The Toyota Alphard and Vellfire have become a household name in the Malaysian. Utilitarian like refrigerators, or microwaves, or ceiling fans, every house has them, and it is only a matter of brand. By far one of the most commonly found Dato’ transportation machines is the Toyota Alphard and Vellfire. Spacious, comfortable, and reliable as a Japanese make. However, wearing a Toyota badge does not ward off the laws of thermodynamics, sadly. Here is the most commonly encountered issue:

• Airconditioning:
  In the merciless Malaysian climate, air-conditioning matter. It matters a lot. The air-conditioning units in the Alphard and Vellfire have a common problem where they are unable to cool below 25 degrees, that’s almost as bad as a death sentence.
  
  
• Engine Balance shaft
  A balance shaft is used in an engine to balance out any unwanted vibrations generated from the engine. When these balance shafts wear out, there will be a knocking noise that emits from the front of the car, alerting you to the problem. For a short period of time it will be adequate- unpleasant, but nothing dangerous. The real weight of the issue comes over extended of periods without repair, or replacement. Extensive vibrations in the engine causes heavier stress for the other components, snowballing the damage to other parts.

In many other countries, Audi vehicles are highly renowned for their reliability and quality in comparison to their competitors, frequently sitting above its’ rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz on reliability lists. However, the opposite holds true in Malaysia, as they have a notorious reputation of unreliability and fragility. Here is the problem commonly found in Audi vehicles.

• Suspension problems
  Audis that frequent Western Motor Sports have a suspension issue. The symptoms include alack of stability in the wheels, especially during braking. If left alone and untreated, the suspension bushings could give out and even collapse in severe instances.

BMW, known for their athletic build and driving pleasure. They make truly addictive cars but sometimes those generally, that type of product attracts a certain type of use, coupled with some imperfect engineering, there are a few recurring problems that rear its’ head over the course of a few years.

• Engine Oil leak
  An engine oil leak might seem like a normal occurrence, right? Well, let us put it this way, if your car were a human, leaking engine oil would be the equivalent of bleeding. Engine oil leakage could lead to serious damage to your suspension bushings because engine oil and rubber cannot exist together in harmony, unlike us Malaysians. If your car leaves patches of oil on the surface below it, it is means you should probably visit Western Motor Sports soon.
  
  
• Engine & Gearbox Mountings
  Engine and gearbox mountings plays an equally big role in your comfort as a driver and passenger and mechanical health of the powertrain and gearbox. Mountings play a role by eliminating excessive vibrations generated by your engine and gearbox. These vibrations be harsh on your engine and gearbox. Symptoms are very easy to feel, even for an inexperienced driver- steering vibration at idle, and prominent vibrations going through the entire car.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the best-selling continental luxury car brands in Malaysia, and no one can fault them, they make great cars. Comfortable and plush are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when they come to mind. Here’s a recurring problem with a crowd favourite- the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205)

• Mercedes-Benz C-class (W205)
  The Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205 is the little brother of the bigger and statelier E-Class. Did you know? It is the best selling luxury sedan in the World. But it is not without faults- then again, what car is? The most common issue for C-class owners is the water pump.
  A water pump has a simple task to fulfill, which is pumping water from the radiator and to the engine and back to the radiator. If the water pump fails, it could cause an array of issues such as leaking, a check engine light and the worst of all, an overheating engine.
  
  
• Mercedes- Benz E-class (W212) – VVT
  Also known as Variable Vibration Timing, it is a common ache in the E-Class W212. This occurs when the VVT is not performing as it should, and results in excessive friction being generated. A grinding, unpleasant noise will emit from the car upon a cold start, or at idle.

Jaguar Land Rover is one of the oldest names in the automotive industry. Known for their tough off-roaders and their bold, rugged luxury. These are the common problems you should look out for across the Range Rover lineup

• ABS sensors
  The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is what keeps the wheels from seizing when brakes are forcefully applied, giving the vehicle better grip and traction to avoid sliding. Unfortunately, they are a common fail point we see in Jaguar Land Rover. Often times the car will have an indicator suggesting you should get it checked, and during the journey, be sure to drive carefully. This type of failure in our eyes is considered a driving hazard.

• Jerky Drive
  A jerky engine is also one of the problems that we face. A jerky engine will be a very obvious problem to point out due to the strong vibrations that will be felt while driving. There could be a problem with the ignition coils, causing the roughness. We recommend getting it checked immediately.

• Underpowered Turbo
  A turbo that is unable to generate boost is also a fairly common issue we have encountered with Jaguar Land Rover cars. The symptoms of failure to generate boost is drop in power and the engine will feel lethargic.

Bentley is one of the best ultra-luxury car brands in our automotive market right now, second after Rolls Royce. Cars that are made by Bentley are carefully and meticulously crafted and handmade to pristine levels of finish and quality. However the major flaw that we have encountered is their Airmatic suspension, and here are the issues we have experienced with them.

• Airmatic suspensions
  The magic carpet ride that you experience from Bentleys is a thing to behold. The soft and supple ride is all thanks to Airmatic suspension technology. While high-tech, they do not stand the test of time. A few of the symptoms are an unstable and wobbly ride, and even sunken suspension.

The Porsche brand name have been synonymous with motorsports excellency for as long as Jaeger-LeCoultre has been known as the watchmaker’s watchmaker. Immortalized by the quintessential sports car in the form of a 911 Carrera, innovative transmission technology like the PDK transmissions and their sonorous flat-6 engines. Their fuel pumps and gear selectors, however, are known for a few issues.

• Gear selector
  The gear selectors in Porsches have a common problem which is clunky gear shifts when shifting into gear, or even worse, not being able to shift gears altogether. For example, shifting into the Reverse gear to Drive and waiting for change, change that never comes. Granted, these issues are more likely to happen to an older Porsche.

• Fuel pump
  Fuel pumps are crucial to a car. Like the arteries that pump blood through the human heart, the fuel pump supplies petrol to the powertrain. A faulty fuel pump in a Porsche is a common problem that we have encountered here at Western Motorsports, your Porsche might not start as a result.