What has the Honest John team been asked this week?

[Web Version]( | [Update preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook icon]( [Like]( [Twitter icon]( [Tweet]( [Forward icon]( [Forward]( [Which Porsche 911 should I buy to celebrate my retirement?]( Posted by on 14 October, 2021 Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s I always hankered after a Porsche 911. Now approaching retirement that desire has returned with a mid-80s 3.0 SC being my favourite shape. Am I better off buying one of these for £50-60k and acknowledging that I will have to spend several thousand each year on maintenance or would I be better off buying a more recent version for another £40k or so? I'd prefer a manual so that would mean a Carrera S although I'm not really interested in outright performance or lots of extras. I'm looking for a car that would do about 5000 miles a year and last me for about 20 years to potter about in retirement. [Read more →]( [Land Rover Discovery engine failure - who is liable for the repair costs?]( Posted by on 14 October, 2021 Our daughter purchased a 3.5-year-old Land Rover Discovery with 40,000 miles on the clock six months ago, for which she paid £45,000. The car broke down last Friday, the RAC Recovery Technician could not get it started and suggested that it be towed to a local, highly reputable, garage which has investigated and has advised that the engine is not fit for purpose and needs to be replaced. The sum of £9000 plus labour has been quoted for a new engine We are waiting to hear what the dealer who sold her the car has to say on the matter. If they reject any liability for the cost of replacing the engine can you advise us please on what steps we could take to recover the costs? [Read more →]( [Does the Fiat 500 1.2 petrol have a timing chain or belt?]( Posted by on 14 October, 2021 Does my Fiat 500 1.2 petrol have a timing chain or belt? [Read more →]( [Mazda CX-5 turbo failure - should I keep my car or sell it?]( Posted by on 14 October, 2021 The turbo on my 2015 Mazda CX-5 has failed at 82,000 miles. I purchased the car new and it's been serviced by Mazda main dealers in accordance with the recommended service schedule. The repair costs are estimated at just under £2000. My questions are: 1) Am I being unrealistic in expecting Mazda to make a contribution? 2) Once the work is completed, is this an indicator that now is a good time to trade the car in? [Read more →]( [Why is my car's tyre making a ticking noise?]( Posted by on 13 October, 2021 I have a 2015 Focus and recently noticed a slight ticking noise from the front right tyre whilst driving. It is very faint and doesn't always manifest itself, especially at higher speeds. I thought it may be a stone or nail in the tyre but after thoroughly checking, this was not the case. I jacked the car up and rotated the wheel to see if I could hear anything. I then noticed that there was something rolling around inside the tyre as I turned the wheel. Could this be the cause of the ticking? Is it safe to drive until I can get it to a tyre shop to get said object removed? [Read more →]( [What's the best small, reliable car with raised driving position for under £8000?]( Posted by on 13 October, 2021 I'm a single parent looking for advice for buying a small, reliable, inexpensive to run car with a high driving seat and easy access for the driver (dodgy hips). Good visibility and value are must. It would be great if it's good to drive, has decent interior space and looks cool, but I realise I can't have everything. What do you recommend for under £8000? [Read more →]( [Is the Ford Puma 1.0 MHEV a good car?]( Posted by on 13 October, 2021 What is your opinion of the Ford Puma Titanium 1.0 EcoBoost MHEV 125PS? [Read more →]( [What's the best 4x4 electric estate car?]( Posted by on 12 October, 2021 We're looking for a medium-sized electric car with all-wheel drive and an estate bodystyle (to carry our large dog). Mileage needs are low (typically 50-60 miles per day). The Skoda Enyaq is a bit larger than we would like and I've read bad reviews of the ID.4's infotainment system. What do you suggest I buy? [Read more →]( [What's the best second hand electric car for £30,000?]( Posted by on 12 October, 2021 What's the best second hand electric car for £30,000? [Read more →]( [Will a headlight fault result in my car failing its MoT?]