Another reason to avoid all electronic cars

[Bigbjorn]

Has anyone encountered this before? A friend's son, against friend's advice, bought a new small froggy-woggy car with electric everything. It has stop-start and an electric handbrake. When the vehicle comes to a halt the engine switches oof and the handbrake applies. Press the throttle and it starts again. Almost three years old and the battery went flat overnight. Son realising the battery is most important on this jigger went to local battery shop who looked, measured and fitted a new battery. Said they had never seen one of these cars before. Car wouldn't start. Electrics don't work. Battery tests OK as it should. Error code on dash. So 'phone dealer service dept. "Hah, you have an aftermarket battery and the vehicle software does not recognise other than OEM battery. Buy genuine battery from dealer" Local battery was $280 and OEM battery is $460.

[Eevo]

right to repair law?

[weeds]

Umm, so you haven’t mentioned make or model.....

Big call grouping them all together.

[101RRS]

Like OEM ink jet cartridges, the OEM battery must have a small electronic chip impeded in it that the car has to recognise - I am sure if you research things there will be after market batteries that will suit or a chip that can be purchased that will fool the system.

While probably not much help now, this is something the ACCC would like to know about.

[Bigbjorn]

It is a Renault. I don't know the model. Engine about the size of a lunchbox.

Friend's son likes small cars. He is a small man. Friend firmly told him not to buy a French or Italian car or you will be sorry. Past experience.

I reminded friend of the old used car dealer adage. The one thing in favour of a Fiat is that they are marginally better than a Renault.

[weeds]

Oh....well the Renault’s didn’t do to good on the weekend, well not Danial Avocado’s car.

[goingbush]

Wife also has a 'froggy woggy' car , a Renault Captur.
Apart from the Iveco Daily 4x4 its the first brand new vehicle we have ever bought, Its now 3 years old and it the best & most reliable car we have ever had, Ive only ever opened the bonnet once to check the oil the first time being just in the last few weeks before it went in for a 12 month service oil still looked new, not even brown . It goes like absolute stink, maybe the 'elf' badge on the back helps.

OTOH the Iveco is now 6 years old & the most unreliable vehicle Ive ever owned.

Hmm BMW Shepparton do the Renault Service , & I do all my own work on the Iveco - wonder if that has anything to do with it ??? [bigwhistle]