November 2010
This is a 2010 model Corsa VXR.
The accelerator pedal is quite stiff after the first inch or so of travel. It's not exactly hard to press, it's more notchy/sticky - it's hard to make minor adjustments to the amount of gas. Seems a bit all or nothing. This is a fairly nippy little car so it can make smooth progress a bit difficult.... Read more
I have recently been contacted by my employer's insurance company informing me that a hire car company are making a claim for an incident when a car was suppossedly under my hire.
On inspection of the claim form I found that the hire company have provided no details of the vehicle I am suppossed to have hired other than the registration number, and that the claim is dating back to March 2009! I am aware of no incident. I regularly hire cars through work, and those that do have incidents are always reported back to the hire company and my employer.... Read more
My brother recently experienced a similar experince and in the end drove to the hire offices and demanded to inspect the paper work report for previous hires on the same vehicle!
Nice little scam as it turned out he wasn't the only one being made to pay for the same thing....
I have had a problem with the handling on my Vectra for a while now but it seems to have got worse recently.
There is a pull to the left and the steering wheel can jump around over uneven surfaces. The car used to handle quite well (for a Vectra) around bends and I had every confidence in her. Now I am not quite sure what it will do.... Read more
Almost certainly rear suspension bushes. Not too dificult a DIY job as long as the bolts aren't rusted. Special tool available on ebay and from motor factors for about £40.
Hi, I have a 1999 Vectra 1.8 petrol and it's been fantastic, until recently the front brakes started juddering. ( Tried slowing down with just the handbrake and it's fine )
So I have changed the Discs & Pads with good quality items and beld new fluid through, but
it's still the same ? I'm just concerned it maybe the ABS ? ? ?
Any ideas please ? Thank you in advance ... Tony ... Read more
Thank you all ... really apprecaite all your advise ... take care ... Tony ...
So whats the typical insurance saving your making by garaging your car?
... Read more
The moment you give your name and address to anyone your privacy is let out of the window never to return
Daughter in law got hit by another driver, exchanged details etc etc, last Friday. Today, the insurance company of the person who hit her phoned to try and resolve things direct. It's her first knock, and a while since I had such an experience, so don't know why they are hassling her? She asked if they would speak to me about the matter, and took a contact name and call back number and asked me to call them tomorrow, which I will do.
But why would the other parties insurance company want to deal direct? What is there to be wary of? Thanks for any points you can help with.... Read more
The main reason premiums are increasing are:
uninsured drivers
greater cost of repairs
personal injury claims
Some idiot companies are charging extortionate rates for credit hire and the worst of them deliberately elongate the repair to maximise on their profit.
However who do you think brings these firms in?
In almost every case if you have a non-fault accident you will inform **your insurer** and receive numerous phone calls to someone they have passed it to.
The reason is your insurer has cut their claims department to the bone and is selling your claim out to firm that pays them the most money.
This firm - the "accident manager" - is then flogging the repair to one party, the credit hire to another (or handling it themselves) and any injuries (usually at £700 a case) to their "solicitor panel".
It's a volume business so if it looks dubious on liability they will stick you in a credit hire (not explaining it is a credit hire of course) in the knowledge that they can claim from you if the other side don't pay up. So there is no reason for them to argue your case if there is a liability dispute. Most would not know where to start in any event.
If the accident is clearly your fault they are not interested whatsoever.
I make my living by selling motor legal insurance (proper motor legal insurance) and then dealing with the cases that come in on the back of it.
My firm's legal fees are paid by the insurer of the policy I sold. Most "motor legal insurance" is not legal insurance at all - it is merely a method of capturing claims.
So in our case I know my fees are covered and I don't care if the claim is fault, non fault, damage- only or with an injury I will aklways deal with it.
And I will always fight for the client on the liability issues or in the event of an insurance dispute if I believe they have a genuine case.
There's a few of us on one of the Kia websites that ordered our First Editions in August, with the promise of delivery in September. I remember my dealer telling me that these special "First Edition" models wouldn't be affected by the ix35 delays because they'd had all their components pre-allocated.
Well, the end of September came and went, then the end of October, and my dealer is still unable to tell me when the car will arrive. The thing that really frustrates me more than than anything is that now, they have regular (ie non First Edition models) in stock at my local dealer! What the hell?!?!?... Read more
The only fundamental difference between GM Europe and Hyundai/Kia in Korea is that the boat takes 6 weeks instead of 1 - doing the calculation isn't any different.Assuming you ignore the fact that the bulk of the Hyundai/KIA cars in the UK were built in Europe, and not Korea.
