Oozuk - this not mostly not relevant to your situation now, so don't be offended by anything I am writing here - it is not directed at your specific case. It seems that this warranty thing has become of a bit of a "takin' it to the man" rallying call.

There are some interesting points raised here, but unfortunately none of them really help the warranty issue raised here.

Responsible advertising of four wheel drives is a significant issue and indeed improvements have been made, however, if every manufacturer promoted their vehicles without using off tarmac shots, this would totally close the possibility of fair off road use being acceptable as part of a warranty claim.

Gecko270- there not, as far as I am aware, any suggestion on Oozuk's case that off road use has be cited as the reason the claim is being denied.

Now, for the sake of balance, have a look at this issue from a manufacturers perspective. Where do they draw the line at was is fair coverage? If they permit a 1" bigger tyre, do they permit 2"? what about rim width? How much suspension height? At what point does warranty coverage cease to cover off road damage?

People like us have been guilty of getting warranty coverage of the years for all sorts of spurious claims that have probably been due to abuse. When it comes to aftermarket accessories though - it is very clear and in the owners manual of every new car sold - the fitment of non-approved accessories or unauthorised modifications voids your warranty. Unfortunately, that is the end of the matter. By purchasing the car, you agreed to those terms and conditions.

In relation to off road work - My guess is if there is evidence of the car being grounded or mud/tidemarks up around the body, it's all over. Significant grounding of the car, or water deeper than the maximum fording depth for that vehicle (bottom of RIM -i.e tyre sidewall height, or bottom of hub for most cars) Would therefore have to void the warranty.
If no fording depth is specified in the owners manual, then any evidence the car as been in deep water/mud will void the warranty.

CJ and I were talking about this yesterday. If you expect warranty coverage, return the car to standard condition before you attempt to make any claim, and make sure there is no evidence of significant off road use.

As a few of us are saying, those that have a claim settled with a modified car or with an off road related failure are only having it settled out of good will. The more people whinge, write angry letters yell down the phone, talk about consumer affairs etc might get your individual claim settled, in order to shut you up, but it will not make the next guys life any easier.

Be persistent, sure, but logical, polite and courteous. If you are on shaky ground in relation to use or modifications, you are effectively having a gamble that you will get it settled - the manufacturer has no obligation. Obviously a good dealer or talking to the right person will help.

Steve.

Words of wisdom. I agree fully.

[intens]

I had the same problems with Suzuki over a tailshaft, basicaly they came up with every possible excuse they could of why not to fix it even a few lies.
Stop dealing with the "warranty guy" he is useless, i emailed the top guy (not sure if he is the one for Qld) if it is and you need details PM me, well he wasnt to helpful as he only refered to the warranty guy untill i said that if its not resolved with in 1 week i was going to put in my application to VCAT (not sure what it is in Qld) and to consumer affairs, within2 days i got a reply that they will give me the "benifit of the doubt" and replaced it


Good luck and yes you are dealing with brick heads and there policy is say no no no

[shakes]

I have many dealings on both sides of the fence with warranty issue's of a different nature but still involving heavy off road use

The moment you stop being calm, composed and logical, is the moment you lose any chance of making a claim.

Put your stocky's back on.

Go straight to the top, desk monkey wont help, speak to a mechanic, mechanic gives you the run around go to his boss, his boss gives you the run around call suzuki aus etc etc.

by run around I dont mean not getting what you want but saying "what problem?" or this person will deal with it and continuous handballs...

Being that you have fitted bigger tyres and they have witnessed them, its almost a get out of jail free card BUT show your a good bloke and you pay labour they pay parts or you pay 50% etc may be some consolidation. Also try get them to suggest this at it can be viewed as you admitting guilt of breaking terms.

hope that helps

Simon

[built4thrashing]

just a question about the mods you have done. Does suzuki offer similar mods from factory? does suzuki orffer a raised suspension kit or a roof basket as factory accessories? if so then you might have a slight hope. Just keep calm and talk politely. nothing is resolved by gettin pissed at an employee on the phone.

