What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [My car has been written off - can I challenge the valuation I've been given?]( Posted by on 16 December, 2021 I have recently had my 2015 BMW 1 Series deemed a total loss and have had an offer made to me by the insurance company which I think is far below what it should be due to the spec on it. Do I just accept it? [Read more →]( [Should I buy a used Honda Accord for £1,800?]( Posted by on 16 December, 2021 What do you think of buying a used Honda Accord, 57 reg, with about 100,000 miles on the clock for around £1,800? [Read more →]( [Which four-wheel drive should I buy?]( Posted by on 15 December, 2021 I need to buy a four-wheel drive car for driving on single-track roads in my new home in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. I currently drive a fantastic 2013 Fiesta Titanium so am not used to the large four-wheel drives and don't particularly enjoy driving my partner's Freelander. What would be the best car to go for? [Read more →]( [Ford Fiesta faulty heater - can I claim?]( Posted by on 15 December, 2021 My car is a 17 reg Ford Fiesta petrol EcoBoost with a 1-litre engine. In the last month the heater fan has ceased to work on two occasions in any position except four, the highest. Each time the repair was done by fitting a new resistor. The latest repair has failed again. My local main Ford dealer now thinks that to effect a proper repair a new heater motor will have to be fitted. They say that five and a half hours labour will be required as access has to be carried out through the dashboard. The new motor will cost approximately £400 and the total bill will come to just over £1,000. Obviously I am disappointed as in 60 years of motoring I have never experienced a similar problem. Although out of warranty I have asked the dealer to enquire if Ford would be prepared to make a contribution to the cost. I bought the car from new from the same Ford dealer and it has been regularly serviced since. Do you think that it’s acceptable for a heater fan to require to be replaced so early? [Read more →]( [Looking for a comfortable car - what should I buy?]( Posted by on 15 December, 2021 I have a Volkswagen Polo TSI Bluemotion 2016, the seats are the most uncomfortable I've sat in and I've had passengers on shorter journeys say they really dislike the seating. I'm fine on short journeys in it, but any longer than 20 minutes and everyone is aching. I'm looking at a Volkswagen T-Cross (I think a Tiguan is a bit big), SEAT Arona or something along those lines. Do you know of any cars in that sort of size range with comfortable seats? My Mum has a Vauxhall Astra Estate (2015) and the seats are SO comfortable (I'm not mad on the car itself, though it does also drive really nicely on motorways). [Read more →]( [Which used automatic estate car should I buy?]( Posted by on 15 December, 2021 We bought a 2019 Astra Sport Tourer 1.0 with 12,000 miles on it for £10,000. It was a great car for the first three months - comfy, quick enough, economical. Then a plethora of issues manifested (all fixed under warranty) including a new engine and gearbox. The car has been in the garage for best part of four months. Once we get it back, we're thinking to get rid of it immediately but what to replace it with? The courtesy car we have been given is an automatic and now my wife would prefer an auto box. We might be lucky to offload the Astra for £9,000. A similarly specced Skoda Octavia estate auto would be around £16,000 which is another £7,000 on top of the Astra and so I'm not sure it represents value for money. We like the Hyundai i30 estate but petrol models seem to be like hen's teeth. We use the car for our dog walking business and mainly do short journeys. [Read more →]( [I bought a non-runner - how much will I need to spend?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 Had a rush of blood to the head. Bought a boy racer (2015 Peugeot 208 GTI Limited Edition turbo petrol three-door hatchback), without reading fine print. Description says non runner. ECU clicking. Mileage is 75,000. Photos show body in good order. I paid £4,000. 1)Was this a huge mistake? 2)Can you tell me how much I'm likely to spend? 3)Can you recommend an honest mechanic in Greater Manchester, please? [Read more →]( [Cam belt failure - can I claim?