The Sportage is built in Slovakia....
Having read the threads about this service and noting the negative feedback as well i thought i would give the Legal Cover a bash.
On entering the web site i noticed breakdown cover was available as well at a good price.... Read more
I am very aware that we are currently still completing areas. I am very pleased with the Aviva "quote engine" - which does not require any log in and even more pleased with the quotes it is returning - less than £200 a year for comprehensive cover for a couple insuring an Audi A4 Cabrio the other day.
On some of the other products we have the idea right but there are some complexities. GAP insurance is actually a very good idea particularly if you are leasing a car or buying on HP.
Basically if you take your new car out of the showroom and it gets totalled on the way home in an accident which was not your fault the insurer will reimburse the "street" value - which is likely to be considerably less than you paid. So the finance house is likely to come after you for the difference usually within 14 days. I have had one case via Honest John where the amount was £8000.
GAP insurance covers the difference. The problem is it is usually sold via dealers F&I people who are on massive commissions. So whereas I can sell GAP cover at £180 for three years cover and make a profit most dealers sell at plus £400. Guess where the extra goes.
The other product I potentially like is SMART insurance which basically deals with the costs of repairing minor dings and dents without claiming on your main policy and losing your no claims.
Again this is particularly appropriate for people who lease because the car will be subject to a "Fair Wear and Tear" (FWAT) assessment when returned. I have seen claims of up to £2000 from lease companies to repair damage under FWAT.
Again SMART is usually sold via dealers and often at very high mark-ups.
My car was hit in the rear last January and declared written off. Other party insurers admitted liability months ago but my insurers cannot get money out of them. Hence 10 months later I have still not got my excess and expenses reimbursed . My observations are: 1. I have requested a deadlock letter from my insurers so that I can take the matter to the Ombudsman. My insurers have refused this, saying they want to get it resolved. 2. The insurers have contracted out the claim to personal injury solicitors-but there has never been a claim for injury. I,and my passengers, were OK. 3 . The solicitors are useless. Calls are not returned. Promised emails are not sent. Matters are not being progressed. The person handling the claim does not tell the truth. For example, months ago I was told the cheque was on their office table." Its no good there-send it to me".OK was the response, but it never arrived. It was another lie. 4. Do solicitors get more fees from the insurers if they can drag out the claim? Are their fees related to time taken? Do they get more fees if they can "invent" problems, confussion and delays? Then they draw fees for resolving these self imposed problems?
Any observations would be most welcome. Read more
There are currently 18 letters on the file from him - mostly about costs. I am not party to the bill but my guess is that current legal costs to the other side will far exceed the cost of settlement.
In simple terms I blaim the garage for being stupid and instructing a solicitor. A garage is run by one or more business people who should be finance and business savy. I would also expect them to be streetwise.They should know better.
I am an ordinary working man. I took a garage to the small claims court 3 years ago. It was daunting and I found it scarey/stressful. I was complimented by the judge - he was amazed at my knowledge of the motor trade and car mechanicals! (I do not work in the motor trade so have very limited knowledge)...
At its annual service, the mechanic said he could not change the oil filter because it had been fitted too tightly. The hex nut attached to the filter had come adrift leaving him no means of unscrewing it. I'm too old now to do this myself but in the past, on earlier cars I used a strap-wrench to unscrew the old filter. Is this not feasible with the polo? If not, are there any other suggestions? Please.
Cirencester Read more
Change your mechanic. He's incompetent.
Agreed. However, he knew his limitations and didn't want to start something he couldn't finish, perhaps leaving the car undrivable when I came to collect it. I wouldn't go there again. Really, I wondered whether space was insufficient to permit another solution, being rather ancient and thus unable to take the matter into my own hands. Any constructive suggestions would be gratefully received....
Browse
.jpg)
I'd imagine there's lots of plastic rubbing against plastic so my first call would be to grab my can of pound shop silicone lube and spray, bending the pedal left and right before I....
Went back to them in a bad mood, with a flask and some sandwiches. A mobile phone might help you to alert the local press.
With a model like that they should be giving you some service instead of fobbing you off.