How often does a KGM SsangYong need a service?
| Petrol and diesel | Hybrid | Battery electric | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First service, 12 months | 15,000 km | 10,000 km | 20,000 km |
| Seventh service, 84 months | 105,000 km | 70,000 km | 140,000 km |
Those figures are for normal driving, and KGM says its service requirements supersede any other publication for Australia. Towing, dust or heavy loads can count as severe conditions, so ask if yours needs more frequent servicing.
A hybrid Torres comes round at 10,000 km, so don't assume a diesel's 15,000 km applies.
What falls due beyond the basic service
This is where the mechanic earns their keep. KGM lists these as mandatory replacement items, and they don't all land on the same visit.
Musso diesel. Fuel filter and front and rear axle oil every 24 months or 30,000 km. Brake fluid every 24 months. Transfer case fluid (the extra gearbox that sends drive to the front wheels) every 48 months or 60,000 km, automatic transmission fluid at 60,000 km, and coolant every 60 months or 200,000 km.
Rexton petrol. Air filter every 24 months or 30,000 km, fuel filter every 30,000 km, and rear axle oil and spark plugs at 48 months or 60,000 km.
Torres Hybrid. Front lower ball joints every 60 months or 50,000 km, then spark plugs, the hybrid transmission oil filter and the hybrid motor drive gear oil at 60,000 km.
The warranty, and what KGM asks of you
New and demonstrator vehicles delivered from 1 September 2018 have KGM's 7-year, unlimited km warranty, and KGM says that includes commercial use. So a Musso working on a building site keeps the same term.
The terms tell you to keep maintenance and inspection records and pass them to the next owner. Warranty repairs go to an authorised dealer. Problems caused by repairs from anyone other than the importer or its authorised repairer are excluded, as is any failure caused by a non-genuine part. Routine replacement of filters, clutch plates and worn brake pads isn't covered.
So: servicing by a qualified independent mechanic, to KGM's schedule and specifications, doesn't by itself void the warranty, but the paperwork has to be there. KGM also says its warranty doesn't limit your rights under the consumer guarantees.
Tell us the job and the model, old badge or new. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
What each invoice should show
- The car's rego or VIN, the date and the kilometres.
- The service performed, against KGM's schedule.
- Every mandatory item replaced at that visit.
- Oils and fluids by name and specification.
- Parts by name and part number.
What you can do, and what's the mechanic's
You can
- Keep every invoice in one folder, and scan them.
- Before a long tow, check the oil level and tyre pressures with the engine cold.
- After a muddy or sandy trip, hose the underside from beside the car.
Leave to the mechanic
- Axle, transfer case and transmission fluids.
- Fuel filter changes on a diesel.
- Anything on a hybrid or EV's orange high-voltage cables.
What we'd do with a KGM
We'd print the schedule for our exact model and take it to the first visit, so nothing mandatory slips past. If we used an independent mechanic, we'd ask them to show each item on the invoice and we'd keep every one, because that's what a warranty claim will ask for. And if the car tows or works hard, we'd ask what the severe schedule changes.