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 only got a £20 refund for driving 80% less during the Covid period. Should I ask my insurer for more?]( Posted by on 9 July, 2021 Out of the blue, my insurance company has offered to refund me £20 - a 6% refund on my annual premium for driving 80% less during the Covid period. The refund is limited to October-March. Should I grab this and run or hang on until they offer more realistic refunds? [Read more →]( [Why are diesel cars only recommended for high mileage drivers?]( Posted by on 9 July, 2021 Why do car reviewers always recommend a petrol car for city drivers and a diesel car for those who do high mileage/motorway driving? If one gets more mileage from a diesel, isn't that vehicle a better fit for both city and motorway driving? What is the advantage of having petrol, apart from it being slightly cheaper? Please enlighten me! [Read more →]( [Is my old Ford Mondeo worth much?]( Posted by on 9 July, 2021 I'm interested in finding out the value of my silver Ford Mondeo estate. It has under 47,000 miles and all original factory fittings, the only blemish is a slight crack on the side front bumper. I'm asking for help as I've had several notes placed on the windscreen asking if I wanted to sell it within the last 4 months. I own 3 other cars but I'm constantly being asked about the Mondeo. Am i missing something regarding this car? Many thanks. [Read more →]( [Can I legally get a car that hasn't been moved for a long time removed?]( Posted by on 9 July, 2021 Is there some kind of law that states if a vehicle hasn't moved for a long time then it can be removed? [Read more →]( [Can you recommend a small, comfortable SUV?]( Posted by on 9 July, 2021 I'm thinking of buying a small SUV, which is comfortable and quiet for long journeys. I have a Skoda Superb at the moment and find it very difficult to get in and out of. Any suggestions, please? [Read more →]( [Is the 1.0-litre Ford Fiesta reliable?]( Posted by on 8 July, 2021 Various published reports state that the Ford Ecoboost 1.0-litre is suspect in reliability at higher mileage. Is this true? [Read more →]( [Should I get mud flaps fitted to my new car?]( Posted by on 8 July, 2021 I've just bought a Volkswagen T-Cross. Are there any advantages to having mud flaps fitted? Thank you. [Read more →]( [What's the best SUV for under £15,000?]( Posted by on 8 July, 2021 Can you recommend the best 4x4 for under £15,000? [Read more →]( [Pothole damage cost me £480 but the council deny liability. Should I go through Small Claims?]( Posted by on 7 July, 2021 I sustained damage to two tyres from hitting a large pot hole. The council are denying liability as they say they knew about the hole from a report the day before. They had apparently initiated their procedures as per the 1980 Highways Act and had arranged an inspection and programme of works. There was no attempt to cordon off the pothole or any warning signs placed. The damage cost me £480. Do you think it is worth me going through the small claims court or will I be wasting my money? Thank you. [Read more →]( [How long should a head gasket last?]( Posted by on 7 July, 2021 Is it normal for a head gasket on a Peugeot 207 to pack up after only 41,000 miles? Thank you. [Read more →]( [When will the used car market return to normal?]( Posted by on 7 July, 2021 I’m looking for a post-2016 Mercedes E-Class Estate as my current car is unreliable for a long commute. There appear to be very few available at the moment so I might have to patch up the old car with further repairs. When do you think the used car market will pick up? [Read more →]( [Would an older hybrid car suit a 500-mile weekly commute?]( Posted by on 7 July, 2021 I'm about to go from 100% home-based to a 400/500-mile per week commute. Currently, I have a 2009 Land Rover Freelander 2 with 144,000 miles on it, going strong. I've put 130,000 miles on it myself over 10 years and serviced it every 5,000 or so miles, but that is still a lot of mileage to be piling 500 or so per week onto. The Freelander will become car number 2 in the household and I need a car for work. I prefer SUV as I've been driving Land Rovers for 25 years and don't enjoy the lower-down position of saloon cars at all. I don't do depreciation or PCPs - my income is too intermittent for that kind of commitment to be comfortable, so £40K+ new cars are out for me. Instead, I take my time and find very low mileage cars where the age has helped depreciation reduce - as was the case with my Freelander - and I look more at mileage than the registration date, as I put a private plate on it anyway. I've been looking at lower mileage Freelander 2s, which are carrying premium prices still, or at low mileage Range Rover Vogue Diesels of 2012-2016 vintage, which are looking good value and well in budget. And...up has popped a Lexus RX450h - registered 2011, under 42,000 miles and at a great price with FSH from Lexus main dealer. I would buy it immediately, but are hybrid batteries of this age (albeit low mileage) bound to have some issues? Short of buying the thing and finding out the hard way that this is the reason for the great price, what can I actually look for or check out? Thanks. [Read more →]( [Why was I fined for not having insurance on a car that's parked on a private driveway?]