[Gwagensteve]

just a question about the mods you have done. Does suzuki offer similar mods from factory? does suzuki orffer a raised suspension kit or a roof basket as factory accessories? if so then you might have a slight hope. Just keep calm and talk politely. nothing is resolved by gettin pissed at an employee on the phone.

roof basket - maybe. there is a stated roof load for GV's - I think it is 40 or 60kg from memory.

no larger tyre or raised suspension.

Steve.

[oozuk]

at this point i'ed be happy if they only supplied parts and i'll rebuild the diff
at least i know it's been done correctily

[Pinball]

Just as a matter of interest for those from outta Qld...

We got a different importer up here... for some reason...

As for warranty squeal... standard issue, like insurance... you mod it, it's your problem...

Spock

[abundance84]

Everyone needs to be very clear about the implied warranty you have on all new cars: Ensure that you read the following documents from consumer protection

http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/motor_vehicl ... on=buysell

This link has a list of the warranties that come with motor vehicle purchases from brand new to second hand.

Remember that all items purchased from a business have an "implied warranty"

An implied warranty does not need to be written down in the contract. It is 'implied' by law.

You cannot sign this basic consumer right away, it is legally impossible! This is why disclaimers are completely useless.

http://www.docep.wa.gov.au/motor_vehicl ... on=buysell

An "implied warranty" is nearly always far more effective than the official warranty that a business writes up for their product the only better warranty you will get is one that states "no questions asked".

All you need to do to get your money back for your diff is to get a friend to chat with a sales guy in the yard and ask him the question "Will this car be able to handle a 2 inch lift and some bigger wheels?" He will with out a doubt say hell yes and proceed to list off the awesomeness of the car. BANG you got him!!

If you buy a vehicle, planning to use it for a particular purpose, you should tell the seller about the intended use. If you do this and it turns out that you cannot use the goods in the way you intended, you can enforce the implied warranty of 'fitness for purpose'

Taken from the consumer protection implied warranty section.

REMEMBER YOUR IMPLIED WARRANTY IS COMPLETELY SAFE WHEN USING NON ORIGINAL AFTERMARKET PARTS!!! This is a complete scam by the companies to ensure more after sales business and less warranty claims based on ignorance This is why a dealer cannot void a warranty because you serviced your car with mechanics other than their dealership. As long as you stick with reputable well known aftermarket companies and mechanics you are completely safe

I highly recommend everyone to have a massive read of everything on the consumer protection site!! It will save you heaps of $$$ in the future.
Also remember it barely costs anything to take a business to a small claims court, the process is dead easy and you will not need any legal advice apart from a good read of that site.

[Gwagensteve]

Understood, but

B) Sales staff usually know very little about their products and nothing about 4WDing, especially Suzuki sales people. Nobody who knew anything about a car would believe ehat they had to say about 4WDing.

B) "The sales guy said it's OK" is not going to stand up next to "The fitment of non approved modifications voids you warranty" in black and white, in the owners manual.

I'm sorry, it's just too big a step to assume that because a sales guy says the car is fully sick your warranty covers you for whatever you choose to do. If the dealer fitted or specifically endorsed a product, in writing, then sure, the battle would then be with THE DEALER not the manufacturer, who would, of course, walk away from the dealer.

In the case of a failed part or claim, please remember that it is not all funny money when it some to warranties - SOMEONE HAS TO PAY, be it the dealer, or suzuki. If a warranty claim is approved, the dealer will charge Suzuki Aust. for the cost of the repair.

In the case of a suspected warranty claim, parts cannot even be ordered until the calim is approved by the importer. If the dealer stuffs up and fits non approved gear, then it is thier battle with auzuki or the part manufacturer in order to settle the claim, and they will look after that for you becuase they don't want to pay for the repair.

If you undertook the modification, they have no reason to help you.

Sorry, that's just how it is.

Steve.

[sierrajim]

A couple of quick q's.

How many km's has your car done?

How long is the warranty for?

You said you've serviced it every 5,000km. Does this mean the dealer has serviced it or you've done it in your driveway?

Are the 235 tyres a legal modification to your vehicle?

[abundance84]

Sorry Steve but you are missing the point. The implied warranty has nothing to do with what is written in the owners manual or anything that suzuki or the dealership puts in writing! Your implied warranty cannot legally be signed away END OF STORY!

Also remember that the sales guy legally represents the dealership and anything that person says is said on behalf of the entire dealership. The onus is upon the dealership to train the sales staff adequately to sell their vehicles responsibly. IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.

Get a couple of people to go in and witness the sales guy say something along the lines of "yeah plenty of people lift them and stick larger wheels on em, they go really well offroad". Then take the following steps:

Step 1.
Read and understand your legal rights then print them off the consumer protection site.
Step 2.
Take them to the dealership to argue your point.
Step 3.
If they still don't honor the implied warranty then put everything in writing and send them a formal request to honor the implied warranty.
Step 4.
If you still do not get anywhere with the dealership then you book an appointment with the small claims department.
Step 5.
Ensure you have copies of everything including pictures of broken parts for the small claims session which should only take about 20minutes.

Usually the dealership will cover the warranty once they receive a written request. Very very rarely do they let it go all the way to small claims as the boss doesn't want to waste his time doing it.

You are well within your legal rights to get your diff fixed under your implied warranty. It isnt even borderline THE CASE IS BLACK AND WHITE.

If consumers knew exactly what they were legally entitled to, many businesses would not be able to operate profitably.

[Gwagensteve]

I'm not disagreeing with you , just pointing out that getting a dealer to commit that the car can be modified in this way will be very difficult.

then getting the dealership to then admit that one of their people said mods ere ok would be even harder.

If the dealership was worth its salt their sales people would know not to mention non approved modifications.

The threat of small claims might work, but If I was the dealer I would not admit that I ever SAID mods were OK. There is nothing the owner could do to prove it, unless they were recorded/taped or it was in writing.

Steve.

[Guy]

I'm not disagreeing with you , just pointing out that getting a dealer to commit that the car can be modified in this way will be very difficult.

then getting the dealership to then admit that one of their people said mods ere ok would be even harder.

If the dealership was worth its salt their sales people would know not to mention non approved modifications.

The threat of small claims might work, but If I was the dealer I would not admit that I ever SAID mods were OK. There is nothing the owner could do to prove it, unless they were recorded/taped or it was in writing.

Steve.

Thier is also nothing to say that they didn't

[abundance84]

The threat of small claims might work, but If I was the dealer I would not admit that I ever SAID mods were OK. There is nothing the owner could do to prove it, unless they were recorded/taped or it was in writing.

Very good point.

The small claims people make their decisions based on the most probable scenario, and if the story is quite believable and probable then they tend to back the consumer rather than the big multimillion dollar dealerships.

They know that a lot of big businesses are dodgy as hell and rip of customers as part of their normal business practice so unless you are going in there with a very tall tale, the outcome is usually infavour of the consumer.

One real life example of this is where a lady bought a pair of jeans from a store and the sales assistant told the lady that they would fade a fair bit in the first few washes. The lady said to the small claims people that she bought the jeans for a party the next day and purchased them on the understanding that they would fade substantially over a couple of washes. When they didnt fade at all the lady took them back and was denied a refund. The shop owner denied to small claims that any staff told her that it would fade. Just based on these facts the lady was fully re-embursed for the jeans and she got to keep the jeans and the small disputes fee had to be paid by the store owner.

[sierrajim]

The small claims people make their decisions based on the most probable scenario, and if the story is quite believable and probable then they tend to back the consumer rather than the big multimillion dollar dealerships.

Ah, no generally not.

Yes, small claims generally make their decisions based on the most probable scenario.

In this case the most probable scenario is that an "expert witness" (Suzuki, factory trained tech) makes a statement based on his training and knowledge of the cars and says something alsong the lines of "the car was fitted with tyres larger than the manufactures specification which will place more load on the diff causing wear.

He is an expert witness, he is factory trained. If this went to small claims i don't think it would go too well for the consumer.

At the end of the day the big car companies have legal staff that get paid every day to cover the companies ass.