A recent survey has found a worrying lack of awareness when it comes to knowledge on UK driving laws.
Warranty Direct
Electrical faults increase as new car warranties expire
Electrical gremlins are the faults most likely to appear as a new car exits its standard three-year manufacturer’s warranty period, says Reliability Index.
Warranty Direct creates Halloween horror car
As October 31 approaches, Warranty Direct has revealed its Halloween horror car.
Using data from its Reliability Index (www.reliabilityindex.com) the 'horrific car' would give its owners nightmares all year round. Warranty Direct analysed data from 50,000 live policies, using failure rates to determine which parts should be bolted on to the ultimate horror vehicle. The vehicle, known as 'H-0WL3R' breaks down every other month and regularly feasts on the contents of its owner's bank account, costing an average of £487 to repair.
Sitting on the Mazda 5's axle and suspension system, the Horrific H-0WL3R would most likely spend much of its time coming to grief over Britain's poor quality road surfaces, breaking in the process, as the suspension inflicts problems on almost three quarters of Mazda 5s.
Power comes from a motor torn from under the bonnet of a Mitsubishi Outlander. This engine will be to blame for almost half of the many failed starts with some 48.3 per cent blighted by such issues. Stopping the Frankenstein of a car could be a problem too as the Mazda MX-5 donates its braking system to the H-0WL3R. Although the car experiences most problems as infrequently as Halloween itself, in almost 50 per cent of these instances, the issue is related to the brakes.
Adding to this engineering monstrosity is the Chevrolet Tacuma. For drivers of H-0WL3R, turning corners and swapping cogs will most likely be an unpleasant experience thanks to a steering system and gearbox which have both been proven to plague 33 per cent of Tacumas with reliability woes. The complex electrics of a Lexus GS will cause regular headaches with a 67 per cent failure rate, while the wheezing air conditioning system of a Honda CR-V is likely to bring unpredictable temperatures and a lamentable failure rate of 18.4 per cent.
David Gerrans, Managing Director of Warranty Direct commented, "This Halloween vehicle is the culmination of motorists' nightmares, guaranteeing inconvenient and expensive breakdowns if it was ever to be built. Thankfully it is fictional and can't be found on the market, nonetheless, it does highlight the Achilles heel of different vehicles, some of which are generally reliable, but could cause a fright as a result of a rogue component."
Warranty Direct names ten most reliable student cars
As students prepare to pack up their belongings and head off to university, Warranty Direct has named the top ten most reliable, yet still affordable runabouts.
Warranty Direct names top ten eco cars
The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic has the best mix of fuel economy and reliability.
That's according to research carried out by Warranty Direct, after devising a top ten list of the most reliable used 'eco' cars aged three years or older. Those that offer the best combination of reliability and economy, we rated using Warranty Direct's Reliability Index which analysed its 50,000 live policies, measuring overall reliability by combining rate of failure, average mileage, age and repair cost.
With manufacturers continually developing new technology to delivers better fuel consumption and lower emissions, some more complex machines are still prone to going wrong, forcing owners to foot expensive repair bills.
The results revealed that the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, 1.6 TDCi (95bhp) Edge ECOnetic II, with an impressive combined MPG figure of 85.6 had the best mix of fuel economy and reliability. The Smart Fortwo (CDI Pure 2d Auto) was able to match the Fiesta's MPG figure and is unlikely to let its owners down, though it suffered marginally more mechanical faults than the Ford.
The SEAT Ibiza (1.4 TDi Ecomotive), Volkswagen Polo (1.4 BlueMotion TDI (80ps) and Skoda Fabia (1.2 TDI CR Greenline II) put in a strong showing for the Volkswagen Group with closely matched scores, though the Skoda nudged ahead of its stablemates owing to an MPG return of 83.1. However, the frugal SEAT is statistically more reliable. Rounding out the top ten was the Nissan Note (1.5 dCi Visia).
David Gerrans, Managing Director at Warranty Direct commented: "the 'eco' derivatives of a used vehicle are often desirable, promising economical motoring for the cost-conscious buyer. However, savings on fuel and road tax can soon be countered with astronomical bills for mechanical or electrical failure. It is important to take these factors into account when selecting a car based on green credentials."