( Posted by on 6 July, 2021 I have a car that is fully taxed but not insured. The car is parked on a private driveway and always has been since the insurance ran out in April. It's taxed until November but the DVLA has now issued me a £100 for not having insurance or having a SORN. Why do I need to insure it if it's on private land and why do I need to sorn it if it's taxed? The back of the fine only lets me appeal on the grounds that the car is insured, has a valid SORN, I dont own the car or it's been stolen. Why am I being punished? I kept it taxed because when the auctions open to public car sales I will be selling it. Thanks. [Read more →]( [Are hybrids included in the ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030?]( Posted by on 6 July, 2021 My wife and I have owned several Toyota hybrid cars - currently a Corolla Touring Sports - and have been very pleased with them. I must confess that I'm a bit confused regarding Government policy and would like to know if petrol hybrids will be included in the ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Everything I've read seems to be rather ambiguous on this subject. We live in a small Kentish market town just outside the M25 and, since we have off-street parking, an affordable purely electric car would be practicable most of the time. However, there's always a "but"; we occasionally have to make journeys to North Wales (grandchildren) and spend our summer holidays in France (pre-Covid, that is). Those trips would be difficult to make. I know that there are plans to improve the infrastructure to accommodate electric cars, but we all know what Government plans are like. What also concerns me is that, in the approach to 2030, manufacturers will stop producing petrol and diesel cars. Are the run-out models likely to be very in demand and, therefore, more expensive? I would be grateful for your interpretation of the definition, and your thoughts on the future. Am I being too pessimistic? [Read more →]( [What's the best automatic for a learner driver?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 My 21 year old daughter has applied for her provisional licence and is keen to learn on an automatic. We will need to buy a small auto and have up to £3500 budget. First question, if we get an auto box which has the option of semi auto changes can she legally drive this before or after passing her test? I would prefer a torque converter box but they are like hen's teeth at the moment. Can you recommend some options for the best cars for our budget? [Read more →]( [My SORN'd car has developed brake disc rust. Will this come off when I drive it?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 My 2013 Ford Mondeo estate has been sitting on my drive, on a SORN, for the past five months. Consequently, the brake discs have developed surface rust. Will the rust rub off when I put the car back on the road or should I clean the rust off manually? I ask particularly as a neighbour had similar rust, though under different circumstances, that embedded in his brake pads necessitating complete replacement of his discs and pads. [Read more →]( [We have a 10 year old car with a fault. Is it worth fixing or just selling?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 Daughter #2 has daughter#1’s old Mini One, which is 10 years old, but has a full service history. A few years ago, it was run dangerously close to running out of oil. It's now using a load of oil (refill petrol, refill oil) and we are told that the timing chain has stretched. Do you think this is worth getting repaired or just get rid of? Apart from this, it's lovely. Many thanks. [Read more →]( [Should I buy a four-wheel-drive car for snow or will winter tyres do the job?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 I want to buy a car to drive down to the Alps for the winter ski season. I'm thinking that an AWD or 4WD would be best, or will an ordinary car fitted with winter tyres be as good? I do appreciate that I will need to take snow chains. I don't want it to be too big as it will be parked in an underground car park with fairly tight spaces. I currently have a Honda Jazz so, ideally, not much bigger than that. A newish second-hand car would be best but I would also consider a new car. My budget is £30k. Any advice, particularly a list of models that I should consider, would be really appreciated. Thank you. [Read more →]( [The turbo on my 2016 BMW X1 has failed. Should we seek compensation?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 The turbo on my 2016 BMW X1 has failed. For this to happen on a four-year-old car with 40,000 miles seems unreasonable. The car has only been driven by my wife and daughter. Is there any recourse to BMW? Thanks. [Read more →]( [Should I continue to have my car serviced by the dealer?]( Posted by on 5 July, 2021 I have a 2015 Mercedes-Benz A-Class with 10,000 miles, which has been serviced at a Mercedes dealership. Would you recommend I continue dealership servicing? My service plan has expired, should I pay annually or take out another plan? Thank you. [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