New car misconceptions and pitfalls to look out for

Buying a new car is a big deal. We’ve all heard the cliché of it being the largest single purchase most people make after a house.

Which is why being prepared for the unexpected before signing a contract is prudent, particularly as a spanking new 2026 model may have a few surprises for the unwary.

Here are a few to look out for.

New-car warranties are only valid if you service the vehicle at the dealer you bought it from.

Wrong.

According to Australian Consumer Law, there’s no obligation for you to have your car serviced by a car dealership during the standard factory warranty period. While the car is under warranty (and at any time after) you have the right to have the vehicle serviced by an independent repairer without voiding your warranty.

However, the work must be done using appropriate quality parts, trained technicians and according to the timings outlined in the vehicle’s service schedule. These conditions can usually be found in the vehicle’s service logbook.

All new vehicles are covered by the ACCC for a period of five years.

Correct.

If a serious mechanical or functional failure occurs up to around the five-year mark, the vehicle manufacturer is obliged to cover the cost under the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) guidelines. We’re talking most important items, including engine/motor, transmission and electrical faults.

This is as long as the vehicle has not been mistreated or neglected – as per a regular manufacturer’s warranty.

This is helpful to know if you buy a vehicle with a paltry three-year warranty. Stand your ground if something breaks before birthday number five.

Your electrified SUV will have a spare wheel.

Not necessarily.

Hybrids and EVs seem to be given a free pass for not having a spare tyre. Manufacturers say they add weight and so elect to save money and forgo a spare wheel and jack.

Nothing spoils a family motoring holiday quite like a puncture stranding you some hundreds of kilometres from home, especially with the so-called tyre-repair kit that gives you limited mobility once it’s used on the tyre.

Plus, in most cases, what may be a repairable puncture is ruined by all the goo pumped inside, meaning you’ll be out of pocket by hundreds of dollars for a new tyre, plus a few more hundred for a new tyre-repair kit.

Leather in cars is actually leather, and better than cloth.

Not always.

A lot of what you may think is leather is actually fancy plastic material, or more-accurately, synthetic vinyl or polyurethane. Like your grandparent’s Holden Kingswood. And often just as clammy, unless your vehicle has ventilated seats.

Mercedes-Benz has long dubbed it ‘MB-Tex’ and Mazda cheekily brands theirs Maztex. Great for animal rights supporters and vegans, though.

Electronic dashboard displays are not always better.

True.

From this year, ANCAP- Australia’s new car safety testing program - is mandating a return to physical switches and buttons for some main vehicle functions and controls.

Blame Tesla for this one, since its incredibly popular and thus influential Model 3 from 2017 (in the US) popularised the move to big screens with most vehicle functions only accessible that way.

Many Chinese brands soon emulated Tesla, resulting in scores of models with confusing, distracting and so potentially dangerous situations for the driver whose attention is not on the road ahead.

Additionally, their brightness at night has contributed to the night-blindness phenomenon where some drivers simply cannot see as well due to too-much light emanating from within the vehicle.