What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [Will fitting mudflaps affect fuel economy and road noise?]( Posted by on 5 May, 2023 I’ve recently purchased an Audi Q5 and am considering fitting mud slaps as the sides of the vehicle dirty up quickly in wet weather conditions. Would such a fitting effect the fuel consumption and road noise? [Read more →]( [Why am I being charged premium car tax when my new car is under £40k?]( Posted by on 5 May, 2023 I am buying a new DS 4 Cross Tivoli 225. The dealer says the tax will include the £40K premium car tax surcharge because the model was originally listed at over £40k. This particular model is no longer listed but the nearest equivalent is under £40K. I am paying £32,500. The car is brand new and unregistered. Why the surcharge? [Read more →]( [How do I claim after a hit-and-run collision?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 Could you please advise me on how I should proceed following a hit-and-run incident? Last July my car, waiting legally at the side of a road, was hit. I was in the car. The whole incident was caught on dashcam and subsequently reported to Kent Police who were provided with a copy of the dashcam recording. The police decided that it was "not in the public interest" to pursue the matter and would not give me the keeper's details. I then applied to the DVLA (special delivery), again giving them access to the recording, and enclosing a cheque for the £2.50 fee, but after the 6 month expiry of the cheque it had not been presented and there was still no reply. My legal costs insurance then established that the car is insured with Admiral Insurance and said I should contact them direct. There was not so much as an acknowledgement from Admiral Insurance of my several emails (and providing the dashcam recording) for more than 2 months, and only after I followed up my threat of adding interest as well as taking legal action did they respond. Their reply was that they would not look at the matter because it was not the policyholder, i.e. the hit-and-run driver, who had not reported it to them but the victim of the offence I would like to lodge a complaint about Admiral Insurance to the Financial Services Ombudsman, but it appears that only the policyholder can do so. Since I have no way of establishing the keeper of the car in question and Admiral Insurance are refusing to enter any dialogue, how should I proceed, please? [Read more →]( [Where should I sell a cherished plate?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 What's the best way to sell a cherished plate? [Read more →]( [Is it more expensive to be insured as a sole driver?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 I have received notification of my insurance renewal from Churchill, which is £408.20 - a 41% increase on last year. I live in Sutherland and my mileage was 8586 last year. I have one car a Skoda Octavia and am the only driver with 20 years NCB and am 79 years old. I understand that being the sole driver with one car is more expensive - why should this be the case? [Read more →]( [Do I need to change all four tyres at the same time on a BMW xDrive model?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 We have a BMW 18d. The dealer says although it is an X drive, in normal driving 100% of the power is sent to the front and the rear is only used when extra traction is required. The two front tyres are around 2.5 - 3mm but the rear ones are like new. I've learnt that the transfer case doesn't like tolerance differences of more than say 2-3mm - although I cannot find anything written down from BMW. It looks like I need to replace all four tyres in order to keep the transfer case happy. Would you agree? I also understand I can switch from runflats to non-runflats providing I keep the same tyre dimensions. Is this correct? [Read more →]( [How do you test an AWD system is correctly working?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 How do I test an AWD system on a test drive? [Read more →]( [I bought an ex-police riot van but have found it is not registered - what do I do?]( Posted by on 4 May, 2023 I bought an ex-police riot van last year which had an MoT at the time of purchase. Now I find I cannot MoT it as it is not registered. The dealership taxed it for me the day I picked it up. What do I do? [Read more →]( [Do daytime running lights mean I don't need dipped headlights in low visbility?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I now have a 65-plate Kia Ceed, my first car with daytime running lights. Does this replace the requirement to use dipped headlights during times of low visibility in daylight? [Read more →]( [Can lane assist be switched off permanently?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I have an Audi A3. Can the lane change option be turned off permanently? It’s far from a safety feature. When overtaking a cyclist it pulls you back into the the cyclist. [Read more →]( [I bought a newer version of the same car - so why is the tax so much more?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I had a Lexus SC430 2003 and changed for exactly the same car but a 2008. The tax for the new car is double the price of the the old car. How can the road fund be double for exactly the same car? [Read more →]( [Is it worth using an E10 protectant?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 Is it worth using E10 protectant? [Read more →]( [Can I swap spare wheels?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I have a spacesaver wheel off my Mazda CX-5 21 reg, will it fit my 22-reg Hyundai Tuscon Hybrid? [Read more →]( [What small cars come with luxury features?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I require a small car with all of the luxury features one can find on larger cars. As far as I can see no manufacturer meets this requirement. Why not? [Read more →]( [How do we change ownership of our car to our daughter?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 My daughter is about to sell her car. I am going to give her mine. What is the sequence of change in ownership of mine, taxing it and insuring it in my daughter's name? [Read more →]( [What's the best small used van to buy?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I am buying a used small van, Ford Transit Connect size. What would you recommend in either petrol or diesel options? [Read more →]( [Did the MG Metro and MGB GT share interior trim?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 Was the MGB GT ever produced with the 'grey cloth/red piping' interior, similar to the MG Metro? [Read more →]( [Can you deactivate the car alarm on a Ford Kuga?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 My friend runs a Ford Kuga and wishes to know how can she disable her alarm when she leaves her dogs in the back of the car? [Read more →]( [What's the best dash cam that can easily be transferred between cars?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I would like to buy a dash cam that can be easily moved between cars, but all seem to need to be fitted to the car. Are there some good quality offerings that can be simply transferred between vehicles? As a regular user of hire cars and also with more than two cars in the household I am stuck with finding a solution. [Read more →]( [Can you tow a caravan with an electric car?]( Posted by on 3 May, 2023 I have a small caravan, 1200kg max. I’m looking at changing my Nissan X-Trail to an all-electric. Would you advise I hang on for a bit or what EV would you recommend for towing it? [Read more →]( You received this email because you signed up to our mailing list. 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