Ten months ago a work colleague bought a 50k mile Ford Ka on a p plate from a garage.
This week it failed its mot on serious rust and condition of brakes.
She wants to pay for repairs but I and a few others have said just walk away its not worth it.
Its had a full Ford service history and the garage owner claimed he had a good look over the car before he sold it to her.
Another garage has since looked at it with a view to repairing it but said they can't even provide a quote for welding until they grind off the rotten stuff and check the extent of the rot and they question how it was ever given a fresh MOT a year ago. I suspect even a Ka wouldnt rust in ten months unless its parked on a beach.
I also question how a dealer hasn't spotted rust during a routine service or would this sort of thing not be checked during any aspect of servicing?

I may get her to check the MOT history on VOSA.

Why is it that some cars are more suseptible to rust than others? Presumably with Ka's its a design fault rather than cheaper steel?
Read more

I have a 1.9 TDI Fabia (it is great 80%) of the time it is an 03 plate
Owned for 2 years


The problem with it.

When the engine is warm, and I am driving (typically on the motorway) it starts to jitter, sometime with a loss of power, I can either accelerate pass the engine vibration or slow down and they seam to go away and then accellerate again. But it will come back when it has done it once.

I have tried better fuel, and the fuel "cleaners" / fuel additaves from Halfords it got a bit better. But it is still happening at least 2 - 3 times a week now, the garage seam confussed.

When it behave like this the engine will sound rough at idel, if I stop it and start it within 5 minutes it will misbehave again.

Any advice, suggestions would be great.

{subject header made less vague by giving a brief description of the question being asked} Read more

Well I knew the car needed fuel because the display said "low fuel level" and the yellow light was on in case I couldn't read. The computer also said I had fuel for 34 miles so I arrived at the filling station with 27 miles to go. It was awkward because it was busy and I didn't see one row of pumps had jackets on the nozzles until I turned in. As I had the trailer on I thought I would be less of a nuisance going out again, round the roundabout 150 metres away and approaching from the other direction. Just as I was leaving the station, the engine coughed. I made it to the roundabout by the power of prayer and it died completely half-way round.
As I was calling the recovery people, a chap in a scruffy grey 4x4 pulled alongside my left window and offered me a tow. As I was nothing short of a blooming hazard where I was, I accepted. He towed me to the filling station where we ended up out of the way but nowhere near a pump. I was then obliged to buy a horrible plastic can and put 4½ litres of diesel in the car; the other ½ litre having foamed out of the can at my feet. I checked the manual for a fuel primer but none was mentioned so I turned the key and the engine started as though nothing had happened.
The engine management light gleamed on the dash and the display said "Anti pollution fault". Having cancelled the recovery service and got home, I disconnected the battery and came inside for a coffee. It was just the same when I restarted the car half an hour later so I Googled the phrase on the display. It was all very depressing with mention of Eolys fluid, particle filters, hazardous waste and big bills.
I'm not a great subscriber to the world of coincidence so I sat in the car and reset every function on the computer I could think of including the one that says "Check control" which isn't in the manual and I've never known what it is. Next time I started up the engine management light blinked and went out. Sheer luck, I call it. As has happened before when I have disconnected the battery, it feels like I now have another 20bhp under my right foot before the computer gets used to my turgid driving style again.
OK, thank you for listening, you can get back to your lives now. Read more

I am disabled and drive an automatic car a Renault Meganne. This car will need to be replaced in the near future. After my recent icy weather experience i am considering buying a 4x4. I do not have to pay car tax i could get an automatic on motability but the downpayments are huge. Which 4x4 used cars would you reccomend. I have looked at a Nissan Murano so far.
Thanks

{Subject header given a less vague title} Read more

Just moved to the UK from Switzerland. I am driving a Ford S-Max

We take occasional driving trips to the Alps (the next one in 2 weeks). My original plan was to buy some snow chains, but the owners manual says snow chains should not be used if we have larger wheels (225/50/17), which we do.

Second choice would be to buy winter tires....but these seem to be impossible to find in the UK at the moment. Someone suggested to me that there are websites in France and Germany where you can order online and have them shipped to a local UK fitter. I tried using mytyres.co.uk (Germany-based), but it seems rather dodgy (my credit card was refused and they are asking me to send a copy of a utility bill as proof of identity.....have also now seen many negative on-line comments about service).

Anyone have experience with reliable online tire services that have winter tires?

Thanks.

Chris Read more