Advice please on non compliant headlights

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curlcrown, Mar 10, 3:53pm
What I would suggest to you is to take it to another dealer of the same franchise that is closer to you, if there is one, and as suggested before you need to speak to the dealer principal and make a booking first. It doesn't seem like such a big problem that it can't be resolved fairly quickly, I would think that if it was booked in and dropped off ealry enough it could be picked up the same day. They may even be willing to suggest someone close to you they would be happy to use. You are legally allowed to drive a car without a WOF to a place of repair. It is not as if the fault is causing it to be a major safety risk to drive. Certainly not during the day with the lights off anyway.

curlcrown, Mar 10, 3:55pm
Yes, I think they would be fairly motivated to help, not doing the WOF was quite an oversight, especially from a francise dealer who would well have know it should have been done.

skull, Mar 10, 3:55pm
I think you need to lay out to the dealer principal in writing what you want done to resolve the issue. Point out that is your bottom line and tell them that you will reject the vehicle if they don't sort it out to your satisfaction. If they want to collect it and fit compliant LED lights then make sure you hit them up for a loaner while they have it. I wonder how many others they fitted those lights to, chances are they have done more than one.

trackim, Mar 10, 4:15pm
Yes, I've emailed dealer after my initial phone call last week. I phoned again this morning as I hadn't had an email reply. Seems a bit of buck passing going on at the moment between sales manager and service manager.
Re those particular lights - yes plenty on vehicles around the country and still been marketed, but they're not my concern at this point - just mine.
Another thing failed on was the 3 small orange leds in the grill - too many forward facing lights, but these aren't an issue or cost to disconnect.
Funny though how a truck can be lit up like a christmas tree with lights, but utes can't. You do have to laugh at some of the logic.

kazbanz, Mar 10, 4:21pm
They can do any darn checks they like the LAW says it must have a less than 28 day/1 month old WOF on sale.
There are some senarios where yea 2.5 years wear and tear and 2.5 years use come under concideration. --THIS AINT one of them.
The headlights you purchased the vehicle with are not and never were fit for purpose.
Yes having the headlights swapped to the factory lights will address the legal issues and let you get a WOF.
But then there's the issue that you paid a premium for that vehicle because the headlights were LED not factory. So even if they sort the factory headlights at their expense entirely you are getting a lesser vehicle than what you paid for.
What "I'm saying is that this is not a situation that "ages"
Something that DOES need clarification.
If your vehicle is less than 2 years old, the WoF will be issued TO the third anniversary of when it was first registered
The concern I have there is that there may well have been a WOF inspection carried out and it passed but the expiry date remains 3 years from first registration until its 3 years old. . -So check the WOF issue date and the WOF issuer.
either scenario I see the franchise dealer being in deep doodoo either they didn't issue a new WOF or if they did then likely it was they themselves that did it. meaning its a Com COM case

trackim, Mar 10, 4:59pm
Thanks kaz. Balls now in their court.

tweake, Mar 10, 6:10pm
headlights have to be the "approved" ones. i'll bet neither crowd looked for the approval stamps on them.
i'm taking a guess the reason they don't have enough adjustment is they are left hand drive head lights.

this unfortunately has been a common problem with many dealers blinging up utes to sell. a few locals here being caught out at first wof for no cert for the upgrades.
not to mention things like broken ball joints and suspension arms.
to top it off i have heard of dealers faking factory upgraded models.
selling mid spec models with extra bling to replicate the look of the top spec model (ie make a fake). but not actually having all the features the top model has. also issues arise when parts fail and manufacture doesn't want to know because its not factory parts its all aftermarket.

franc123, Mar 10, 8:45pm
Correct. But obviously my post at #6 was ignored by the OP.

trackim, Mar 10, 9:33pm
Sorry too many presumptions. I don’t fall into your ignorant buyer theory. Also I’m not dealing with the numpty salesman, I’m dealing with the sales manager and service manager. Plus been the astute buyer I am, I purchased through a major reputable company.

But thanks for your advice

curlcrown, Mar 10, 9:50pm
Just had a thought. If a new WOF was issued the WOF expiry date would still have been the same is if it had not, so perhaps a new WOF was issued

evotime, Mar 11, 12:55am
You’re dealing with the wrong people, good move making them the 1st contact but the sales and service managers don’t work together for a common goal, they work for their own budgets which repairing your vehicle will affect. just go directly to the dealer principal his number will be on the website he is the ultimate boss and most I have worked with are top notch guys who will do you right, they will instruct one or the other manager to organise it.

trackim, Mar 11, 7:50am
Cheers, that is todays move.

trackim, Mar 11, 8:54am
Thanks everyone. Now resolved.
I obviously wasn't dealing high enough up the tree. They have come through and dealing with the issue.

vtecintegra, Mar 11, 9:24am
The question is how are they dealing with the issue? You said you don't want the vehicle put back to stock but in reality that is likely to be the only way of getting it road legal.

trackim, Mar 11, 10:19am
No not back to stock. They are replacing with compliant lights very similar to what it has. No short cuts and been done by my local franchise dealership.

3tomany, Mar 11, 10:46am
I thought once the communication was right the problem would resolve itself.

evotime, Mar 11, 4:41pm
Great result, happy days

curlcrown, Mar 11, 5:18pm
Great outcome. Most dealers are actually good guys.

kazbanz, Mar 11, 7:10pm
I posted that concern at the end :-)

redhead18, Mar 11, 7:30pm
Onya Kim sounds like ya got past the GOAT(Service Manager Mr GR). AND dealt WITH Mr. p. (Max)

In Person.

[Been wrong B4. BUT IMO. LOL]

LOL

trackim, Mar 11, 8:25pm
Yeah good result in the end, just a petty it took two weeks to resolve. However the salesman I was dealing with did the start did a good job, just duck shoved by some others further up the chain. I’m happy with the final outcome.

redhead18, Mar 11, 8:35pm

curlcrown, Mar 11, 8:49pm
Yeah. I should have read the whole thing.

clark20, Mar 12, 7:40am
Some tests in a couple of headlamps does not mean they meet the requirements, a lot of sellers try this on, and it still remains they do not comply.

bjmh, Sep 4, 9:11am
well done . interesting thread ,thanks for posting. i see similar problems with a lot of aftermarket wider wheels fitted to new utes. mostly Ranger and Mazda.They have 3 yr wof ,but are non-compliant.