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PAGE 14, WH1TBY FMEZPM% WEDNMSAY, FERAR27, 1991 Taike yur car to someone yu trust The best way to keep y our car'. engine purring throughout the year is to find a nd frequent a, reputable garage. There is noa substtute for regular auto maintenance at a garageyou now, say experts at Ontario's Mnisdtry of Consumer and Commnercial Relations. But many motorists may flot have a regula garage. And using a service sttion referred to you by a friend may flot give you much confidence if you don't know a gasket frein a generator. If you car needs repair work, knowing about 'Ontario's Motor Vehicle Repair Act (MVRA) will help you get the service you need. The act can alo help ensure the final bill won't put a bigger dent than you expected in your budget. The. Motor Vehicle ]Repair Act requires repairera to provide ful iormation on how they calculate charges, written estimates on request, and a 90-day warranty on new and reconditioned parts and associated labour. Consumers should be able to see one resuit of the act as moon Pasthey wak through the doe o a grae. A sign listing the repýai-rer4s prices, and stating whether they are based on an hourly rate or a fiat rate must ha MFat rate" means the customer is charged for labour according te a book listing of the average time it takes to do most repair jobs. Once a mechanic knows wvhat your car's problein is, aae using fiat rates can normaUy ti rou ahmost exactly wha the abour charge will ha. This - system has both advarftàges and disadvantages. Some experts say consumers may ha botter off dealing with a shop that charges by the hour. That's because a mechanic in a fiat-rate shop xnay not take extra time te, corect a problem. Many people think mechanics are more likely to do a more thorough job. when an hourly rate is charged. Regardfless of 'the rate systein used, the customer must ha provided with a cost estimate on request. Consumera should ask for the estimate in writing because this guarantees their protection under the act. By law, the repairer can charge only 1 0 per cent more than the price quoted in the written estmate unless the customer agrees te extra charges. The estimate should include: e naineand address of customner and repairer; e make, model, VIN identifi- cation* numhar for the individual auto) and licence nuinhar of the. vehicle; ,& a description of work or repairs to be made; * parts te b.e instailed and a statement as te whether they will b. new, used or reconditioned; " price of parts to ha instailed, " total coet of labour; and " date the estixnate is given and the date it expires. Repairera may charge for estimates,. but must tell the customer the cost in advance. Much of the time required te coinplete an estimate may also ha necessaiy te complet. the job. For this reason, if a customer aproves the estimate without de a"y, the garage may not charge for Le estimate. When the job is done, the consumer should ask for an itemized invoice. This wilI help the repair act protect the customer if problems arise later, becaù*se it requires that garages offer a warranty on both new and reconditioned Pars, and associated labour or0 days, or 5,000 kmns., whichever comes first. The warranty a p lies only to work that is the repairer's responsibility, however. If you have new tires installed and drive over* a nail the next day,1 replacing the ruined tire is your1 problem. Consumers who have complaints about the services the'e received frein a motor vehicle repair shop should contact their local niinistry Consumer Services Bureau. The telephone numhar wil ha found in the. Blue Pages of the telephone book. To receive a copy of the free brochure 'Car Repair, promise and performance,' including information on Ontario's Motor Vehicle Repair Act, write to the Ministry of, Consumer and Commercial relations, Consumer Information Centre, 555 -Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario M7A MH. Repair costs add -Up It now coots the. averag Canadian more than $500 a month to own and operate an automobile, oecordinig t. the 'CarCV ta1990-1991' brochure. The report. in bosed on computations providsd hy Runzheimer International, a managmentconsuling ini which provides services to, accurately mesure costa cf transportation, taxes, meais goode and services, loclging and hung. Data reveals it caste average Canadian motoriste $6,672 per year or $556 par month to own and operate their automobie. « Car Costs'in based on a 199 Ford TemoGL with a2.3 lite, four-jyindrerm n which is driven 24,000-kilometros per year. The dour-door sedan is equipped with standard features and onal aesoSies including AM- sere,% autoenatic transmission, power staring, power dise brakes, rear window defrogger, speed, control, tilt steering wheel, engin. block heater and heavy-duty battery. Wble monthly coste average $556, ' Car Costa also reveals that expenses vary froi province to province and according to, the size of the car.