( Posted by on 12 October, 2021 I have a 2014 MINI cooper with 12,000 miles on the clock. I have had two error messages which come on every time the lights are activated which states that basically none of the lights are working. However all lights and indicators do work, there just seems to be an issue with the error messages on the dash. I have asked my local MINI dealer to have a look at this and they claimed I had to replace the whole light unit costing £650 each. I declined to do this since the lights work perfectly but my MoT is due next month and I am wondering if these failure messages will result in an MOT failure? Your advice will be very much appreciated!! [Read more →]( [Oil leaking into turbo on BMW 3 Series - is this a serious problem?]( Posted by on 12 October, 2021 I have a BMW 3 series 1.8 diesel. Having had an oil change about 4000 miles ago, the i-drive flashed with a low oil warning and I put in one litre of oil immediately. I did this and took it to my specialist, who did the oil change and ran a few checks, There was nothing obvious, but did mention that it could be leaking into the turbo, but just keep an eye on the level for now. The car is running fine and has just covered 70,000 since 2014. But am I looking at a failing turbo? [Read more →]( [Dealer hasn't fixed damage on used car - can I reject it?]( Posted by on 12 October, 2021 I recently viewed a used Mazda 6 with a price of £7690. I agreed to pay the full asking price. The dealer offered a 12-month MoT, service and six month warranty. On inspecting the car I noted that the steering wheel was off centre and there was minor damage to the passenger door - both of which the dealer agreed would be repaired prior to delivery. On this basis, I placed a £300 deposit to secure the car. The dealer completed the order form and gave me a copy. He then asked for my copy back and used Tipp-Ex to change the six-month warranty to one month - he stated that only cars in excess £10,000 qualified for a warranty in excess of one month. The dealer called me in less than 24 hours to say the car is ready for collection but is being evasive about whether the agreed repairs have been completed. I drove past the dealership on my way from work which was closed, however the car was there and the damaged door has not been repaired. If I arrive to collect the car and the repairs are not complete should I refuse to accept the car? Would you suggest that I arrange an independent inspection of the car prior to the collection date? [Read more →]( [Can I have my lease car serviced outside of the dealer network?]( Posted by on 11 October, 2021 My leased 2020 Isuzu D-Max is due its first service at 12,000 miles but the supplying dealership wants £280 for it. My local garage owned by a good friend who I know will use genuine Isuzu parts will do the service for half the cost. Can I have my pick-up serviced by a non-Isuzu dealer? Will this cause any complications with the vehicle lease? [Read more →]( [Which SEAT Ateca model is best?]( Posted by on 11 October, 2021 What’s the best SEAT Ateca model to buy? [Read more →]( [Downsizing from a Nissan Qashqai - what should I buy?]( Posted by on 11 October, 2021 I'm on my third Nissan Qashqai since 2013 and this current one (petrol/automatic) will be three years old in May 2022. Recently my partner bought a Mazda 6 so we have two roomy cars siting on the drive. So I think it's time for me to change to something smaller and more environmentally friendly. I'm now retired and don't drive long distances every day. In fact, some days the car doesn't leave the drive or only travels a few miles. However, I need to be able to drive from the West Midlands to Essex or similar distance on occasions to visit family. I've been spoilt with the Qashqai and its top of the range features, comfort, reliability and high driving position. Is there something smaller that fits the bill? The replacement car can be new or second-hand up to three years old. A small/medium hybrid or electric automatic with lots of spec including heated seats are preferable. My budget would be to use the Qashqai in part-exchange and then fund the rest. I hope you can help. [Read more →]( [Downsizing from a Jaguar XE - what should I buy?]( Posted by on 11 October, 2021 I presently have a five-year-old Jaguar XE. I'm looking to change for a smaller car as I’m getting older and no longer do as many long journeys. However, I really enjoy the heated seats, sunroof, reversing camera and comfortable seats. Can I get these in a small car? [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