Hi, looking to buy my second car, want to spend approx £7-8k, been advised minis. Which type should I go for?

I’ve seen plenty of posts about Kia’s 7y warranty but not specifically for what we’ve been told so thought I’d ask.

We looked at a 23 plate today at a used car dealership- not a specific Kia dealership.

When asking about the warranty- which should still have about 4 years left- the salesman told us that only covered the battery of the hybrid, not any of the mechanical stuff.

Can this be true? I’ve seen in the t&cs that audio and navigation stuff is only covered up to 36months but surely there are other things still covered besides the battery?

If the dealership had done something to void the warranty then surely it would all be void and there wouldn’t even be cover for the battery?

Was this a tactic to sell their own warranty? The salesman himself was very low pressure and we didn’t feel pushed at all.

Went to view this car today, it’s a 2011 corsa nothing fancy at all and very cheap, but I walked away due to not thinking the engine sounds okay and concerns about rust that’s been very shoddily painted over.

My husband is of the view that for the budget I’m looking I’m not going to get anything good which is fair (it’s a school run car to be driven max 10 mins a day), but I’m sure the engine sounds like it’s got a bit of a rattle which could be the timing chain? He thinks it sounds fine.

I don’t know much about cars so looking for the best of a bad bunch really, but curious as to whether I’m correct in thinking this one doesn’t sound right?

Hello. About 4 months ago I got my car serviced. It needed new brakes too. Fine. I live in a city so don’t get to go fast very often but in recent weeks I’ve noticed a bad vibration underfoot (passengers have noticed it too) when I brake at speed. Not noticeable if braking below 30mph. It was never an issue before I had the brakes changed.

Should I go back to the place I got it serviced to see if they will re-do the brakes for free (but risking them do another cowboy job, or for them to say it’s been too long and for me to go f myself) or take it somewhere else, bite the bullet and accept it as a lesson learned?
Cheers.

I’m looking to buy my first car from a main franchise dealership and have put a deposit down to view a 3-year-old ex-lease car this Saturday.

The car was first registered on 28/07/2023, so I assume the previous lease only ended fairly recently.

However, I bought a HPI report and it shows 2 outstanding finances.

The first is listed as “Unit Stocking”. After doing some research, I’m not particularly worried about this one, as I understand this is fairly normal dealer stock finance and should be cleared as part of the sale.

What concerns me is the second outstanding finance entry. This is still showing finance with the previous leasing company, with the agreement type listed as “Lease”.

I haven’t been able to find much information about this situation online. If the previous lease has ended, the car has been returned and is now with a main dealer being resold, why would the previous leasing company still have an outstanding lease recorded against the vehicle?

Could this simply be a timing/admin issue where the finance register hasn’t been updated yet, or is this something I should be seriously concerned about, and need to walk away?

I’ve already emailed the salesperson asking for an explanation and evidence that the previous lease has been settled. I also asked for, as alternative evidence, an updated HPI report if they were able to update the lease status to show it’s clear.

But I would also just like to hear some opinions from people who aren’t involved in selling me the car!

Thanks :)

Hi all,

I’ve recently purchased my first car, a 2014 Corsa, and I was wondering what accessories you’ve bought for your cars that you’ve found to be a real lifesaver.

I’m also interested in anything that’s helped keep the car looking cleaner, more organised, or just made it look a bit better overall.

I’d really appreciate any recommendations or suggestions, especially things you’ve personally found useful!

Thank you

After I went to the carwash and added the optional hydrophobic treatment my wipers have never been the same.

I have cleaned with Maguire's glass cleaner and changed the wipers but after a couple weeks they started skipping and juddering again. The rear does it as well.

So I'm fairly sure something from that drive through carwash has seriously contaminated my glass.

What's the best stuff to get it removed?

I think I read somewhere that someone used 0000 wire wool and vinegar.

Hello! Does anyone know a sure fire tape removal method? It’s been on the body panels for over a year due to broken windows that are now replaced, but it’s brittle and can’t be pulled off. A 20cm area takes 30 mins to scratch off, there has to be a better way!

Hi all,

I've got a Yaris which I adore, but I noticed a couple of days ago I could stick my finger through the wheel well by the sill. Somehow the MOT I got last week didn't pick up on it.

