If your car has developed a fault, or for consumer advice, turn to Honest John by emailing [email protected] The meaning of life You advise owners of the Ford Focus and various Volkswagens to change the timing belts of their cars at 60,000 miles or five years. Does this advice apply to all makes? The maintenance guide for my 2012 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi 160, which has done 85,000 miles, says it should be changed at 100,000 miles or 10 years, whichever comes first, and that service schedule was confirmed by my Citroen dealer. Should I change the belt on my car now just in case? RD After it became clear that the life of these belts wasn’t quite as long as had been predicted, many manufacturers introduced shorter replacement intervals. If a timing belt does snap, valves can hit pistons and effectively reduce an engine to scrap. If your dealer will guarantee in writing that the belt will not snap or come off and wreck your engine before 100,000 miles, take his advice. … [Read more...] about Honest John: only take a car dealer’s advice if he guarantees it in writing
Convertible car seat reviews 2015
Honest John: can a used car dealer refuse to offer a warranty?
If your car has developed a fault, or for consumer advice, turn to Honest John by emailing [email protected] Juke ’box jury My friend bought a used, 2014 Nissan Juke but the gearbox failed after about two months. The selling dealer replaced the faulty unit with a used gearbox, which has also failed. After considerable debate, they have agreed to fix the car again free of charge – but on the condition there will be no warranty. Is the company within its rights to refuse a warranty? DK Assuming your friend bought the car in April this year or later, the dealer was liable for any fault that could have been present or developing for six months from the point of sale. He does not have to warrant the replacement part for longer than that. However, if the drivetrain fails again, you have the conclusive proof in the twice failed gearbox that the car was fundamentally faulty and probably would have a small claims case for a refund of the car’s market value. Forget … [Read more...] about Honest John: can a used car dealer refuse to offer a warranty?
Baby girl died after being strapped in car seat for almost 15 HOURS when recommended maximum time is 30 minutes
A baby girl died after being strapped into a car seat almost continuously for 15 hours in a hotel room on a family holiday. The girl, was one of three of the couple’s children to die in the space of two years after two sets of twins were born “extremely prematurely” just 11 months apart. Of the seven children the mum has given birth to since June 2015, only four have survived longer than 16 months. Nick Lloyd, road safety manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said that research shows almost all car seat deaths occur when the car seat is being used outside the vehicle.Read the full statement from RoSPA hereHe said: "RoSPA advice is that travel be minimised in the first few months of a baby's life, keeping journeys to a period of one hour or shorter."If the journey is longer than this, it is important to make regular stops."Avoid keeping a young baby in a seat for longer than 30 minutes."An independent serious case review has been … [Read more...] about Baby girl died after being strapped in car seat for almost 15 HOURS when recommended maximum time is 30 minutes
“High risk” baby died after being left in car seat for almost 15 hours
A "high risk" 10-week-old baby died after being strapped into a car seat almost continuously for 15 hours in a hotel room. The girl, identified only as Child M, was one of three of the couple’s children to die in the space of two years after two sets of twins were born “extremely prematurely” just 11 months apart. Of the seven children the mum has given birth to since June 2015, only four have survived longer than 16 months. An independent serious case review has been published by Wigan Safeguarding Children Board following the tragic death of the infant in July 2016. The probe revealed how the parents had left three infants for a period of six hours while they went drinking on a family holiday, checking in on them on “some” occasions.The report contains 11 recommendations which, if applied at the time, may have prevented the infant’s “potentially predictable” death. Authorities were aware that both parents had problems with alcohol, but … [Read more...] about “High risk” baby died after being left in car seat for almost 15 hours
Review: Is Mazda’s MX-5 RF Sport Black a worthy newcomer?
Review: Is Mazda’s MX-5 RF Sport Black a worthy newcomer? BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Mazda has never shied away from a special-edition machine. In fact, boot up any Gran Turismo game, head to the used car dealer and you'll see a virtual recreation of the dozens upon dozens of MX-5 variants the firm has thrown out over the years. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/cars/review-is-mazdas-mx5-rf-sport-black-a-worthy-newcomer-37179444.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article37188869.ece/22228/AUTOCROP/h342/18862257-1.jpg Email Mazda has never shied away from a special-edition machine. In fact, boot up any Gran Turismo game, head to the used car dealer and you'll see a virtual recreation of the dozens upon dozens of MX-5 variants the firm has thrown out over the years. Well, it's not stopping anytime soon - this is the MX-5 RF Sport Black, the latest UK-only limited-edition version of the sports car. It's not even the first special-edition this year, following on … [Read more...] about Review: Is Mazda’s MX-5 RF Sport Black a worthy newcomer?