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 I recently took my 2008 Saab 9-3 to my garage after it started making a rattling noise coming from the engine bay. On inspection the garage advised me that it need a new water pump and cam belt, plus some repairs on my exhaust. I agreed to all of the work (£660) and collected/paid for the work the next day. After driving the car the next day, it was fine for about 10 miles then the rattling noise came straight back. I immediately called the garage and told them about the noise. They explained that they couldn't see me today and come back Monday. Whilst driving the car home that same day, the cam belt failed and the car broke down, luckily I had recovery cover and got the car taken to the garage for inspection. The garage then confirmed that the bolt for the cam belt tensioner had failed and sheered off, resulting in the cam belt failing and causing damage to the values etc. The garaged stated that they tightened the bolt to the correct tension and it must be a manufacturing fault and have raised this with their supplier. My question is, where does all this leave me now? Where to I stand from a legal point of view and getting my car back in working order? [Read more →]( [Should I consider the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sport?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 I'm looking at the Mercedes-Benz A-Class A180D Sport. However, I'm unsure whether running costs will be high. I've never driven a diesel before. I'm on the motorway minimum three times a week but only for 5-10 mins as it's part of my journey to work. So I'm concerned it might be better to consider a petrol engine. The aim is to keep the car for a while and utilise for family holidays too. [Read more →]( [Should I buy a Mk5 Volkswagen Golf?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 I'm thinking of buying a Mk5 Volkswagen Golf (2004) 2.0 FSI GT with approx 120,000 miles on the clock, two previous owners and part SH. Does this sound like a reasonable buy? What things should I be wary of when looking at this car? I've seen on the various forums that the Mk5 has its share of problems, with some people recommending the Mk4 instead. Also, I understand that it has electric power steering which can be problematic and prohibitively expensive to fix. Any advice would be gratefully received. [Read more →]( [Long delivery times for Cupra Formentor - is this reasonable?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 We originally ordered the Cupra Formentor 190bhp in April 2021, changed the order in May to a 2 litre 190bhp, which was originally not available. Cupra then deleted the electric tailgate from the specification but added it as an option in August. This we selected but apparently it needed to be re-ordered as such. The estimated delivery was the end of February 2022, we were recently given a build week 10. This has now been delayed to the seventh week which is very disappointing. This seems rather longer than some estimates I have seen for other cars including those which are said to be the longest. Does this seem reasonable to you or are we being penalised because we require all the bits and pieces including a sunroof? I would add that the dealership is being reasonably generous to us regarding costs and I am happy with them. Originally I believed you really liked the Formentor and hopefully this still applies. Many thanks. Take care David Greenhill [Read more →]( [Nissan Juke door fault - can it be fixed?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 The button on Nissan Juke driver's door has stopped working. Can it be easily fixed? [Read more →]( [DSG - do I put it in neutral when stopped at traffic lights?]( Posted by on 14 December, 2021 I have a SEAT Ateca 1.5 petrol DSG 2021 model. Do you have to take out of drive and put it into neutral or park when stood at lights, or heavy traffic, or would I do any damage just leaving it in drive? [Read more →]( [Which tyres should I fit?]( Posted by on 13 December, 2021 I am looking for the best tyres for my Kia Sportage. I live in the west of Scotland so lots of rain and frequently drive 4.5 hours to the Highlands. I don't do any off-road driving - just about town in between long drives in inclement weather. [Read more →]( [Is it best to keep my car in the garage?]( Posted by on 13 December, 2021 Which is best for a modern car - always putting the car away in an enclosed garage when not in use, or parking on the driveway exposed to the weather, but where air can circulate over and under the car? [Read more →]( [Which tyres should I fit?]( Posted by on 13 December, 2021 I have a BMW 520 M Sport which has Goodyear Asymmetric F1 tyres. They seem a lot quieter on the road than the Mercedes E-Class AMG riding on Falken Azenis FK510 275/35 R19 Y tyres, which I have just test driven as a replacement for my car. Should I, when required, change the E- Class to Goodyear Asymmetric F1 tyres as the seem quieter and smoother on the road or what I else would you recommend? [Read more →]( [Can I fit an electric heated windscreen?]( Posted by on 13 December, 2021 Can I get an electric heated windscreen fitted to my 2014 Volkswagen Golf SV? [Read more →]( [Does the mpg of hybrids drop in colder weather?]( Posted by on 13 December, 2021 I bought a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid 2020 in August and was getting 48mpg so I was delighted. Now the weather is dropping to 7c it's dropped down to 38mpg. The Toyota dealer says this is quite normal for a hybrid. Is this right? [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