What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [How old can tyres be before they need replacing?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 When should I change tyres on my car? Is there a maximum age they can be? [Read more →]( [What is high mileage for a BMW 3 Series?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 Looking at possibly buying a 2014 BMW 320d with 136,000 for around £6k. Not sure if the mileage is too high? [Read more →]( [Why are headlight repairs so expensive?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 My neighbour has just been quoted £800 to replace a headlight bulb on his newish Hyundai saloon. This is because it is a sealed unit that requires much work to remove it from the front wing. Are there any new cars that do not have such a ridiculous arrangement, i.e. where a single bulb can be simply replaced in a couple of minutes? [Read more →]( [What's the best way to negotiate on the price of a used car?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 What’s the best way to negotiate the price on a 2nd hand car? [Read more →]( [Is the Kia Picanto automatic better than the Fiat 500 auto?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 I'm thinking of buying Kia Picanto 2019 automatic used car. What do you think of it and how does it compare to the Fiat 500 automatic? [Read more →]( [What do I look for when buying my first car?]( Posted by on 21 July, 2023 I am finally looking to buy my first car (having been driving my mothers for about 10ish months). I am particularly interested in the Peugeot 107 (or Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo.... all the same really). I would prefer a used car as my budget is £4500 max. Is there any advice you would give when looking for a first car? What sort of things do I need to look out for, particularly with these makes? [Read more →]( [I'm looking for a good Saab 99 - where can I find one?]( Posted by on 20 July, 2023 I am looking for a Saab 99 non-turbo. I know the 99 and 900 very well as from the 1970s to the 1990s I had owned six 99s and two 900s. I am of an age now that long distance driving is very rare and I'm only doing about 5 - 6000 miles per year and I am hoping to finish off my driving years in a Saab, in my opinion, the beast cars ever. Hope you can help my search. [Read more →]( [Should we appeal a parking ticket when we know it is incorrect?]( Posted by on 20 July, 2023 Euro cars claimed we had a our car in a shopping centre car park for over 4 hours. We know that is incorrect. We would not dispute entering the park at 8.48 but could not have been there until 13.00. At most 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It is possible we went back for something we forgot but cannot remember doing that. So either their camera clock is faulty or they failed to check a second entry and exit. So far we have not disclosed who was the driver. They have suggested we could use the appeal procedure. Advice please? [Read more →]( [I want an automatic car with good rear seat space, but should I steer clear of dual-clutch automatics?]( Posted by on 20 July, 2023 Various reviews of automatic gearboxes has meant we are nervous about buying a car with a CVT or DSG? (double clutch) types. Can you give your views on these gearboxes? I am searching for petrol automatic, 2017 upwards, a car that has good amount of room in the back for my parents who are getting older. Don't need huge boot space. Currently have a MINI Countryman, like mini SUVs but also like sporty saloons. Mazda has been on our radar. My husband has Skoda Octavia and he loves Skoda but they have the double clutch gear boxes. Budget is about £16/£17 tops. [Read more →]( [What is my Mitsubishi Shogun worth?]( Posted by on 20 July, 2023 I live in Spain. About 2 years ago I found a Mitsubishi Shogun 2005 which had been garaged for 10 years. After a set of new tyres and a service it runs like a dream. It’s a top spec “Warrior”, 7 seats, full leather, electric seats etc, with 50,000 miles. It will cost around 3000 euros to convert it to Spanish plates. It will cost around 1000 euros to take it to the UK for sale. Can you please give me a rough valuation to help me decide what to do? My wife loves it! [Read more →]( [What is the most reliable small automatic used car?]( Posted by on 20 July, 2023 I am looking to buy a small automatic used car (petrol). Budget of up to £9000 but ideally looking at something in the £5000 to £6000 range. Will be using it mainly for short city journeys and the odd longer trip on the motorway. My key concern is reliability (and I'm prepared to spend towards the top end of my budget for this). Based on other posts on this site I have been trying to focus on traditional torque converter automatics so looking at a 2016 Hyundai i10, but I'm open to other cars. What would you recommend? [Read more →]( [What's the best family car for £12,000?]( Posted by on 19 July, 2023 I'm looking at buying a used car for a young family, so ideally a five-door with ample boot space for a pram, plus extra for holidaying at home. It must be petrol as mileage will be around 8000/year and budget is around £12,000. Looking at running costs and reliability leads me to the Fabia Estate, but I'm not sure I could live with how dull it is. My partner doesn't want anything huge, which probably rules out Mondeo/Superb unless it has parking sensors/reverse camera. I'm scared of high mileage petrol cars, but should I be? Is a Peugeot 308 SW a good choice or is there something obvious I'm missing that would be reliable/cheap to run at higher mileage? [Read more →]( [What is the battery life for cars with a stop/start function?]( Posted by on 19 July, 2023 I have a SEAT Leon, the engine stops at traffic lights etc and restarts automatically when you are free to go. Recently the car does not restart and a message says restart manually. Is this a sign that the battery is starting to fail? What is the expected battery life? [Read more →]( [What steering wheel lock would you recommend?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 I have a Lexus NX 450+ with a tracker fitted. There was a theft of a Land Rover Discovery in our area. The vehicle had a tracker on and was stolen without the keys being taken. Before the tracker traced the car, the thieves had taken out the tracker mechanism and the vehicle could not be traced. I would like to have an additional level of protection on my Lexus. I would appreciate if you would suggest a steering wheel lock for the Lexus NX which would be the best deterrent against a car theft. Have you any alternative advice or suggestions? [Read more →]( [Should I buy a diesel when I only do 5000 miles a year?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 I am looking for a car, preferably diesel and automatic but essential it is comfortable. My budget is under £20K what would you advise. My annual mileage is low around 5000 so not concerned on fuel costs. [Read more →]( [Is Toyota going to introduce direct sales to customers?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 When are Toyota planning to introduce direct sales to customers? [Read more →]( [Will a portable EV charger be available in the UK?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 Is the ZipCharge portable charger still in the planning stage or was this just a flop? [Read more →]( [Does the Mazda MX-5 RC have the same drainage holes as the soft top?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 I have a Mazda MX-5 RC with folding hardtop. Does this model have the same problematic water drainage holes as the soft-top? I've owned the soft-top and I think the roof attachment of the RC is sufficiently different not to need the drain tubes. Please can you advise me? [Read more →]( [I couldn't get the machine to work in a car park but I was hit by a fine, is it worth appealing?]( Posted by on 18 July, 2023 Having to go into Southport recently on Monday morning we tried to park in a pay by card car park, however after six attempts to pay (in the pouring rain) I could not make the machine work and decided to try and park elsewhere. We were only in the car park five minutes and didn't "park", only visited. Seven days later I received a charge of £100, £60 if you pay within 28 days. I feel I have been totally ripped off and as a result I will never go near the place again. You hear about these things all the time and rather go through the "appeals" process and to be finally rejected it's simpler to just pay up and put it down to experience. Beware! 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