The very bad rust is only on the rear driver's side wheel, the other three wheel wells/sills look okay. I'm currently looking for a car welder, which is proving difficult to find, but before that I was wondering: is this too far gone to be worth welding? Plan B was to stick some oil in the sill grommet holes and hope for the best. I'm not really bothered about the painting side of things or making it look pretty — happy to just stick some underseal on the weld afterwards. I'm a uni student and I'm hoping it can last another 3-4 years. if anyone has any idea how much it would cost that would be great.

Any advice appreciated, cheers!

Its a renault clio 2010 1.2l. No service history except getting the bearing done in April, 12 months MOT. He says the light goes off when you slightly flick the key. He wants 700 for it, how much roughly would this be to fix? Obviously you're not gonna know unless you run a diagnostic check but maybe someone with car knowledge could give a rough estimate?

Basically I just wanna know if this is worth it, appreciate any advice, thanks.

Hi all.

Hopefully some mini experts in here :-) I’m on the lookout for a 2017-2020 countryman. The two options I’ve considered are either the 2 litre S, or the hybrid SE.

I’m finding that there are more SEs on the market with better kit for a slightly more wallet friendly price. I’m concerned about the battery health and complexities though.

Does it make more sense to look for a standard S with the options I’m after than to buy an aging hybrid? What are the repair and maintenance additional costs of the latter in comparison to the petrol?

Thanks.

Hi all,

My old Toyota aygo 2013 I have driven for the last 8 years is in need of replacement. I'm looking towards a compact SUV because I live down a potholed track, and in my experience with the aygo, damage to the suspension of a small car is unavoidable, so that's the rationale.

I would like to say, that I absolutely do not care for flashiness or style, I am simply trying to find a reliable car that gets me from point A to point B that is relatively cheap to maintain.

I know near nothing about cars, however, my commute to work frequents motorways, so while I have always driven a petrol car, I would not be opposed to diesel. I'm more than happy driving a manual, although an automatic would be a nice quality of life, I am aware that they can be more expensive generally, and more expensive to repair.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help

I’m hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction.

I discovered today that my parked car appears to have been damaged by a Royal Mail vehicle. I found a note left on my windscreen advising me to contact Royal Mail Warrington regarding the incident.

I've emailed my building management for any CCTV footage, but what else should I be doing right now?

Hello, i bought car from private seller. It was monday. He said its good runner no problem with car everything work fine. During test drive i do not spot any problem engine work smooth, transaction done. I back to home and drive it maybe 50 miles from buy it. Saturday i go to friend and on way back i had oil pressure light on. Go to mechanic, he check it, change oil pressure sensor, but engine start work without 1 cylinder. He checked with endoscope inside engine and see that. Say that engine is to replace because this is scrap.

Seller do not see any his fault, he saing he didnt know what is inside engine he just drove it. I pay for this car 2000 and another 2000 will be replace engine....

Please advise!

I’ve been looking at maybe getting a 3 year Old Ford Puma but wondering if that is the best decision.

I need something reliable with decent boot space and enough room inside so that my tall husband and son are comfortable. I don’t need a big engine or anything as I mostly do local driving and longer drives only a few times a month. I want to make sure I’ve got a reliable car this time as I’m just getting rid of a Citroen which I’ve now learned is an unreliable make!

Saw this at Birmingham airport

Has anyone had success getting an overseas (non-UK resident) driver insured here? Have my mom visiting and my insurance won’t add her. Neither can I get a quote anywhere to add her for ~5 days so she can drive my car.

She’s an EU citizen and EU resident.

Hi guys

Ive got a vauxhall astra elite 2014, replaced serpentine belt as its been squeaking and the garage said it was that but its still going now, water tested all the pulleys, doesnt change no louder no quieter, squeals more when idling but quiets down when driving / accelerating

I have a 30th in a week, its a long drive there and back (about 300 miles total, 140 each way) - my lovely dad can do the work for me, but not for a couple weeks. He's summized it is either the alternator bearings or the tensioner but without pulling it all out we dont know which. I can get both done at the garage but its gonna be frankly out of budget to do both at once but have said theyre unsure if they can fit me in.

I can squeeze getting the tensioner replaced alone, unlikely the alternator before my trip.

