What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [What is Ford doing about the fire issue on the new Kuga PHEV?]( Posted by on 25 September, 2020 What is Ford doing about the fire issue on the new Kuga PHEV? I can't charge my car so what is the point in having it? Ford has not contacted me even though I've rung their customer relationship centre. [Read more →]( [My licence expires soon. Will it be automatically renewed due to Covid?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 I will be 70 on October 8th and will need to renew my licence. I have been told that the licence renewal time has been extended because of Covid (as was the case with MOTs ). Is this correct? [Read more →]( [My Volkswagen T-Roc bunnyhops and VW refused rejection. What now?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 I've been fobbed off by Volkswagen saying my new car had a software fault, then apparently it's a characteristic of the vehicle. VW refused rejection and I've had my car three weeks without a fix. My local Volkswagen dealer had a T-Roc manual we could try, but as soon as we pulled off the forecourt, it bunny-hopped. We asked about an auto to try and this didn't bunny-hop at all. We asked if it was possible to have an auto in place of mine and they said yes. I contacted customer care about the bunny-hopping and they agreed with the salesperson that it's a characteristic of the car. They had not heard that VW has had rejections so I sent them a link to the Honest John article and I have not heard from them since. All conversations about faults were in their office (verbally, not via email). I'd have to wait fourteen weeks for a new automatic car with the same spec to be built, and that would mean another three grand knocked off mine (manual) so we declined the offer and walked out. It was coming to the end of the six month period at the time with 1600 miles on the clock. [Read more →]( [Have the issues with 1.5-litre petrol engines in VW cars been resolved?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 I'm considering buying a brand new Volkswagen T-Roc 1.5 Evo petrol manual, but upon reading about the kangarooing when the engine is cold, it's got me nervous. Has this problem really been solved as regards to a new vehicle? [Read more →]( [My Volkswagen Golf 1.5-litre has had issues from the start. Are Volkswagen doing another update?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 I bought a 2017 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Evo in 2017 and have had the same misfiring issues many other people have reported. I took it to the dealership, who admitted that there was an issue but that it 'just needed a software update'. When that update finally came around 18 months later (approx. Oct 2019), the issue was even worse and occasionally the car goes into limp mode. An independent garage looked at this and it was shown to be misfiring on cylinder 4 and this caused the fuel system to be disabled. In December 2019, I was told by the dealership service team that there will be no further updates available for this car and that it was a 'rare' fault, so I said I wanted to reject my car as it is clearly not fit for purpose if they can't fix the issue. As a 'goodwill gesture', they have offered to buy back my car at current retail value (£14,700). I'm not happy with this as I complained such a long time ago and have held on given their word that it would be fixable. I'm currently in the process of complaining to the ombudsman. The dealership has given me minimal contact over the last 9 months and has seemed intent on ignoring most of my calls and emails. Despite telling me that there will be no further software updates for this engine, the last email from the dealership claimed they were still in discussions with VW regarding an update. Despite all the evidence to suggest many people have had issues with this car, they are reluctant to admit there is an issue with this engine.VW head office has asked me to take my car to another dealership chain for a second opinion. Given the widespread issues with this car, this is surely pointless, but I have agreed to play along. In short - is this still an ongoing issue as far as VW are concerned? Or were the service team correct in telling me that there will be no more updates for this engine? [Read more →]( [What all-season tyres do you recommend?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 I have a 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan fitted with Pirelli summer tyres. I would like to fit some all-season tyres to give better grip in winter conditions. What would you recommend? [Read more →]( [There's a faulty part on my new car, should I reject it?]( Posted by on 24 September, 2020 My two-week-old Audi Q3 has a start-stop system fault with a message appearing in the dash. Upon diagnosis, the dealer says the alternator needs to be replaced and this part is on back-order. It will take two weeks to get the part and the car is safe to drive until then. It appears the car is a mild hybrid and relies heavily on this part. Should I reject the car as it is less than a month old or accept the fix, please? [Read more →]( [What's the best small auto with plenty of electrics?]( Posted by on 23 September, 2020 Can you advise a small automatic car with sat nav? Budget is about £15,000. [Read more →]( [Can I buy aftermarket door protectors?]( Posted by on 22 September, 2020 I think the retractable door guards fitted to the Skoda Kamiq are a great idea. Do you know if this is Skoda's own invention or are there similar products available to retrofit to other cars? [Read more →]( [Can you suggest quieter tyres?]( Posted by on 22 September, 2020 I need to replace the Continental tyres on my Audi Q5. What would you recommend? I find the road noise is quite high with my current tyres, although that might be just the car. [Read more →]( [Can you recommend comfortable, quiet tyres?]( Posted by on 22 September, 2020 Can you suggest a tyre to replace Good Year Efficient Grip, which are noisy and give a harsh ride, on my Audi A1? Many thanks. [Read more →]( [Cam belt change on Audi Q3 - do I need to replace the water pump at the same time?]( Posted by on 22 September, 2020 I've just had the cam belt changed on my (2015) Audi Q3 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic. Should the water pump have been replaced at the same time? My local garage has told me that this Audi model uses an electrical water pump and it doesn’t need changed. [Read more →]( [Can I reject a car because warning lights keep coming on?]( Posted by on 22 September, 2020 I bought a diesel BMW from a dealer in November 2019. It came with a 3-month warranty. Within the 3 months, I had the car back with the dealer because the filter and airbag lights were coming on. The car has been back a number of times and the issue has not been sorted. The warning lights are still coming on. Whilst the garage is saying that there is nothing wrong with the filter or airbag, I have to take this on trust. Also, importantly, the lights coming on affect the car's resale value. Can you advise, am I within my rights to return the car and ask for a refund? [Read more →]( [Which tyres offer protection from kerbing?]( Posted by on 21 September, 2020 My Mazda CX-3 tyres are coming close to replacement time. Would you know of a tyre that protects against kerbing the wheel? [Read more →]( [Should I use a car cover on a classic stored in a garage?]( Posted by on 21 September, 2020 Is it best to keep a classic car under a proprietary, breathable, car cover in a well-ventilated garage or just a cotton dust sheet? I have been told these covers cause the paint to bister eventually. is this correct? Your comments would be appreciated. Thank you. [Read more →]( [I drive my wife's car as a named driver. Will I lose my No Claims if I continue?]( Posted by on 21 September, 2020 By next February, I will not have had a car insured in my name as a policyholder for two years - even though I drive my wife's car. Is there any way I can still keep my nine year's+ No Claims Discount or do I just lose it? I may be driving my own car in the future and it would be sad, financially, to lose the NCD. [Read more →]( [Should I report a no fault accident?]( Posted by on 21 September, 2020 Someone hit my car from behind and have taken responsibility for it with no problems. Their insurance contacted me before I phoned mine. They've said as I'm going through them, I do not have to let my insurance know and I do not need to put it down as an incident when I renew next year. Is this right? 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