May 2024
My colleague has recently paid £2500 to have the panoramic roof replaced on his 17 plate Audi Allroad. He waited 3 months for the parts to arrange and the dealer took 4 days to complete the repair although some minor parts are still outstanding.
But according to the Telegraph this fault affects all VAG cars . Apparently the sunroof is fitted in a cassette which is glued to the roof. The problem appears when the glue fails.... Read more
I know the general advice is to avoid low mileage vehicles, as they could have done a lot of short runs, whereas higher mileage ones have been used consistently and probably for longer journeys...
But if there's a significant difference in the mileage, am wondering if there will be less "worn" or "coming to replacement time" parts on the lower mileage vehicle...
Looking at a Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 160 N-Connecta 5dr DCT [Glass Roof Pack] 2020 with 21595 miles on the clock at £15777; only one service by Nissan at 5,902 miles on 03/12/21 and again by dealer selling the car at 21,592 miles on 19/02/2024 (1 owner car).
Vs
Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 160 Tekna 5dr DCT 2020 at £15,640 with 50012 miles on the clock or Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 160 [157] N-Motion 5dr DCT 2021 at £14,957 with 46359 miles on the clock, both with full service histories. ... Read more
Nissan Qashqai's are not regarded as being particularly reliable. DCT transmissions
Indeed. My friend's Qashqai transmission packed up around 80k miles. Luckily, he had extended warranty which paid for the repair. The extended warranty didn't cover cars over 100k miles so he got rid of the car at 95k miles.
As much as I like cars and motoring I’m struggling remember the last car I had a serious want for, something I really hankered after. Is it just age? Do we all lose interest as we get older or have cars become soulless machines filled with unnecessary gadgets and lacking in any real joy?
I’ve always liked hot hatches, ask me what my favourite car is at almost any point in my life and a fun to drive yet useful family hot hatch of some sort would pop to mind immediately. Peugeot 306 GTi-6, Citroen ZX Volcane, Renault 19 16v, Renault Clio 16v, Honda Civic Type R EP3, Peugeot 205 GTi, Metro GTi were all a hoot on a twisty B road yet affordable to ordinary folks like me. They weren’t over endowed with too much power, they didn’t come with feel sapping electric steering racks that sucked the fun out of driving. They were usable, fun and practical. They generated a smile on your face.
Ask that question today and I’m at a loss to answer it, I really can’t think of a single car I really lust after. I mean I respect many modern cars, I like my C Class estate and same goes for our Nissan Leaf, both are very efficient and surprisingly quick but I’ve no real interest in them, I won’t be found out in the garage polishing them every other night like my dad did with his long line of interesting cars while I was growing up and I don’t just go out for drive for the sake of it anymore. They’re appliances.
Hot hatches today are overpowered, ludicrously overpriced and unattainable for ordinary people. A Type R Honda Civic comes in at almost £50k, a fast A class Merc is over £60k! There is no real world hot hatch offerings left. SAIC make a stupidly fast electric MG4, but it’s absolutely numb to drive as per the norm with EV’s, fast but no fun in the twists where a good hot hatch should shine, outright speed had nothing to do with it.
I think the last car I really fancied was my neighbours bright red Fiat 500 Arbath, but it’s a bit too small to work for us even as a second car. Beyond that I’m drifting back to the early naughties or even the 90’s. I’ve driven a recent Golf GTi and found it no fun at all. Very efficient, quick and refined but it just wasn’t fun.
Bring back the fun. Even car adverts and motor shows are largely gone, cars are a financial product you rent to get you from A to B as dispassionately as possible. They don’t stir the soul. Maybe I need to finally get my bike license.
If asked today what your favourite current car is what would be your answer? I have none to give, no recent cars give me the fizz (as James May says) nothing stirs me at all. I don’t even think they still make the Fiat 500 Arbath petrol with a manual box, I believe it’s an EV shopping trolly now sadly. I’ve so little interest I don’t even add to my huge collection of What Car and Autocar mags, nothing of interest ever provokes me enough to buy a copy. Read more
My wife has a 2014 Swift sport. We've had it 9 years.
Great fun and mega reliable....
I'm looking to sell my 12 year old Fiesta. It passed its latest MOT with advisory work detailed:
Axle swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn both Nearside and Offside Rear; Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing both Nearside and Offside Rear Inner; Central Rear (Exhaust heat shield loose).... Read more
If this car change was only about money -is not the cheapest way forward here to get the advisories done and keep the car rather than risking a poor price for the Fiesta and the financial uncertainty of whatever your next vehicle has hiding under its bonnet etc
Agree. These days decent used cars can be easily sellable, while finding a better replacement may be tricky. If this Fiesta looks worth preserving, best to do that, as you can be more certain of the way forward - unless it is going to cost a lot to do.
Ive been looking at Petrol, Full Electric and Hybrid as a potential car purchase but theres a lot of fog out there.
Petrol has merits like purchase price.... Read more
I don't see it as naive to have a different opinion, we will never know the true intent behind these decisions.
Car manufacturers sole aim is to make as much profit as possible, period. They may say that they have ditched the spare wheel and/or reduced the size of the fuel tank to save a little weight and make a (tiny) improvement to economy/emissions, but that is only because it wouldn't make for good PR to say they have done it to increase their profit margins. ...
Hello All,
I booked my year 2020 VW Golf MK8 in for two new front tyres and a full wheel alignment at my local tyre centre and they said that they were unable to carry out the wheel alignment as my car was an Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) equipped vehicle and they did not have the equipment capable of carrying out the ADAS recalibration following a wheel alignment. I was told that recalibration is required whenever there is a change in wheel alignment on an ADAS-equipped vehicle. This is because the system’s sensors must accurately calibrate to the new wheel alignment. There is no mention about this in my Golf's owner's manual.
Does anyone know if Volkswagen advise that ADAS recalibration should be performed after a wheel alignment? I would be interested to hear if anyone has experienced the same issue that I have had including on other makes of cars and I would be grateful for any advice.
Thank you.... Read more
When the car was originally built the wheel alignment will have been set to factory specification and the ADAS calibrated to that.
If you have the wheel alignment reset to factory spec then the ADAS calibration as it is now should therefore be correct....
A friend complained that he's been quoted £350 for a replacement light unit, is there any one who repairs these or is this yet another 'improvement' that we have had imposed on us at our expense? Read more
Just before Covid struck I had a six month consultancy contract at the design HQ of a company that makes very expensive cars (I'm not going to name them). Now by coincidence I already owned one of these cars and it had a cracked rear light lens (caused by me reversing into a bin on my driveway). The dealer price for a new light unit was well over £1000 and so I had been looking for a secondhand replacement. When I started my contract I asked if they had any used units available (e.g. left over from testing or sc***ped test cars). I was told 'No, but you can buy a new part at cost price'. It turned out that employees could purchase parts at cost price for cars that they owned (on production of a V5 registration document in the employees name). Even though I was a contractor they let me use the scheme. The new light unit cost less than £30 !!
It would seem that VW don't want anyone to charge the battery in my car except an authorised dealer. Given the extensive electronics I can understand their nervousness!
I have what I think is a very good battery charger (Victron Energy Blue Smart) which provides a wealth of charging options and appears to have a very good auto charging facility.... Read more
Really safe because that's the way the car normally charges the battery; alternator negative to engine block. Perhaps I'm being overly pedantic but I worry about how sensitive carmakers make their electronics.
Joe
Hi everyone, longtime reader occasional poster here.
My neighbour has a ford focus 1.5 tdci 2015 with approx 50'000 miles on it, It has started loosing brake fluid, not loads, possibly needs topping up by 100ml twice a week. There are no visable leaks from any calipers, brake hose or drums. Overnight nothing drips onto the alloys and it doesn't leave damp patched on the drive. The brakes feel fine too.... Read more
Thanks for your help Doc, not a job i'd want to take on, I'll get her to take it in to a garage
Got a van I've had problems with.
Changed fuel filter topped the the filter up with diesel, ran for a few weeks now won't start.... Read more
These don’t have a throttle body . What are you trying to do ?
Butyl sealant is good stuff because it remains pliable. I have used it for sealing rear lights against water ingress, and shed windows.