Ask Honest John

Most recently answered gearboxes questions
I've just bought a brand new Vauxhall Astra, but when I change from first to second gear I can feel, but not hear, a slight crunch. Is this normal for a new car? It is less than one month old and has less...
Two years ago I purchased an "Approved Used" Mercedes C180 for my wife, the vehicle less than one year old, approx. 12,000 miles. On multiple occasions through following two years (between 5 and 10 I estimate)...
Ten months ago I purchased an approved used SEAT Leon (2012 plate) with just 11,000 miles on the clock. Three months after purchase it started making a rattling noise when in fifth gear. I took back to...
My Ford Ka (2007) has started to struggle to change gears. What could be causing this, I can see no visible leaks and when my father drove the car over the weekend it seemed ok.
I am pondering if the gearbox oil should be changed on my 2005 Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI five-speed. I has done 150,000 miles. Over the last four months the shift between gears is becoming a bit notchy. The...
My wife has an Audi Q5 3.0 S line March 2010 with 50k miles with FASH. The car started having a fault where it would try to lurch forward against the brakes when stopping at traffic lights. My local Audi...
Audi quattro A3 3.2 DSG 2006. Car languishing with no-one knowing what to do? Free wheeled to a stop. no crunching. Now all 4 wheels locked. The car lost transmission power going up hill, Engine revved....
My wife's Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 occasionally refuses to change up into 4th gear and yet the next time it is used it works fine. Any ideas what's wrong?
Five months ago I bought a 2003 MINI Cooper from a dealer. The car was sold with 12 months warranty and last week the gearbox failed. The dealer isn't interested in paying for the repairs and says it's...
My Toyota Verso keeps jumping out of gear. The car is a manual diesel and it usually pops out of fifth gear. How can I fix this? Is it likely to be an expensive fault?