An earthmoving business owner is grappling with mounting stress and financial losses due to persistent issues with his brand-new truck, which has already been in the workshop nine times in less than six months, The New Zealand Herald reported. Jagjeet Singh, the owner-operator of Bajwa Trucking, purchased a $275,000 2024 UD Quon CW46200 in May to help with moving materials like clay, dirt, sand, and asphalt. However, since driving the truck for only 50km, Singh has faced ongoing problems with a fuel filter clog, leading to repeated breakdowns.
Singh described the toll the situation has taken on his business and mental health: “I have had sleepless nights and I’m worried about depression because of the stress of the truck,” he said. “It is still under warranty so I take it straight back, but it has been nine times, and each time I am without the truck for a couple of days”, Herald quoted.
The truck, purchased from UD Truck Distributors in Wiri, initially flashed a warning light indicating a fuel filter issue just 50km into its use. Despite returning it to the workshop, the problem persisted, with the warning light continuing to appear. Each time this happens, Singh said, the engine vibrates and loses power intermittently.
Singh expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and communication from the dealership. “I’ve asked UD Truck Distributors numerous times for a record of work done in the workshop, but they never sent any,” he explained to Herald. “It wasn’t until I said I was going to get legal advice that they said they were taking the matter seriously.”
As the truck is still under warranty, Singh has taken it back to the dealership multiple times. However, despite nine attempts to fix the issue, he is concerned that the fault may never be fully resolved. “They have had nine chances to fix it and still cannot locate the fault,” Singh said. “I’m losing thousands of dollars each time it is in for repair, and I worry about the damage the fault may be doing to the rest of the truck.”
Singh's concerns have extended beyond the immediate repairs, especially with the truck’s warranty expiring in a few years. He has now requested that UD Truck Distributors either replace the truck or refund him the purchase price if the fault cannot be permanently fixed.
“If they can’t fix it and guarantee it won’t happen again, the only fair thing is to replace the truck,” he said.
After the Herald reached out to UD Trucks, Singh was contacted and a meeting was arranged. Singh was told by a representative that options such as full repairs or potentially replacing the truck were available. However, in a subsequent email from UD Trucks’ General Manager, Colin Muir, Singh was informed that replacing the truck was not yet an option.
“Please understand that both UDTD and Commercial Aftersales are committed to you and your vehicle and we will continue to review the fault you have experienced and rectify all and any faults that may occur,” Muir’s email read. “However, there is no offer to provide you with a new truck nor any reasonable provision for this to be expected at this time.”
Muir also informed Singh that the truck was not covered under the Consumer Guarantees Act, as confirmed by Consumer NZ, which stated that business-to-business transactions are excluded from the Act. Additionally, the dispute is beyond the threshold covered by the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal, which handles claims up to $100,000.
Consumer NZ suggested that Singh should seek legal advice using his sale and purchase agreement as a reference.
Despite repeated requests from the Herald, UD Trucks has not responded to interview inquiries.
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