How often do you break down?
- Thread starter Lopéz
- Start date
1997 Mondeo - dead (properly dead) battery which I discovered just as I was about to leave for my driving test which I was taking in that car. That was a frantic 30 minutes as I rushed to Halfords for a new one.
1993 405 - stalled every time you put your foot on the clutch making junctions and roundabouts very interesting. I called the AA, they set the idle speed at 3,000RPM. One full Italian tuneup later and it was back to normal.
That's about it in 5 years and well over 100,000 miles, mostly in old bangers.
My 2007 A6 which I've had for nearly 2 years has been flawless as you'd expect except for some odd happenings with the onboard computer which was fixed with a firmware update.
I was pondering the other day how infrequently I see broken down cars at the side of the road. It seems cars have become more reliable even since I started driving just 5 years ago.
1993 405 - stalled every time you put your foot on the clutch making junctions and roundabouts very interesting. I called the AA, they set the idle speed at 3,000RPM. One full Italian tuneup later and it was back to normal.
That's about it in 5 years and well over 100,000 miles, mostly in old bangers.
My 2007 A6 which I've had for nearly 2 years has been flawless as you'd expect except for some odd happenings with the onboard computer which was fixed with a firmware update.
I was pondering the other day how infrequently I see broken down cars at the side of the road. It seems cars have become more reliable even since I started driving just 5 years ago.
Do you not just press a button to change the wheel anyway?
That got me thinking... if a car had hydraulics could you theoretically change a wheel without having to jack it up?
That got me thinking... if a car had hydraulics could you theoretically change a wheel without having to jack it up?
Im sure some race cars used to have air jacks in the car... I maybe wrong
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
That got me thinking... if a car had hydraulics could you theoretically change a wheel without having to jack it up?
Yes you can - this is how I changed a wheel on my Xantia. Raise suspension, slide a stand underneath, lower suspension, change wheel, repeat in reverse.
Do you not just press a button to change the wheel anyway?
Its as good as that now in theory, if the tyre goes flat i ignore it until i can get to a garage to get it changed
Sods law though i have completely worn out the rears (onto another set) and almost worn out the fronts and haven't had an issue 85 Nova 1.0
1993. Electric fan failed in heavy traffic on M56 on way to Oulton Park for BTCC. Boiled over so came off at next junction. Called Dad who came out with a bottle of Anti Freeze and a tow rope just in case.
85 Jetta 1.3
1996. Split water hose on way to Uni. Called RAC who came out and chopped the broken end off the hose and got me going again.
1996. Driveshaft bolts sheared coming out of the end of my road. Some had come loose the remaining two snapped under the awesome power strain of 55bhp (when new). One wheel drive on a hill wasn't going to work so pushed it home. Got a mobile mechanic out to replace the bolts.
1997. Head Gasket failed on way home from work. Managed to get it home before it lunched itself. Nasty Garage bill.
1998. Head Gasket again, fixed under garage warranty. Traded it in quick!
95 306DT. 2000. Alarm fault causing flat battery the day I traded it in. Spooky! RAC man gave me a jump so I could get to the VW dealer 1 mile away...
99 Bora 1.6
Winter 2002 - 2003. Three cases of flat battery due to me being an idiot and leaving the lights on. Faulty microswitch in door lock meant the lights on buzzer didn't work.
2003. Wipers packed up in a torrential rainstorm on the M74 due to seized mech overheating the motor. Got off at next junction - RAC couldn't fix so waited 2 hours for rain to stop then drove to Manchester.
2003. Car kept stalling when warming up due to duff coolant temp sensor flooding the engine. Put up with it for 4 months until it took off down the motorway at 90mph without my feet on the pedals...
05 Fabia vRS.
Nowt. Never missed a beat. Touch Wood.
If only everything was as reliable as Volkswagen
Although to be fair to the Jetta it was over 10 years old with 90k+ on it.
/Edit Missed One
Bora (again!)
