Cost of replacing lost car keys jumps nearly a third in two years

Lost car keys

Lose your car key and it’ll probably cost more than you think

Replacing lost car keys is getting increasingly expensive. Drivers who get that feeling of dread in the pit of their stomach when they realise their car keys have gone AWOL would be well served to search more thoroughly. If they do have to replace the key to their vehicle it will cost more than in previous years. And ironically, the added expense is down to so-called ‘keyless’ technology.

New figures released by key insurers Keycare have revealed that drivers who mislaid their car keys last year had to pay 29 per cent more than they would have in 2013. Keycare looked into claims from 1482 drivers in 2015 and found that the average cost of replacing a key is now £215. However, that price can escalate to nearly £1500 if you need a new central locking system too.

Why is the price of replacing lost car keys increasing?

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How badly does flooding damage a car?

Flood-damaged car

This might look like a watery write-off but it could be dried out and sold on

Green Flag head of rescue and motor claims response, Neil Wilson, believes one in seven cars rescued by the company in parts of the country hit by flooding will be an insurance write-off. That means six out of seven cars from flooded areas – thousands – will be put back on the road. And some will undoubtedly be sold as used cars. Here are some simple checks to ensure you don’t buy a flood-damaged car.

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Most reliable cars come from Japan and Korea

Most reliable cars

Toyota’s reputation for reliability appears well founded (Picture © Toyota)

If you want a car that isn’t going to let you down, you should look to makers from the far east. New figures from guarantee firm Warrantywise show the top 10 most reliable cars comprises seven manufacturers from Japan and one from Korea.

The Warrantywise data revealed that the five most reliable manufacturers are Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Mazda – all from Japan. They are followed by Korean company Hyundai and Japan’s Nissan. Ford is the first non-far eastern brand. The findings tally with the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey where owners rated the Toyota iQ and the NX and IS from sister brand Lexus as the UK’s top three most reliable cars.

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Car servicing: save money and get the best service by shopping around

Car servicing: a Which? investigation found drivers can save over £200 in many towns and cities by shopping around 

Most drivers appreciate the need to have their car serviced on a regular basis. They will follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended service intervals, or with modern digital systems, keep an eye on a display in the dashboard which counts down the miles or days until a car next needs servicing. But when the time comes to have the job done, how many of us shop around to save money and get the best standard of work?

The answer is probably not many. It’s all too easy to go with convenience, such as a local garage. And with younger cars, drivers are often swayed by sticking with franchised dealers.

However, the hourly labour rates that greatly influence how expensive a car’s servicing bill vary greatly.

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James Mills 1 Comment

DIY jobs to keep your car working in winter

Simple DIY car jobs

Many garages offer to perform free winter checks on cars

No one wants to be stranded in winter, especially when we rely on our cars for visiting family and friends. Equally, we all want to spend time enjoying ourselves, rather than getting grimy carrying out car maintenance. That’s why drivers will like these simple DIY jobs that will keep cars in tip top condition in cold weather without taking hours to do.  Continue reading →

Mike Shaw 1 Comment

Top 5 winter emergencies drivers face – and how to deal with them

 

Winter driving emergencies and how drivers can deal with them

Aquaplaning is the most common hazard drivers face in winter (Picture © Porsche)

When we’re on the road, the firefly twinkle of Christmas lights and warm glow of a roaring fire is just something to look forward to when we get home. The rest of the time it’s mostly cold, damp and dark – in other words, the most difficult driving conditions of the year.

Sprinkle a fresh and fluffy layer of snow on the roads, add a touch of black ice for good measure, and it gets downright treacherous. While it’s a good idea to invest in tuition at an advanced driving course, not everyone has the time or money to spare. So these invaluable tips from Peter Rodger, a former chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, should benefit all drivers this winter.

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Automatic car washes dying out as the hand car wash cleans up

Car wash

The number of mechanical car washes has halved over the last 15 years

A Saharan dust cloud is expected to hit the UK on Thursday. Brits on the east coast are being warned to expect warm weather and high pollution levels as unseasonable temperatures hit us. But if the dust does make it and your car is covered, how will you clean it off? According to a new report, the days of the mechanical car wash could be numbered.

The growing popularity of hand car washes has prompted the decline in so-called ‘rollover machines’. Now the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) claims the number of automated car washes has halved over the past 15 years. It says that since 2000, the mechanical car washes on UK garage forecourts have plunged from 9000 to 4200 this year.

Why are hand car washes becoming so popular?

A report from five years ago by researcher Datamonitor revealed that the UK spends £523m a year on car washes. But according to the PRA, mechanical car washes are increasingly standing idle because hand car Continue reading →

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To chill or not to chill: when to use a car’s air-conditioning in the winter

Driving in winter with air conditioning

Once upon a time, air-conditioning in cars was the ultimate luxury, available only on the most expensive motors. Now it’s a standard feature in the most affordable cars on our roads: the small Dacia Sandero, Skoda Citigo and Vauxhall Viva city cars offer it. But drivers often think that it will be more economical and save on fuel if they don’t use it over winter, when the air rarely needs cooling. So the question is this: to chill or not to chill in winter?