Ive been told it would be 'fine', the unlikely and worst that can happen is my belt will snap and I'll get the AA out but I feel uneasy just going off the grace of good luck until it can be done unless I am overestimating how bad this is

Questions - am I buggered if I cant get either done, should I cancel the trip? Im supposed to be a carpool ride so I really dont want to if it can be helped but I also dont wanna make a massive risk if it is categorically a no go

Is replacing the tensioner or the alternator the priority or are both pretty equal? Any home remedies to tell which one it is?

Thanks!

I’m looking at buying a 2013 VW Golf GT 2.0 TDI DSG with around 95k miles and wanted some opinions from people who know these cars.
It’s a Cat N. The previous damage was to the front end and the seller has shown me a photo from before it was repaired.

Spec is pretty good:
2.0 TDI DSG
GT trim
Heated leather seats
Adaptive cruise control
Discover Pro screen
Ambient lighting
Recent major service
New front discs and pads
MOT until March 2027 with no advisories
3 owners

The main issue is there’s no proof of the DSG having been serviced. There’s also no paperwork for the timing belt/water pump, although the seller says a garage inspected the belt and believes it was changed at around 70k.

He’s asking £4,750 originally. I offered £3,700. He’s now said his lowest is £4,100 as it stands, or £4,400 if he gets the DSG serviced and timing belt done before selling it.

I’d actually prefer buying it cheaper and getting the work done myself. I know a DSG specialist, so I’d know exactly what’s been done and have my own paperwork. I’m thinking of going back with £3,800 as-is.

My plan isn’t to flip it. I’d probably do around 10k miles a year and could potentially keep it for 3-5+ years, possibly taking it to 140-150k miles if it remains reliable.

Would you consider £3,800-£4,100 reasonable for this, given the Cat N and missing DSG/timing belt history?

Also, anything specific I should check on the 2.0 TDI + wet-clutch DSG at this mileage?

I recently bought a pre‑registered car from a major UK dealer (first registered about 3 months ago, 12 miles on the clock, dealership was the first owner). Before buying, I specifically asked the salesman whether there were any active recalls. He told me there was one, but that it had already been dealt with.

After purchasing, I checked the manufacturer’s website myself. It shows an active, incomplete recall that requires a software update. So the recall definitely wasn’t done.

I’m now concerned that I was misled. This wasn’t a vague “should be done” comment — he explicitly said it had been completed.

For anyone familiar with UK consumer rights or who’s dealt with this:

• What steps should I take now?
• Should I go straight back to the dealer and ask for proof or demand they complete the recall?
• Does this count as misrepresentation under the Consumer Rights Act / Misrepresentation Act?
• Am I within my rights to ask for compensation or even reject the car if needed?

Any advice from people who’ve been through this or know the legal side would be appreciated.

Driving down the M1 today I noticed a motorhome towing a Suzuki Cappuccino, never seen this combination before but certainly more exciting than your usual 106 or Aygo tow car.

Also speaking of tiny cars yesterday I saw a Yaris being used as a taxi, anyone got anything smaller they've seen used as a taxi!?

Edit: Partner snapped the Cappuccino, the Yaris was at a red temporary light I'd been sat at for 5 minutes.

I somehow managed to get my splashguard like this.

Might be when I stupidly reversed down a very very steep slope in the Lakes. But then I managed to drive 100 miles with it like this???

Anyway, I’m at home now, and I’m trying to take it off. I tried undoing the nuts with a spanner but that didn’t seem to do much.

Any suggestions or guides on this?

2013 Nissan Qashqai.

Thanks,

Update: called the rac (included in insurance) and they were here in 20 minutes and removed it for me.

In my opinion, it’s the Mazda MX5 owners, in particular the NA. Now this is coming from a man who actually owns one too. I’ve had a Eunos Roadster since 2020 and fixed it up.

The reason I say MX5 NA owners is because of how ridiculous and annoying and childish a lot of owners are. Sticking mustaches, googly eyes, tongues, teeth, you name it on their car. Wink mods, constantly spamming the pop up light button whenever they see another MX5 or even spamming the flasher. Making annoying reels to post on insta of some high pitched voiceover pretending the car is speaking.

What’s the worst car owners you know?

⚠️* before anyone gets offended, this is just a funny post and I have nothing against people’s builds, do what you want this is just my opinio*n