2002 - Noticed a trail of oil down the drive after I got home from work. Oil coming out of the bottom of the gearbox. Rivets made out of chocolate in the diff sheared causing a two inch hole in the casing. 3 days of the warranty left - gearbox, diff and clutch replaced (twice as the first replacement had a duff oil seal. Clutches slip when covered in oil).
1993. Electric fan failed in heavy traffic on M56 on way to Oulton Park for BTCC. Boiled over so came off at next junction. Called Dad who came out with a bottle of Anti Freeze and a tow rope just in case.
85 Jetta 1.3
1996. Split water hose on way to Uni. Called RAC who came out and chopped the broken end off the hose and got me going again.
1996. Driveshaft bolts sheared coming out of the end of my road. Some had come loose the remaining two snapped under the awesome power strain of 55bhp (when new). One wheel drive on a hill wasn't going to work so pushed it home. Got a mobile mechanic out to replace the bolts.
1997. Head Gasket failed on way home from work. Managed to get it home before it lunched itself. Nasty Garage bill.
1998. Head Gasket again, fixed under garage warranty. Traded it in quick!
95 306DT. 2000. Alarm fault causing flat battery the day I traded it in. Spooky! RAC man gave me a jump so I could get to the VW dealer 1 mile away...
99 Bora 1.6
Winter 2002 - 2003. Three cases of flat battery due to me being an idiot and leaving the lights on. Faulty microswitch in door lock meant the lights on buzzer didn't work.
2003. Wipers packed up in a torrential rainstorm on the M74 due to seized mech overheating the motor. Got off at next junction - RAC couldn't fix so waited 2 hours for rain to stop then drove to Manchester.
2003. Car kept stalling when warming up due to duff coolant temp sensor flooding the engine. Put up with it for 4 months until it took off down the motorway at 90mph without my feet on the pedals...
05 Fabia vRS.
Nowt. Never missed a beat. Touch Wood.
If only everything was as reliable as Volkswagen
Although to be fair to the Jetta it was over 10 years old with 90k+ on it.
/Edit Missed One
Bora (again!)
2002 - Noticed a trail of oil down the drive after I got home from work. Oil coming out of the bottom of the gearbox. Rivets made out of chocolate in the diff sheared causing a two inch hole in the casing. 3 days of the warranty left - gearbox, diff and clutch replaced (twice as the first replacement had a duff oil seal. Clutches slip when covered in oil).
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Associate
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- 9 Sep 2007
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last car a clio rxe every 2 -3 weeks ,had to join the RAC and the AA 
madzda mx6 -once in a year when the alternator belt snapped (made it to the garage too so dose not really count but I did call the RAC incase I did not make it .)
conclusion ;
french - rubbish
japs -for the win (a much older car too)
madzda mx6 -once in a year when the alternator belt snapped (made it to the garage too so dose not really count but I did call the RAC incase I did not make it .)
conclusion ;
french - rubbish
japs -for the win (a much older car too)
Hmm...
Fiesta XR2i - despite pouring all of its oil out the rocker cover into the plug wells, it never let me down...
(Mum's) Ford Ka, never let me down
M reg Mondeo - never let me down
Mk1 MR2: Battery died so wouldn't start. Needed a jump for a few days until I could get a battery. Then I had an expensive blowout leading to the car being written off. RIP!
E36 325i - never let me down
E34 525i - Engine died after 2 days due to a knackered oil pump snapping the timing chain. Engine replaced, all fine since then bar needing a new battery (but it never actually died properly on me bar one moment of silliness at paradigm's)
Fiesta XR2i - despite pouring all of its oil out the rocker cover into the plug wells, it never let me down...
(Mum's) Ford Ka, never let me down
M reg Mondeo - never let me down
Mk1 MR2: Battery died so wouldn't start. Needed a jump for a few days until I could get a battery. Then I had an expensive blowout leading to the car being written off. RIP!
E36 325i - never let me down
E34 525i - Engine died after 2 days due to a knackered oil pump snapping the timing chain. Engine replaced, all fine since then bar needing a new battery (but it never actually died properly on me bar one moment of silliness at paradigm's)
1975 LandRover lightweight (v8 converted). Flooded engine at roundabout, battery then died trying to start it 
RAC called.
