Weekend Reading: Exploding Sunroof Update Edition

Long-time readers might recall last summer when the panoramic sunroof in our 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe spontaneously shattered while my wife and I were driving on the highway towards Lethbridge. I filed a complaint with Transport Canada, and after searching online and finding multiple instances of exploding sunroofs, wondered why a recall hadn’t been ordered.

A recent Global News investigation found a spike in these incidents, with 110 recorded complaints in 2016 and 103 already in 2017. The biggest culprit, you guessed it, was the Hyundai Sante Fe with 37 of those complaints.

I had been in contact with a Calgary law firm after the incident and I’m now the lead plaintiff in a proposed class action suit against Hyundai Canada. Transport Canada is also currently pursuing a defect investigation into shattering sunroofs in the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model.

A similar exploding sunroof lawsuit was launched against Hyundai Motor America back in December 2015.

This Week’s Recap:

On Monday I wrote about mental accounting and how we spend money.

On Wednesday Marie shared five RRSP strategies beyond basic contributions.

Tune in next week for a new book review and giveaway, plus a look at different ways for investors to get their international diversification.

Earn Cash Back From Great Canadian Rebates:

With Black Friday around the corner those looking to get a head-start on their holiday shopping should sign-up for Great Canadian Rebates – an online shopping website that pays you cash back rebates on your online purchases. I’ve been a member for years and have earned hundreds of dollars in cash back rewards.

For example, if you shop at Amazon.ca, simply visit Great Canadian Rebates first and you can earn 2.75% cash back.

Weekend Reading:

CBC Marketplace hidden cameras catch car dealerships breaking sales rules:

Marketplace’s hidden camera footage shows the initial sales pitch at seven of the ten dealerships focused on seven-year loans, despite the fact the customer didn’t ask for long-term financing. Even more troubling was that half of the dealerships encouraged early trade-ins.

 

One salesperson told the customer, “You’re not going to pay anything out of pocket.” Another said, “We pay off the loan,” and a third, the manager of the dealership, promised: “You’re not losing in any way” on an early trade-in.

 

The reality is the customer can either pay off the remaining debt on a trade-in or add it to the loan for their next car.

A cool New York Times feature looks at what will happen when 100% of cars are autonomous.

Last week it was announced that Shoppers Optimum and PC Points were merging into one loyalty program. Here’s why companies keep messing with your points.

This Business Insider author took a neuroscientist’s advice for saving money, and it’s transformed his finances.

Global News crunches the numbers on how much a week’s worth of groceries costs in Canada.

Canadians paid out $100 million last year for going over their internet data limit. That, plus other fascinating facts about Canada’s $66.6B telecom industry.

Capital One has pulled the plug on its popular Aspire Travel World Elite MasterCard, closing the card to new applicants.

Manufactured spending. That’s how a university student racked up travel rewards points for free.

Personal finance author Rubina Ahmed-Haq reveals the biggest money mistakes you can make at every age.

Index providers plan to overhaul their industry classifications, meaning internet and media stocks like Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet, and Netflix will be pulled out of ‘technology’ and ‘consumer discretionary’ categories and merged with phone companies into a new group called “communication services.”

Justin Bender explains why zero-fee ETF purchases, such as the ones offered at low-cost brokerage Questrade, can come with strings attached.

Michael James looks at the dividend puzzle – the strong preference many investors have for dividends over capital gains.

About 64 per cent of people think the CPP will be out of money, or won’t exist by the time they retire. Here’s why there’s no reason to fear CPP’s stability.

My Own Advisor Mark Seed interviews pension expert Doug Runchey about when to take your Canada Pension Plan benefits.

Mark also explores a topic of great interest to me: should I draw down my RRSP before taking my pension?

Who gets what is more complicated than many of us realize. Here’s how to write a will that’s actually fair.

Finally, Canadians have been using their homes as piggy banks. Here’s how Canadian homes became debt traps.

Have a great weekend, everyone!