Latest news for Warranty Direct 
A third of 3 to10-year old cars will suffer some mechanical failure this year(11/05/2011)
According to Warranty Direct, a third of the 16m DVLA-registered three to10-year old cars will suffer some degree of mechanical failure over the next 12 months. As a result, one in three British motorists will share a £1.6bn unwanted repair bill this year, with some facing bills as high as £7,239. Data held on Warranty Direct’s Reliability index shows that the two-seater Mercedes Benz SL (02-) has the highest average repair bill of £742.10, wi... [more]
The roads are going to deteriorate incredibly quickly over the coming months(03/01/2011)
Potholes are caused by water or snow filling existing cracks in road surfaces and freezing. The expansion this causes breaks open the road, which is revealed when the ice melts. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles cause maximum damage. Last year, it estimated that British motorists paid out £320m in repairs to everything from wheels and tyres to suspension failure. “That figure could pail into insignificance,” warns Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty D... [more]
Warranty Direct reveals top 10 car parts most likely to fail(19/11/2010)
Manufacturer new car warranties only cover material or manufacturing defects because wear-related failures increase in frequency as a vehicle ages and moves outside the traditional three-year cover period. Warranty Direct has revealed the top 10 car parts most likely to fail due to simple wear and tear. Suspension arms top a list which shows that around one in three repairs to vehicles aged between three and seven-years old will be due to a we... [more]
The Honda Jazz is the most reliable student car(15/10/2010)
Warranty Direct has analysed its 50,000 live policies to produce the reliability list of small used cars that come with a price tag suitable for parents or cash-strapped students. As tens of thousands of new students leave home and head for university this month, Warranty Direct reveals that the best car to pack them off in, for the student-sized budget of under £3000, is the Honda Jazz. The diminutive Jazz is the least likely runabout to leav... [more]
The rules governing the sale of used cars must be tightened up to protect consumers against unscrupulous dealers(21/09/2010)
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has revealed that complaints about second-hand cars rose 18% in the first six months of the year, with advice service, Consumer Direct, taking 38,138 complaints about vehicles bought from dealers. Motorists pay an average repair bill of £425 for faults that occur shortly after buying a used car, according to the OFT report. But Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher, says these costs can be av... [more]
Japanese cars are more reliable but European cars are cheaper to repair(21/08/2009)
Japanese manufacturers may still hold sway when it comes to building the most reliable cars but, if you want a vehicle that’s cheap to repair, buy European - That’s the message from Warranty Direct, as it unveiled its Manufacturer Reliability Index of the most dependable used cars (3-6 year old) for 2009. Honda claims top spot as the brand least likely to break down with fellow Far East manufacturers Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubish... [more]
Garages inflate repair bills with unnecessary additional work(11/02/2009)
Analysis of claims work submitted by customers of Warranty Direct over the past six months shows the practice of inflating repair bills with additional work is increasing. The process is more common amongst franchised dealers. In one case, a customer was quoted for work that amounted to 2,200 percent more than the actual repairs necessary. Experts are warning of a rise in garages recommending unnecessary and unrelated repair work to motorists.... [more]
Potentially dangerous damage caused by potholes(01/04/2008)
The Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance report states that there is a shortfall of £1 billion to bring the country’s roads up to standard. With the average motorist suffering a mechanical failure once every three years, six million vehicles – nearly 19 percent of the cars on the road - could have pothole-related damage that may not be immediately apparent to the driver. Every year, around 60 percent of all claims processed by the firm ... [more]
Other car news
Car sales skyrocket by 10%
New vehicle sales grew in the first quarter of 2012, but at a slower rate than the same period last year, the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) said on Tuesday.
New car finance sales increase by a third in March
New car finance sales were up 33% by value and 22% by volume in March compared with March last year, according to the latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association, the trade body for the motor finance industry.
Auto sales buoy economy
Car sales that are running at the fastest pace in four years are poised to reverberate through the world's largest economy as a spillover into production, profits and jobs for Americans may be starting.
India auto sales up 3.4% in April: industry body
Car sales in India rose just 3.4 percent year on year in April, data from an industry body showed Thursday, after the government hiked taxes on vehicles and car makers raised prices.
Car sales grew only 3.40 percent in April
Domestic passenger car sales in India increased by only 3.40 percent in April and stood at 168,351 units from 162,813 units sold in the like period of 2011, according to data furnished by an industry body Thursday.
April car sales up 3.4 pct y/y
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Car sales in India rose an annual 3.4 percent in April, according to data from an industry body, a sixth consecutive monthly increase but lower than in recent months after the country ...
April car sales rise 3.4 pct y/y
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Car sales in India rose an annual 3.4 percent in April, according to data from an industry body, a sixth consecutive monthly increase but lower than in recent months after the country ...
Car dealers defy downturn with growing sales
(Reuters) - Britons came out in force to buy new cars in the first quarter, according to figures from top dealers, the latest signal that the car sales are resilient in the face of a return to recession for the broader economy. UK industry leader Pendragon Plc, whose 250-plus retail outlets trade as Stratstone, Evans Halshaw and Chatfields -- reported a 15.7 percent increase in new car market ...
Budget buyers to boost China car sales: Ford exec
Automakers will race to appeal to budget-conscious Chinese car buyers as the industry expands beyond the wealthy coastal cities in the east, Ford Motor Co's Asia chief said on Tuesday. As they expand more ...
Automotive Accessories Startup mAuto Store Announces Thousands of Car Sun Shades Sold After Launch
AVENTURA, Fla., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The automotive accessories startup has registered record sales of car sun shades in less than a month. Several customers are sending in their own product photos ...
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