Should you switch a car’s air-conditioning off in winter?

Air-conditioning expert Sam Sihra from Alpinair, in West London, has been servicing cars’ air-conditioning systems since 1972. In his view, switching off a car’s air-conditioning system for weeks on end when the weather is cold, and perhaps only running it occasionally, is a mistake.

Why should drivers use air-con in winter weather?

Air-conditioning is the best way to dehumidify, or dry, damp air. With it running, the inside of a car’s windows won’t mist up; switch it off and it could seem as though you’re driving in dense fog. Equally, using the air-conditioning is a great way of de-misting the car if it steams up when you first get in it on a cold day. Continue reading →

James Mills 3 Comments

Expert advice: Driving through flood water

Driving through flood water

Driving too fast through a flood can cause mechanical damage to cars. Experts recommend no more than 3-4mph

With more heavy rain forecast, it’s vital drivers know how to deal with flooded roads. The waterlogged carriageway might look innocuous enough, the prospect of entering deep water quite an adventure. But it can be one of the most perilous – and expensive – things drivers do. So if you encounter a stretch of flooded road, the first thing to do is attempt to avoid it. If that’s impossible, here’s what you need to know.

How deep is the water?

Never consider driving through flood water unless you know how deep the water is. Once you’re committed it’s impossible to do a three-point turn if you discover part way along that the water is deeper than you thought. Discretion really is the better part of valour here. Assuming there are other cars on the road, park out of the way and watch other drivers try it. See where the water comes up to on their cars and if there are any points where it’s deeper than you first thought.
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Mike Shaw 5 Comments

Why December is the best month for buying a car

Buying a car

Selling cars can be a thankless task in the middle of winter

It’s the end of the year and a brilliant time for buying a car. Whether you’re looking to buy new or used, it’s the period in the year when car dealers are under the most pressure to make sales. Which is great news for buyers. Here’s why, if you’re considering a car purchase, December is the best time to head down to the dealership.

Why is Christmas such a good time to buy a car?

Think about it. Buying a car is probably the last thing you want to do. You’ve got presents to buy, holiday to take, don’t forget forking out for the other half’s Christmas present, and then there’s paying to feed the 5000 on the big day itself. You’re not alone. Frequently at this time of year, the inside of a car dealership can feel like someone’s forgotten to unlock the door. If you go in willing to do business, any half-awake sales exec will snatch your hand off.
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James Foxall 2 Comments

Road safety week: upgrading a car’s headlamp bulbs

Stay safe this road safety week: upgrade your car's headlamp bulbs

Improve road safety and upgrade your car’s headlamp bulbs (Picture © Ford)


This year’s national Road Safety Week promotes the message that drivers should use their car less and live more. It’s a heartfelt and honest sentiment, but not necessarily entirely practical for those who rely on their car to commute, get the children to school or carry out their job. So what simple but proven things can drivers do to make them and our roads safer?

Upgrading a car’s headlamp bulbs is an ideal starting point at this time of year. For one, it’s an affordable improvement that won’t deplete the Christmas present fund. A pair of the best-performing halogen headlamp bulbs costs around £20 or less, and even the least mechanically minded motorists should be able to fit them.

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Expert advice: how to keep your car motoring with our winter checks

Winter checks

Hopefully we won’t see too much of this. But it’s good to be prepared…

To coincide with 2015’s Road Safety Week, it seems sensible for us to carry out some simple checks to ensure our cars are up to everything that winter weather can throw at it. Of course, at Green Flag we know from experience that there are some things no driver can predict. But there are plenty that we can. To help less experienced or less confident drivers be prepared for bad winter weather, I’ve compiled these six simple checks that take just couple of minutes to carry out and can minimise the chances of a car breaking down in harsh winter weather.

Check your tyres

Even if this winter is a relatively mild one, as it has been so far, it’s likely to be pretty Continue reading →

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Assess your reaction time at the wheel with online instant test

Reaction time test

Drivers think texting at the wheel is a bigger safety threat than drink driving


Did you know that being a regular driver can make your reaction times quicker than not driving? Or that for some people, not having enough sleep has as much of a negative effect on their ability at the wheel as having too much to drink? The startling results come after a new internet game was released to give drivers the chance to test their reactions.

Do you have the reflexes of an 18 year old?
Click image to open interactive version (via JustPark.com).
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James Foxall 2 Comments

Stealth speed cameras explained

Stealth speed cameras attacked by critics

‘Police, Camera, Action!’ used to be best known as an ITV television show that screened clips of reckless drivers failing to outrun the police on Britain’s roads. But increasingly the title is being adopted by more cynical drivers who feel that police are treating speed cameras technology to raise revenue.

The mood among motorists changed markedly after Olly Martins, Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, revealed to the Home Affairs Select Committee last week that he could raise up to an extra £1million from cameras.

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How to check a used car’s V5C logbook and MOT are genuine

How to check the V5C and MOT documents are genuine

It would be nice to imagine that when buying a used car, every vendor is as trustworthy as a girl guide and each handshake worth as much as a legally binding written contract. Sadly, there’s no shortage of unscrupulous, shady characters who make Tony Soprano seem positively saintly. And that’s why it’s important to check a used car’s V5C registration document and MOT.

