Ask Honest John

The clutch is slipping on a used car we bought four months ago - should the warranty cover this?

I purchased a second hand 2014 A5 Sportback in October 2017. We received a six month warranty with the car and now the clutch is slipping. The warranty company are stating that the clutch has to be completely...

My car needed a new turbo which the manufacturer is paying for - should I have to pay the labour?

Last week a couple of yellow warning lights appeared on the dash of my 2014 Skoda Octavia 1.4 petrol. At the main dealer they diagnosed a turbo fault which requires a new turbo to be fitted at a cost of...

Why have all four injectors failed on my Volkswagen Golf?

I have a 2010 Volkswagen Golf and was told by a garage that the high pressure fuel pump had disintegrated and blocked the injectors. I was later told by a main Volkswagen dealership that I had mis-fueled...

Is late December and early January the best time to buy a car from a dealer?

I'm think of buying a car and having narrowed it down to a couple of choices. Is December around Christmas and early New Year a better time from a buyers perspective to buy a new/used car from a dealer?

What does 'VAT qualify' mean?

What does 'VAT qualify' mean. Do I have to pay VAT on top or do I get it back?

Is it normal for a car dealer not to allow a test drive until a deposit has been paid?

I'm three hours drive from a dealer selling a car that my son wants. I contacted the dealer and he said we can't test drive the car unless we buy it by putting down a £500 deposit. Apparently they wont...

What constitutes unsatisfactory quality under the Consumer Rights Act?

I bought a 2009 BMW 318i Tourer with 95k miles for £5700 in May from an independent dealer with a seemingly comprehensive six month mechanical warranty. On delivery I discovered that the reverse gear was...

It's almost impossible to get fuel into our newly bought used car - what's the problem?

My daughter just bought a 2006 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi from a used car trader. It's only possible to put a trickle of diesel in or else the nozzle cuts out. It takes ages to get a small amount of fuel in....

I have had to pay for a replacement EGR after just 24,000 - should Volkswagen contribute?

I had to pay for a new EGR valve on my Volkswagen Golf 1.6 match at 24,000 miles. The car was fully serviced at the dealership but still had a bill as Volkswagen said they were not responsible for the...

The Sensotronic Brake System on my Mercedes had failed - do I have any chance of a contribution?

The Sensotronic Brake System on my 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class failed in May of this year. It had had all the relevant recalls and has been serviced by a Mercedes garage (the same one) for its entire life...