- . For instance, owner of sub-coinpact carsi a low-cost province such as Aberta- or Saskatchewan have the lowest expenses, at $470 per month. On the other hand, owners of fuII-size (8 cylinder) cars ihigh-cost provinces such as Quebec or Newfoundland can expect annuai e oese f $8,327 or $694 par 'Ca r VCOsts'figures show increase in both operceatn n fixed coots as compared to last years figures. Operat«ng cacs (thon directy related to -the number cf klometrs driven) increased by r6.5 par cent. lbey include fuel and cd at 5.71 cents per kiloenetre%ýsmainteace at, 1.68 cents par kiometres, and tires at 0.76 cents par kilometre, totalling 8.15 Cents par kilometre. Ownership0 Costa change itti with the amount driven. lb... costs include insurance ($100 deductible comehensi:ve, $250 deductible collison, *500,000 inclusive third party liability) at $786 per year, snow tires, $61 par year; license and registration, $84 par year, depreciation, *2%760 pr yer.and finance expenses, 805per year. Owneruhip Costa totalled $5,716, u4 14 par Cent fim last year. igier finance expenses and depreciation Costs were the main osson for this increase. Calculations of operating costs are made -for annuel' drivi distances of 16,000, 24,000 an 32%000 lomSetres with gasoline priced at a national- average of 54.9 cents per litres. ne .majoriy of the increase can be attribute te h4ier federal and provincial taxes.- T'he federal exise tax on gasoline, which ail Canadian motarists pay, lias increased one cent per litre- since the publication of «Car Cast&e." Operating caste and ownership caste are provided in the brochure, on a mdaional basis complet. with a ranking of provinces accarding te 114b te low cost. The. average. per-kilmetre cmst iàdetormined W ~ combined opeating and ownerelp coste. ý,ý I For example,.- a, motorwa dving 16000Idlometres .par., ye.r will encounter expenses cf- aboÙt -*1,304 in, operatinmg, ýoca5,.( (16,000 kms at 8.15 cents) and *4,716 in ownerahip cast4j, fer a total cf $6,020 or 37.6 cents per kilomefre ($6,020 divided by 16,000 kms).- L Wt ear, the saine driver o %rn and operating a fou-cider 19 89 Ford Tempo a Ravling the urme distance would have incurred a, par- kilometre cost of 33.5 cents. Acadinâg taoAAMprésident Michl mc Neil, "Desite rising cosis, the automobile continues te provide Canadians with the only viable transportation option allowing for psonal feedm and mality. "Motoriats are su1lject te governinents' unfirness in taxation policies, particularly as they relate- ta motive fuels, due to, the essential nature <f the poseenger automobile in Candda and .governients' insatiable appetit«e for more revenue." Singe copies of "Car Caste are available frein mostOAA'travel centres or by contacting CAA Tooto, 2 Carlton St., Jtoronto, Ontario, M5B MK. The. CAA is the federation of every not-,for-profit provincial mnd regional motorclub in Canada. The Passat lias lots of room for comparison. Frm nc opto 143b nom itear hne roorn 1424 mn Pivt ha m inImflno Rea le aoon 970n «" Carpo volumle iSeats m rmai 005.400 495 lires HgaV range 959 un Iieçt advjstabie i ranm s Sphil%olrg Sv eair foUable wiSIii< nlhBs AiSRcond neuiuc Ford Chr« voêm--I- M lm Touna LX Lumu Eum 2M 1 Accord Fx M2 mm 1326 mm NIA m2mSi U93 Mrn 1306 mm NJA 1374 mm Iffl mm 1077 mm IM mrn M2 mm 954 mm 937 mm 924 mm 87Cb mm 481 ktttýs 445 wres 4M kires 408 #Iffl 811 km 833 k?-ý i 769 km 8u am fw only) sumo S2&700 Su-l% Once yo sipbhn he eeI cd a Vo&swag.n is unique blond ci form and function mnakes it __ Ps you wibepaè Oised y 10k good on paper. loo. And once yove ai chS rmuchrm thoiPassaÉhastoofferBut a Passai foral est drive. youl fmudthePassa esarne German engineering tai gave Passai drvng expenience is really beyond corrçar _ Extended service hours starting Feb. 1i-Tues.& Thurs. tiU 2 Nominated for 1991 SEDAN 0F THE VE-AR by the Automotive Joumalists Association of Canada ()Passat îcm.$18,995 * 1si on , tia.iac wnrsSg.ld SS oew o r M nt%nl u0<oÇn' OMMt l,.fg Ir, we< o ffl .nrv oi tivi 001 o sI MTi "al. e bu Owasco Volkswagen Inc. 1425 Dundas St. E., Whtby Oshawa/Whltby 668-9383 - Ajax/Pickering Tor. 683-3235 Offering customer satisfaction in sales, service,' bodyshop, parts, & rentfais (Canada & Europe) 35 mn. LIm-IJon] 35~~~ min, foorn oWLS &p«iece te Owaco M rpyng erve ue1.OwsoFe1t A roesl C ad s .LervJe leuAà WINNER7 i An~l CARE bcd O ML SERVICE AWARDWINNER r_ -_. IDUI" st.,