Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Out of order

Out of order

I have a friend who has ordered a new Prius for delivery at the beginning of March. They are concerned over the braking issue and are considering cancelling their order. Do you consider the braking issue to be justifiable cause to cancel their order and recover the £1,000 deposit?

Asked on 1 May 2010 by S.W., St Albans

Answered by Honest John
Emphatically, no. There has been a colossal fuss over this, yet I have only ever received 3 complaints of sticky Toyota accelerator switches and none at all of Prius braking. Yet over the past 6 months I have received more than 100 complaints of ABS/ESP module failures on VAG cars over which there has been no widespread publicity of and over which VOSA refuses to act. They cannot legally recover the £1,000 deposit anyway and may even have to pay the dealer compensation for breach of contract. (Johnson v HWM, Kingston County Court April 1997.)

Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.

Honest Used Car Prices

From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.

Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....
Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
    Select a few terms below
Similar questions
I placed a deposit for £1,000 in December 2009 for purchase of a new Toyota Prius from a UK main Toyota dealer. The anticipated delivery date was 1st March 2010. Naturally I was somewhat apprehensive when...
My wife recently purchased a new VW Fox and intended to sell privately her 1999 Toyota Yaris. We had read your comments about selling, pitfalls and that the prices of second-hand vehicles was improving....
Had a warning light come up on my BMW 1-Series, relating to Suspension Stability Control. The diagnostic states "brake hydraulic malfunction" DTC at a cost of £1,200 for the part + £500 labour. That means...
Related models
Low CO2 emissions and zero car tax. Spacious cabin makes it a realistic family car. Plug-In version escaped London Congestion Charge.