Your car may be getting smarter, but that could also make it harder to figure out what's wrong with it.
A new survey from the U.K. found that 85% of auto dealers believe consumer protection rules have not kept pace with increasingly complex vehicles.
Today's cars rely on everything from software and sensors to advanced driver-assistance systems and, in EVs, electric powertrain technology.
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"What appears to be one fault can turn out to be two or three issues interacting with each other. Some require software updates, further testing or manufacturer support before the true cause can be identified," said John Colinswood, CEO of Warranty Solutions Group.
Dealers say some problems can be intermittent or involve multiple systems, meaning they may take several rounds of testing to diagnose.
“Some vehicles simply cannot be diagnosed and repaired in one visit. That doesn’t mean the retailer is unwilling to put the problem right," said Colinswood. "It means they need a reasonable opportunity to establish what the problem actually is before they can fix it.”
The takeaway for drivers: that warning light may not come with a quick or simple fix.