The V5C is essentially the authorities’ record of who owns, or is responsible for a car. When someone selling a car produces it, a buyer can use the V5C to check that the vehicle is what it claims to be, and that the person selling it is the car’s owner and entitled to sell it.

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James Mills 3 Comments

Winter tyres or 4×4: What’s best for cold weather driving?

Winter tyres

Is four-wheel drive better than winter tyres in the snow? (Picture © BMW)

The clocks have gone back, it’s getting dark ever earlier, and the forecasters say it’s going to be a cold winter. It means the roads are wet and greasy, or even worse, could be slippery with ice or snow. And that means regular two-wheel drive cars like most of us own can struggle for grip. It’s little surprise that so many drivers consider swapping the family saloon for a four-wheel drive SUV at this time of the year.

However, there could be a simple, more affordable approach for drivers other than forking out for an SUV, or indeed any four-wheel drive car: fitting winter tyres to their current car. Here’s how drivers can keep moving this winter.
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James Foxall 2 Comments

Clocked cars: How to spot a mileage altered second-hand motor

Clocked car

Anyone can adjust a car’s mileage now using a lap top computer

The number of clocked cars on UK roads is on the increase. And that means ever more numbers of drivers are at risk of buying a car that’s had its mileage tampered with.

Adjusting the miles a car has covered, popularly known as clocking, is actually legal. Selling a car that’s been clocked isn’t. The result is that there are numerous companies offering ‘mileage correction’ services, perfectly legitimately. This practice is set to be banned in 2018. In the meantime, car history check company HPI claims one in 20 cars on UK roads has a mileage discrepancy. That’s 1.65 million potentially clocked cars on our road. Here’s how you can tell if the car you’re interested in is one of them.

How do you spot a clocked car?

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James Foxall 3 Comments

VW diesel engine crisis: Latest FAQs for owners

VW diesel engine crisis

Cars including the VW Golf 1.6TDI have been affected (Picture © Volkswagen)

The VW diesel engine crisis rumbles on. So we’ve got the answers to the most frequently asked questions for the 1.2 million UK owners of affected cars. In September 2015, news broke that German car maker Volkswagen had fitted a ‘defeat device’ to the engine software of some of its diesel cars. This was designed to cheat emissions tests, primarily in the US, by knowing when the car was being tested and cutting dangerous nitrogen oxide outputs down to a legal level. These were then put back up to be illegal to improve economy when the car was on the road.

VW diesel engine crisis: Which engines are affected?

The engine at the centre of this is the EA 189 engine. This is an engine architecture so it’s not as simple as saying it’s just an engine with a certain capacity. It affects the 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesels that comply with EU 5 emissions laws. These have been fitted to models as diverse as the SEAT Ibiza, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 Cabriolet. Petrol engines are unaffected.

VW diesel engine crisis: Are other engines involved?

The US environment regulators have now found that the ‘defeat device’ has also been used on the larger 3.0-litre diesel engines. These engines are in models that were built between 2014 and 16. They include cars such as the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi A4 and A6 and Porsche Cayenne. It is currently unclear if UK cars are involved.

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Vauxhall Zafira fire fears advice

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2012

Vauxhall is offering a free safety inspection to owners of the Zafira B (above) built between 2005 and 2014 (Picture: © Vauxhall)

The Vauxhall Zafira is one of the most popular family cars of its type, bought by drivers who typically need to ferry a small army of children on the school run during the week and then zig and zag their way to dance classes and swimming lessons at the weekend. But owners of the MPV (multi-purpose vehicle or people carrier) have begun a high-profile campaign on social media after their cars burst into flames.

Approximately 130 people have reported overheating problems occurring behind the glovebox. A number of cars have suffered more seriously, bursting into flames as they were being driven, prompting the car maker to examine around 20 burned out Zafiras.

Vauxhall has now responded to the potentially deadly issue. The Luton-based car maker has issued advice to Zafira owners, and if you’re one of them, or have a friend or member of the family who drivers a Zafira, here’s what you need to know.

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Back to the Future DeLorean time machine

Back To The Future original artwork

What’s the date? 21 October 2015, of course! (Picture: © Universal Pictures)

Great Scott! It’s Back To The Future day. Which can only mean one thing – we don’t need roads where we’re going. Actually, we do, but that’s just one of the predictions that Back To The Future II, the 1989 smash hit starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd, didn’t get right.

Fans of the successful Back To The Future franchise, which began in 1985, are getting just a little bit excited. Because today, 21 October 2015, marks the date that Marty McFly (Fox) and Doc Brown (Lloyd) arrived at in the future after travelling through the space-time continuum in Doc Brown’s DeLorean DMC-12 time machine. The famous scene appeared in Back To The Future II.

So for the benefit of all those who missed out on one of the most popular films of the 80s, and those who were there but, ahem, have fuzzy memories of it all, here’s what you need to know about Back To The Future’s star character – the DeLorean DMC-12 time machine.

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