Q: I own a 2014 Toyota Camry purchased in October 2014 that now has about 13,000 miles on it. I noticed that the headrests for the back seats are wearing badly. I did tell the Toyota officials that I drive my grandkids occasionally in their rear car seats. The Toyota people rejected my claim that maybe the rear seat material might be defective. My question is: Are the rear seats for looks only? I do not believe that such poor wear and tear of rear seat headrests is something normal. I am not aware that my child seats should make so much damage to the car seats.

A: That's a tough question for the simple reason that the carmaker is the party that decides what is "normal wear and tear." I'm sure Toyota didn't design the headrests for the rear seats for the primary purpose of supporting a child safety seat. On the other hand, properly installing a child safety seat in the back seat for an appropriately size/age child is certainly "normal" use of the vehicle. When these child seats are installed in your vehicle, are they fully secure with little or no movement side-to-side? The more securely attached, the less wear and tear on the seat and headrests.

From a personal perspective, I consider the scuffs on the rear fascia of our Passat wagon from repeatedly loading and unloading a wheelchair to be normal wear and tear, not a defect.

Toyota provides several avenues of appeal for warranty issues, starting with the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. Your owner's manual package includes a claim form that can be submitted to the National Center for Dispute Settlement in Mount Clemens, Mich., which offers an informal no-cost process of arbitration to resolve a dispute. A quick Web search found that although the NCDS is a third-party organization funded by a number of automakers, NCDS claims the automakers have no say in the choosing of neutral arbitrators.

As is usually the case, it boils down to how much effort you are willing to put into pursuing this issue. And as always is the case, the more calm, professional and determined your approach to this, the better your chances.

Q: I have a 2000 Chevy Impala with a 3.4-liter engine and 112,000 miles. Twice now the "Low coolant level" light has appeared a couple of weeks after replacement of the sensor. I'm hoping for a suggestion to stop the light's reappearance, seeing how the level is always on the mark in radiator and overflow reservoir.

A: I suspect the coolant in your vehicle is contaminated with oil. GM suggests removing and cleaning/polishing the probe to remove any oil or film. The probe should be bright brass in appearance when properly cleaned.

It's possible the sensors have failed but that seems very unlikely in this case. You can check the sensor by unplugging it from its harness and turning on the ignition. If the warning light is not illuminated, the sensor is good but in need of cleaning. If the warning light is still on with the sensor unplugged, the problem is in the chassis wiring or instrument cluster.

Now to the bigger issue. If the sensor is being repeatedly fouled with oil, where is the oil coming from? Possibilities include a head gasket or internal engine oil leak, fluid leak from the transmission cooler section of the radiator or improper service (accidentally adding oil to the coolant). Even deposits from some type of stop-leak product in the cooling system could cause this.

In most cases, significant oil contamination of the coolant will leave oil residue in the recovery tank at the line marking the level of coolant in the tank. If contamination is the problem, identify and eliminate the cause, then flush and refill the cooling system.

Paul Brand is the author of "How to Repair Your Car" and "How to Repair Your Truck and SUV," published by Motorbooks.