What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [I have several vehicles - is it sensible to take out legal assistance cover on each?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 If one has several vehicles, say a car, a van and a motorcycle, is it advisable to take out legal assistance cover on each vehicle’s comprehensive insurance policy? [Read more →]( [Why won't some insurers take on drivers over 80?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 I learned recently that some insurance companies will not take on a new over-80 driver which I quite understand. But it does mean (a) that if you're with them you ahve to stay with them, whatever they do with price and (b) you can't shop around so much (as I have always done). How widespread is this? Are there other potential pitfalls for 80 year olds? [Read more →]( [The DVLA vehicle check service is bringing up incorrect details for several cars from the same dealer, why is this?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 Is there a reason as to why a car advertised by a local trader as a Fiat500 comes up as a Volkswagen on the DVLA site? There is also a Nissan advertised but the Vehicle Reg comes up as a Ford Focus. A number of vehicles also come up as ‘Vehicle Details Could Not Be Found’ on the DVLA site. Is there a simple explanation that I am missing? [Read more →]( [What cars have torque converter automatics?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 Which SUVs have a torque converter auto box? [Read more →]( [How is tyre width measured?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 I know that a tyres width is taken from the tyre section (that is the tyre wall not the tread) the problem is how do you get an accurate size when most tyres have rim protection and different makers have more or less rubber sticking out at the side. Pirelli for instance has a huge rim protector so if you measure its section you may have a 265mm tyre but measures 285mm at the tyre wall? [Read more →]( [What small SUV would you recommend for fitting with hand controls?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 What small petrol driven, automatic SUVs with "high" seating can be factory fitted with hand controls, and are such controls penalized for car insurance purposes? [Read more →]( [I'm selling my car - will fitting budget tyres put buyers off?]( Posted by on 10 May, 2024 I have an Audi Q7 with 55k miles on the clock. I'm hoping to trade up to another Q7 in the coming weeks/months. The tyres at the moment have approx 3mm of tread so I may well have to replace them shortly. Premium tyres will set me back between £1k and £1200. I've come across Pace Imperos on Black Circles at a much lower price with some reasonable reviews from Q7 and VW Touareg owners. They don't seem to be widely available. Have you come across them before and should I consider them? [Read more →]( [Is a front numberplate UK sticker a legal requirement in the EU?]( Posted by on 8 May, 2024 We are taking our Hyundai Tuscon to France for a holiday soon. It does not have the UK identifier on the number plates and although there is room for a UK sticker on the rear plate, the position of the registration and mounting nuts on the front plate prevent the use of a sticker. If I buy a larger UK stick-on identifier for the rear window or hatch, then I am only displaying it to the rear. Could I just use a sticker for the rear number plate and forget about one for the front? I've spent a lot of time trying to find an answer but no one seems to address this. [Read more →]( [Do electric cars require a specialist fire extinguisher?]( Posted by on 8 May, 2024 We have just changed from an ICE to an electric car. Is it reasonable to transfer our car powder extinguisher across, or should we get a different type? I am aware that an electric car is very much less likely to burst into flames than an ICE. [Read more →]( [How can I prevent bird droppings from damaging my car paintwork?]( Posted by on 8 May, 2024 I currently have a black MINI which is getting damaged by bird droppings. As this is unavoidable where I live and the damage occurs in minutes. I wondering if a different colour or car manufacturer would be better. I guess some cars have better paint than others? [Read more →]( [Can I fit LED replacement bulbs in my Mercedes E-Class?]( Posted by on 8 May, 2024 Just wondering if you could give us some guidance on whether LED replacement headlight for a 2012 Mercedes E-Class headlight is a good choice and what would you suggest? [Read more →]( [I'm buying a used Ford Transit - how do I check the service history?]( Posted by on 7 May, 2024 I'm looking at a 36,000 mile 2019 Ford Transit which has been a company vehicle. The seller says it was a lease vehicle with Enterprise and possibly an ex-utility company. Is it right that the dealer won't have any previous service records from the lease company and that if I was to buy the van I could obtain this information directly from the lease company? It looks okay and seems to drive well but I just want a reliable van. Would you consider this van? [Read more →]( [We bought a van that wasn't as advertised - can we claim money back?]( Posted by on 7 May, 2024 We brought a 2017 Ford Tourneo in October last year. The seller said it has full service history. We have been chasing the history since we brought it and finally received it last week. It is not a full service history. The first service was at 24,000 miles in 2021 and there is no stamp or details who carried this out but a table that can be made on any computer. There is no service for 2022 and 2023 and no service book. Five prices of paper were provided, one being the table, three being the work they had to do as the van kept braking and we sent it back for repairs and one piece of paper that says they did the timing belt before they sold it to us. They are stating the timing belt was the 2023 service. I understand we can ask for a percentage back. They are stating they have provided full history. What do we do? [Read more →]( [What 1990s car do you recommend as a daily driver?]( Posted by on 7 May, 2024 I’m looking for a 1990 car basically because I can’t work on my Ford Focus. Any recommendations for a run about that can be maintained with contents on domestic garage tools and not hitched up to a computer [Read more →]( [What MoT class does a Ford e-Transit require?]( Posted by on 7 May, 2024 I am trying to find out what MoT class a Ford e-Transit 390 comes under? The gross weight is 3900kg but I have had different service centres say variously class 4, class 7 and HGV? [Read more →]( [What soft-riding convertible would you recommend?]( Posted by on 6 May, 2024 As we age (over 75) we are finding our mk3 Mazda MX-5 automatic a firm ride. Is there a softer riding convertible which is not too large or expensive? We have looked at a Lexus IS250C but the youngest is now over 10 years old. [Read more →]( You received this email because you signed up to our mailing list. If you’re not interested in receiving our newsletter any more, you can: [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( Honestjohn.co.uk 5 New Street Square London United Kingdom EC4A 3TW