1989 VW Golf 1.3. Alternator failed after being *ahem* wired up incorrectly. Discovered this after driving 100 miles around M25, luckily managed to bump start and get home again running on a less than full complement of cylinders.
1975 VW Beetle 1303. Regularly vapour locked when hot, only solution was to wait until it cooled (does this count as a breakdown?)
1983 Ford Escort XR3i. Distributor electric wire corroded off. RAC called.
1997 VW Golf VR6. Clutch pedal weld failed, leaving me with no clutch. Mate called out with tow rope.
1971 Landrover lightweight (2.25 petrol). Failed miserably to set the points correctly on some new cheapo Lucas points. Discovered this 100 yards down the road.. Neighbours called to push me back. Now fitted with electronic ignition.
2003 VW Golf R32. Battery failed, jump started from mate.
All in all, excluding batteries which are the bane of my existence, I would support that modern cars are more reliable than older ones. Well that's a shock
RAC called.1989 VW Golf 1.3. Alternator failed after being *ahem* wired up incorrectly.
Discovered this after driving 100 miles around M25, luckily managed to bump start and get home again running on a less than full complement of cylinders.1975 VW Beetle 1303. Regularly vapour locked when hot, only solution was to wait until it cooled (does this count as a breakdown?)
1983 Ford Escort XR3i. Distributor electric wire corroded off. RAC called.
1997 VW Golf VR6. Clutch pedal weld failed, leaving me with no clutch. Mate called out with tow rope.
1971 Landrover lightweight (2.25 petrol). Failed miserably to set the points correctly on some new cheapo Lucas points. Discovered this 100 yards down the road.. Neighbours called to push me back. Now fitted with electronic ignition.
2003 VW Golf R32. Battery failed, jump started from mate.
All in all, excluding batteries which are the bane of my existence, I would support that modern cars are more reliable than older ones. Well that's a shock
Soldato
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In over 5 years of driving, never.
My old Uno used to completely cut out due to a faulty ignition amplifier, but it would go again as soon as the part cooled down.
My old Uno used to completely cut out due to a faulty ignition amplifier, but it would go again as soon as the part cooled down.
1997 Astra 1.4
-Battery totally died. Had to get a resuce lorry to come out and give it some juice to get us to a kwik fit.
2002 Civic Type R
-OSF brake caliper seized. Car was undrivable for 4 days and cost a couple of hundred to fix.
-Immobiliser packed up for a day and a half, leaving us without a car.
-Immobiliser threw a wobbler and caused the car to cut out on the A23 when my wife was driving to work. It woke up a bit later and decided to carry on after stopping dead on the hard shoulder.
-Again, immobiliser went mad and cut fuel pump. I called the AA, but after an hour or so it woke up again. £400 to fix. \o/
It's been fine since...
-Battery totally died. Had to get a resuce lorry to come out and give it some juice to get us to a kwik fit.
2002 Civic Type R
-OSF brake caliper seized. Car was undrivable for 4 days and cost a couple of hundred to fix.
-Immobiliser packed up for a day and a half, leaving us without a car.
-Immobiliser threw a wobbler and caused the car to cut out on the A23 when my wife was driving to work. It woke up a bit later and decided to carry on after stopping dead on the hard shoulder.
-Again, immobiliser went mad and cut fuel pump. I called the AA, but after an hour or so it woke up again. £400 to fix. \o/
It's been fine since...
106 rallye. Timing belt x2 (due to dodgy alternator pulley)
106 rallye. Clutch went bye bye. I didn't have the sense to start it in gear and nurse it home.
Civic VTI. Failed bottom ball joint. I'd ignored it creaking for months.
Mondeo v6. Apocalyptic engine failure.
106 rallye. Clutch went bye bye. I didn't have the sense to start it in gear and nurse it home.
Civic VTI. Failed bottom ball joint. I'd ignored it creaking for months.
Mondeo v6. Apocalyptic engine failure.
