So my car has just finished it's 5 year warranty and about 6 months later the CD player stopped working. It will not read CDs and only displays an error01 message.
Does anyone know if I would have any legal standing to go back to Mitsubishi and get them to fix it even though my warranty has technically finished? I have not yet contacted them at this stage.
Just wondering as I know I have read many times about Australian Consumer Law and our entitlements.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Relative to the length of warranty it is, but I understand what you are saying.
You got a pretty good run out of it, IMO.
I completely disagree.
A car CD player should last a hell of a lot longer than 6.5 years. CD's have been around since '83. We know how to build CD players to last.
If the CD player was truly only expected to last 6 years there should be an action in the log book to replace the CD player after 5.
I know CD players can last, I have one of the Sony players from maybe 1992? But I hardly use it now since the first thing I do with CDs is rip them.
Breakdowns happen. Perhaps there is some truth in manufacturing quality not what it used to be. But also there's a difference between designed life and economic life. How much is a CD player worth? $200 to replace maybe at current prices. That's $40 per year. How much is time worth trying to pursue legal remedy which may get nowhere since the warranty term was made clear at the beginning? Just see if it can be fixed, or if not get a replacement and move on. Plus you get new features. Sure, more e-waste, but that's the state of the world.
Manufacturing quality is generally better now than ever. Warranty issues waste man hours. In this case, one man hour would cost more than the cost of the unit. Failing products also make a company look dodgy. It's worth the extra 50c to use a reliable unit.
What have changed are design principles. Designs are optimised for a specified product life. If a component lasts a few times the product life it may be optimised (be made more flimsy) if it can reduce the cost to build the product.
I am only disagreeing with your assertions about manufacturing quality.
@This Guy: I didn't make any assertions about manufacturing quality in either post. My original comment was essentially for the OP: "fix it or replace it and move on".
"You got a pretty good run out of it"
"Perhaps there is some truth in manufacturing quality not what it used to be"
Both these sentences stuck out at me like a sore thumb. I took them literally. I was avoiding the warranty issue because to be honest, we don't even know what the problem is.
@This Guy: There are a lot of unequal factors. For sure the car maker will prefer to install the cheapest unit whenever possible. After 5 years the owner isn't going to think I shouldn't have bought a Mitsubishi all those years ago if the player breaks down. And besides Mitsubishi can always say we have a better all-singing all-dancing player in the current models and who can contradict them?
"For sure the car maker will prefer to install the cheapest unit whenever possible."
I disagree. If they don't design their own they should have a long term partnership with an electronics manufacturer. No manufacturer is going to risk the future of their business by supplying a dodgy part.
"After 5 years the owner isn't going to think I shouldn't have bought a Mitsubishi all those years ago if the player breaks down."
Electrical bugs are not a minor thing. CD players are pretty simple. If that fails after 5 years how long will the ECU last?
"And besides Mitsubishi can always say we have a better all-singing all-dancing player in the current models and who can contradict them?"
I would not buy that make again if that was their solution to a problem.
Other posters have diagnosed this issue as media (wrong format) or dirty lens issue. This CD unit should be fine. I am just replying to you.
@This Guy: Then I have a more cynical view of business in general and we should agree to disagree on this.
Don't get me wrong, dealerships are the worst. It just makes no sense for the manufacturer to deliberately build something poorly if they want to stay in business (remember the Magna…).
Say you save a dollar on each stereo, saving $20k. What is the use of spending a million on an advertising campaign when you have 20 000 people who will tell all their friends your cars are dodgy because your CD players died after five years and your dealer’ solution was to try to sell them a new car?
I’m all for cutting costs, but not in a way that will damage a brand.
@This Guy: A car is just like any other consumer good. A CD player breakdown, unless part of a recognisable pattern, isn't going to make news in today's noisy world. I don't think the designer sweated over this. He just went with something with a good chance of surviving 5 years and planned for a certain percentage of warranty repairs or replacements. Nothing to do with dealerships or salesmen, just normal industrial design. Nothing to do with selling new cars either, you read too much into my comment. The dealership might apologise for the breakdown, offer to fix it for a price, and say the new players are so much more reliable. How can you gainsay that last assertion?
But enough, none of this is verifiable. It might be amusing to yarn over a beer, but over social media it's a bore to others. Let's move on to bargains. Cheers.
@This Guy: Other than the CD player the car has been great. It's a Mitsubishi Grandis which unfortunately is no longer sold in Australia. Would this problem stop me from buying another Mitsubishi? No, but their current "It's a Mitsi" advertising campaign probably will!
@greenpossum:
I agree with you. I've only contending your points suggesting modern manufacturing is rubbish, five years is a decent life for a $30k consumer product and that a customer should buy a new car for a faulty player.
Now I get you didn't mean it that way, but that is the way I read it. However as all three concepts of these concepts offend me; I jumped to the conclusion that these were your arguments. Just like you've assumed that I am naive to business.
@hindo:
I haven't seen your car mate. I’m not spouting advice. I am just replying to Greenpossum.
@This Guy: Oh dear, you're too easily offended, methinks. You certainly extrapolated too much from a few words I wrote. Where did I suggest that a car should only last 5 years? I only recently traded off a 1992 small car that had never left me in the lurch but didn't have modern safety features so was getting more risky to me if I got into an accident. I also made no assumptions about your business acumen, so no offence intended there either.
Where have you been having the car serviced? Take it to the place and ask them to have a look….
I hope if it was a new car you were servicing it at the dealer….
From a quick google it looks like e 01 could be fixed by cleaning the CD head with a laser lens cleaner and this might be something the mechanic can try for you.
If that doesn't fix the problem you probably need to replace the entire unit. DON'T get the dealer to do that
Which model is it? and what year? If you are handy you could probably do it yourself or if you buy one from JB(or similar) they usually have a list of recommended installers.
Ummm ipod?
No input, no bluetooth makes ipod a less than desirable option
What is a CD?
It's a smaller, more shiny version of a record
Hey now… old school. We are a dwindling population. However, why bother with what's available now.
Because it's an integrated CD unit which up until a couple of weeks ago worked fine. It's amazing how things change in 6 or so years on a $50k car!
Back in the day, when that error popped up, it was because it didn't like the CD-R disc. Can your player play a "real" CD. Otherwise, get a CD cleaning kit and give that a try
Brand new, original CDs were used. Older CDs, purchased in the last 12 months and lightly used were also tried. No sign of CD-Rs in my house or my wife's car.
We have a mitsubishi around the same age, and in the past it has tended to do the error 01 thing when the cd needed cleaning or was badly marked. If yours is doing it all the time, the cd cleaning kit already suggested might be an easy fix.
Ok thanks for your comments guys. I had 2 brand new, like first time played, CDs loaded and they would not play. I don't use CD-R's so that was not the issue. I will check out the lens cleaning and see if that works.
It's always interesting to read the responses to a simple question on OB :)
your idea of "just out of warranty" and mine must be extremely different.
6 months is in NO way "just out of warranty".