Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From ME, Co Dublin:
I'd agreed to buy a new car from a dealer, but when I went to collect it the car was already registered. He said it was a pre-registered vehicle but hadn't been used by anyone and that I didn't need to worry as I can contact the tax office and they will put me down as the first owner. Is that true?
Officially if the car is registered by the dealer then they are going to be listed as an owner and you are the second. However, there does seem to be some unofficial agreements with some dealers that if the car was registered by the dealer as a demonstration model then you will appear as the first owner. Normally you are looking at 7-8 per cent discount on a new car, but that depends on the waiting time for delivery and the market. In the case of popular models with a waiting list, the fact there were two owners will not really impact on resale values. Buyers will be more interested in the mileage. In your case you also need to check the mileage to be sure that it is not a well-used demonstration model you are buying for full price. The car may have been pre-registered by the dealer to avail of a monthly bonus scheme by the manufacturer, in which case there is likely to be little or no mileage on the vehicle. In all instances you should make it a pre-condition of sale that you are the first listed owner.
From T Heneghan:
Regarding the article in Motors on the 29.6 per cent increase in the sales of SUVs in this country.You stated that the increase can be attributed to the launch this year of the Nissan Qashqai, which you state has dominated SUV sales.
Last April my wife and I test drove a Quashqai. We liked it, and paid a deposit for an SVE model. We ordered our car in April 2007, and we hope to get it in the middle of September 2007. I think the figures you were given referred to the amount of Qashqai units ordered, and not the amount supplied to customers. In future you should double-check the figures supplied to you.
The figures we used were not for deposits but registered sales (ie vehicles with registration plates and on the road in Ireland). A vehicle cannot be registered until it is physically in the country. It may be registered as a demo model - a pre-registered vehicle - but it is still technically in the country and very much available for sale.
After all, would you want a car registered when you paid the deposit, particularly when the deposit may be put down in November and the car arrives in January, thereby making your car a 2007 rather than 2008? We don't take account of deposits or any other system when estimating the sales statistics, only registered vehicles are recorded in the data.
From J McDonald:
A year ago I found the clutch was slipping badly, and brought it to a local repair shop. Without my permission they replaced the clutch and then proceeded to charge me. After a row, the dealer gave me the keys and told me to take the car away. Now he has contacted me, asked if the car is going okay and is looking for payment. Can I refuse?
Legally you have grounds to refuse payment, but in reality the repairs were clearly done on the car and some agreement should be reached. After all, the problem was rectified.
Admittedly a slipping clutch can be fixed by a mechanic in about 10 minutes if it only needs adjustment. A new clutch, however, can take four or five hours to replace. The difference in labour costs, therefore, can be quite high. It was a mistake for the mechanic to replace the clutch without your permission, but if you are certain the clutch was replaced and not simply adjusted, and the car has been going well ever since, then you should try and reach some agreement with the repairer.
From S Perritt:
You recently published a list of the best-selling marques in the country, but failed to outline the best-selling cars. Is it still the Ford Focus?
Yes and no. Up to the end of July the Ford Focus was the best-selling car on the Irish market, but the reality of the situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that its Toyota rival in this category now sells under two model names. Unofficial figures we have seen show that the Ford Focus in all its guises sold 9,320 units, while the Toyota Corolla saloon sold 6,124. However, in hatchback format and under the new Auris name, Toyota sold an additional 3,567. Depending on whether you regard a name change as a completely different car, then either the Focus or the Corolla/Auris is the best-selling car.
From JC, Cork:
Is there a new Mercedes E-Class on the way? I'm looking to change at the end of this year, and wanted to check.
There is a new E-Class being tested at present, but it's not likely to arrive here before the end of 2009. Unless you keep your cars for more than three years at a time, then it's probably not worth waiting.
The new car is due to take on many of the design cues of the current S-Class, and sources say the key theme of the new car will be driver assistance, with features such as lane-departure warnings, an eye-movement monitor and traffic-sign identification.
However, Mercedes will be looking for iron-clad guarantees from suppliers to ensure the E-Class continues to rebuild its reputation for reliability, which was tarnished by the E-Class between 2000 and 2004.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2, or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie