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• Nissan Qashqai 1.6dci diesel 2015 - Nissan QQ - multiple dash lights 17 Nov 2023 (Forum)
  Around 3 weeks back, while driving had battery light and Red EML appear, and soon after got s/s failure, forward emergency braking light and traction light. I stopped the car and called breakdown and they diagnosed the Alternator was not charging. Had to drive back home 35 miles on battery, luckily made it. Took the car to garage, they also diagnosed the problem with Alternator and replaced it, however, all the dash light were still there.
• Ford Focus II (2004 - 2007) - 05 1.6 TDCi Diesel blown twice - cause / incompete 21 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  Help me please! My wife was driving the Focus down the M5 when she lost all power. She called our breakdown service, which recovered her to a local garage who diagnosed a blown turbo. 5 days, £1000 and a hire car later, we picked up the car and six miles down the road the turbo went again. According to the garage, the new turbo has also blown, and isn't covered by Garrett's warranty because they didn't do the 5.8 1 hour test that is required???
• Volvo S60 (2010 - ) - Direct injection petrol engine - a good idea? 17 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  From HJ's breakdown: "The engine that Volvo Cars has chosen for the Volvo S60 Concept is a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol unit using high-efficiency GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology and producing 180 horsepower.
• Mondeo corrosion problem 31 Dec 2003 (Forum)
  Quite simply, my brother is amazed that Ford can claim that seven Mondeo's can all have corrosion in an identical area, and nowhere else and that a stone could squeeze under the door, right up into a tiny corner and chip the paint, and on both sides too! Now the question is, is this a known problem on Mondeos, certainly there is nothing in the Car-by-Car Breakdown, and have any of you out there experienced the same. Any feedback would be useful as brother is not going to let it lie and I get the feeling he feels a campaign coming on, not for the first time!
• Fiat Punto diesel 2 Nov 2002 (Forum)
  OK, so I bought one for the daughter despite HJ's description in the car-by-car breakdown. I had always thought Peugeot diesel was noisy when cold, but the Fiat makes it sound like a sewing machine. Then I discovered you can't drain all the oil out of the engine, as nearly a pint is held in the oil cooler.
• Peugot 306 Air Conditioning 3 Jul 2001 (Forum)
  Thinking that it might be wise to renew the short pipe at the same time, as it might not be far behind, they did not have one in stock, " Sell a lot of those mate, got 13 on back order, like rocking horse s..t, don't know when they will be in." I would have expected the pipes to have lasted longer than they have! HJ might be useful for your car by car breakdown. Before I start pulling out pipework has anyone changed the long pipe? I am mystified as to how it joins under the engine mount. It appears to be some form of sliding fit. I hope so because there aint much room to play about in.
• LV Britannia Rescue 14 Nov 2023 (Forum)
  The gist of it seems to be  saying if one has a flat tyre, flat battery or siezed brakes while the car is 'at home,' dont phone us, use a webform to contact us and tell us what's wrong. Bear in mind, this applies to anyone with home start which is included in the comprehensive cover. So now I wonder just how long will one have to wait for acknowledgement and assistance when requested via a webform that will go to a mailbox for call centre staff to trawl through between actual breakdown calls?
• Honda Civic - Honda service, how to annoy a customer 16 Apr 2017 (Forum)
  Then when I took it in, the service manager himself booked me in. He said that the MoT would "only" be £35. I had to point out that, having bought it from them, my car gets free MoTs, as long as they service it. This is in writing as part of tbe sales documentation. On collection the receptionist went through all the paperwork. No free breakdown and recovery cover had been provided even though its part of Honda's long-running service offer.
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  Ford Focus - second duel mass flywheel failure 21 Oct 2013 (Ask HJ)
  My 2005 Ford Focus diesel suffered a clutch and flywheel failure at 70,000 miles and was repaired by a local dealer. Now, 21 months and 17,000 miles later...
• Mazda MX5 (1998-2005) - 00 1.8 Intermittent misfire problem 16 Apr 2011 (Forum)
  Over the last few weeks, my car sometimes starts with what sounds like only 2 cylinders firing, it idles (almost stalling) at 500 revs, has pitifully little power (it couldn't get up a hill) and reaches 3000 revs around 20mph. Then, a bit later, after the engine has warmed up (but not as soon as it's warm) the problem clears itself and it runs normally.
• Polo Legal Problem 5 Jul 2004 (Forum)
  It is also on it's second battery, which has made no difference and the altenator is apparently OK. I am now based in the south-east and have taken the car several times to my local VW dealer who has tried various things without success and now just says he has done all he can and I will just have to lump it or words to that effect. VW Assistance breakdown service have also attended on numerous occasions Now, as I understand it, I will have to enforce my legal rights through the dealer who supplied it, who is now 120 miles away.
• Vectra DTI fuel problem 29 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  t aware of it and said mine was the first he had ever had to attend. Anyway two hours after he had left the car was reluctant to start and took some churning over before firing. Tried this evening and again it wouldn?t start and eventually I topped up the filter with diesel as the level was slightly down and eventually got it running but knowing that it ain?
• Peugeot 308 - Dealership potentially broke my car AGAIN - Advice 26 Jan 2023 (Forum)
  A day or so later the car then shows engine light and the STOP warning on the dash. I call the dealership breakdown line and they send out an AA technician to assist. He checks over the car and notes the errors are erratic but indicate an issue with engine oil, he then mentions that the car was recalled and i explain to him that i sent it in to be checked.
• 
  RAV counter 12 Sep 2009 (Ask HJ)
  We have a 52 plate 61,000 mile RAV-4 D-4D. The car has been owned by us for the last two years. Earlier this year, at 55,000 miles, we lost the use of...
• Skoda Superb Estate 2018 - Fault with three doors on my Skoda Superb 26 Mar 2021 (Forum)
  Hello, I bought a 2018 Skoda Superb in December 2020, and, unfortunately, it has developed several faults which seem to be progressing. Firstly, a couple of days after taking delivery of the car, the alarm went off and the battery went flat. A new battery was fitted by a Skoda/VW Group breakdown technician, who then spent about half an hour resetting things inside the car. Also, the boot lights were not working, but the technician managed to get these working by tapping them.
• Mercedes E320 - Ford or Mercedes 5 Nov 2016 (Forum)
  Before that I had a Focus 1.8TDCi bought with 50k on the clock. That one was a real money pit with 3 major and expensive breakdowns in the first 2 years. So I'm looking for another car. Same sort of thing. Focus, Civic, Octavia etc., 3 to 4 years old. My work colleague tells me I'm barking up the wrong tree. Instead of looking at middle aged commuter cars which are just heading into expensive maintenance territory I should spend the same money on an older high end car.
• DC if you like, just me and my new car 15 Oct 2003 (Forum)
  That price includes comp insurance for one year at GBP314, 1 year's reg at GBP 28, 2 years' Ford Breakdown service, 2 years or 50,000 km warranty, a warning triangle, a birthday card annually and a first aid kit. Here the car is insured not the driver so the unexpired portion of a policy is saleable when it comes time to part.
• Nissan Note - Help needed - intermittent vehicle fault 26 Nov 2015 (Forum)
  The car sat in my works car park for ten hours and started fine when I came to leave at 1am this morning. I got around half a mile down the road when the car started to struggle going uphill on a dual carriageway.
• I need help choosing my next car... 6 Jul 2021 (Forum)
  Hello backroom, I need help in my car selection to replace my aged A8 190k – it’s one breakdown away from being scrapped .  My dilemma is that I know in three years’ time I'm going to need something suitable to pull a caravan as part of a retirement plan .
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  My son's Volkswagen Bora blew up - can we get a refund from the dealer? 28 Sep 2013 (Ask HJ)
  With my financial assistance my grandson bought a 2003 Vauxhall Bora, 1.9 TDI, 113,00 miles, with warranty from a local dealer. It cost slightly under...