How often do you break down?

Can't ever remember any car ever breaking down in the last 10 years. And I've driven some total wrecks :p

Have been with the AA for most of that and the only time I ever used them was when I was about to sell my Leon and the Engine Management Warning light came on. According to the Handbook and Seat, the advice was to pull over asap, so when I got to work I called the AA to get the to come out and check the error codes. Can't remember what the fault was exactly, but I remember I wasn't best pleased with the timing of the fault, seeing as I was on the verge of selling it.

/edit - for the benefit of Fox - it wasn't really a a breakdown, as the car was still running fine. I called out the AA as a precaution, due to the information on that particular warning light. After their diagnosis, they said the car was fine to drive and when taken to the garage I believe it turned out to be a faulty sensor.


Other than that, I once got back to a car park to find a screw through one of the tyres. But again not exactly a 'breakdown'.
 
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My car is a 10 year old Mk1 Fiat Punto 1.2i 60s Team. It has broken down on me ONCE in the whole 4 years i've owned it.

About 3 weeks ago, the car came to a juddering halt at some traffic lights, lots of steam coming from engine, thought the headgasket had gone or something.
Pushed the car wrong the corner to somewere safe to leave it parked up. Went back the next day and it started. Drove it the short distance home (< 2miles) and left it on the drive till a mobile mechanic could have a look. Turned out that the water pump had given up and was leaking so the engine overheated, I wasn't aware of the over heating because my temperature guage had been unplugged.

Not looking forward to the MOT in a weeks time. Just know somethings gonna go **** up!
 
Rover 416. Dropped a valve into the cylinder. Killing the engine pretty much, sold the car on ebay. I’ll never buy a rover again.

Left boot slightly open in my £25 Austin Maestro leaving the boot light on draining the battery.

All in all pretty good going for seven years of driving.
 
whitecrook said:
that happened to me. Luckily I had a cable and clip with me at the time. Took me about 5 hours at the side of the road to replace the cable and clip... finished at about midnight IIRC.
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over 3 different xantias and 65,000miles between then I've never had this problem. 2nd thoughts shouldn't have said that as I've got a 400 mile journey tomorrow.:o
 
Shortly after getting my first 214, the alternator died after I killed it trying to pull about 90amps continuous. The alternator was rated for about 65amps :D

Second 214 kept shearing alternator belt tensioners... happened on the way to a funeral in Wales. Conked out on the A55 heading back home. Luckily there was a garage on the other side of the embankment ( :eek: ), bought a new battery and off I went.

That day was roasting hot and due to my dying battery, the radiator fan must have been running at about 1/4 of the speed... didn't even get HGF :p

The 220 was flawless... can't think of anything ever happening to that car.

420... oil filter came loose and spewed all of my lovely clean oil over the road :( And a faulty (8 hour old) rotor arm caused the car to die on the M61 at 11pm at night. Swapped it for the old one on the hard shoulder and was on my way again.
 
[TW]Fox;12876067 said:
And then you go on to tell us about the time your car broke down :confused:
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The car was still running, I only called the AA as a precaution, based on the advice for that particular warning light. On their diagnosis I believe the problem was a faulty sensor, which just needed replaced.

Hardly a breakdown imo :p
 
1984 VW Polo 1.0 - lost power (as if it ever had any!) on the M6, something to do with fuel ignition, can't really remember. RAC called and towed home.

1995 Alfa Romeo 164 cloverleaf - coolant pipe split causing lots of steam and engine to overheat. RAC called and towed home.

1998 Ford Mondeo ST24 - throttle cable snapped while overtaking. RAC called who made up a new cable and put it in.

Mondeo also had a puncture.. spare wheel went on.
Had a problem with the clutch/slave cylinder on the mondeo as well close to home. Managed to make it home and sold it as it was.
 
Lopéz said:
I think that's it :eek: Not bad considering I've owned nothing but unreliable old sheds all my life.
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*touch wood* I've never had a problem that couldn't be fixed by myself at the roadside (with maybe help from my dad or brother). It's a 1986 Capri, I had it pop a heater matrix once, that was about the most serious, I bypassed it and drove it home.
 
I think what this goes to show is that stories of unreliability vs unreliablity are largely bobbins and the majority of this is down to luck :D
 
Fiat Punto, in 1998 my M plate had it's exhaust fall off. Just at the crest of a hill on a country road. Fun. Eventually realised I could still drive it although it sounded like a dragster.

Peugeot 306, in 1999 the gearbox went. Struggled to a garage at 10mph. 2k repair bill, the car was only two years old!! I forced Peugeot to pay half, but still..

Thankfully never been really stranded (touch wood).
 
Tafkap said:
Peugeot 306, in 1999 the gearbox went. Struggled to a garage at 10mph. 2k repair bill, the car was only two years old!! I forced Peugeot to pay half, but still..

Thankfully never been really stranded (touch wood).
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Ouch! I've probably spent less than that in total in the 6 years I've had my car, including the cost of buying it! Of course a replacement gearbox (albeit 2nd hand) can be had for about £50 which helps!
 
hmm..

1994: Volvo 244, vandalised while at work, four knifed tyres and the headlights broken, had to get dad out of bed with a spare set of wheels then follow him home in the dark.. maybe doesn't count

1996: Fiat Panda, some kind of electrical problem causing car to cut out and not tick over, RAC man beat it with a hammer stating that with all fiats you just had to "show them who makes the rules"

1997: Opel Manta, car had been stored for 2 years before i bought it, got it an mot and started using it for ~50mile daily commute, head gasket went a week later, 1 mile from home had to be towed.

1999: Volvo 480es, gearbox grenaded itself at 270,000 miles on the m42, lost 1st, 2nd and most of 3rd.. had a friend tow-start it to get up to speed then drove home

2001: Opel Manta, thermostat failed shut on the m69, boiled the engine and took out the head gasket, limped to Corley services and towed home from there

2004: Ford Escort, complete brake failure, blew the servo thingy, whilst trying to make up time on b roads in wales, rac relay service home

2007: Vauxhall Carlton, crash destroyed both rear wheels (insert excuses here about greasy tarmac on exit of roundabout in rain, diesel spills and all the rest, bottom line is halfway round the corner i ran out of talent :) ), low loader to garage for repairs

2008: Range Rover, front propshaft let go on Garrison Circus (Birmingham inner ring-road), in rush hour, i was not popular. had to low loader it home because the flailing end of the propshaft ripped the air line out of the centre diff, couldn't lock it into rwd *sulk*

2008: Range Rover, failed to start one morning, no compression on diesel engine.. not sure why but i suspect that the piston rings have gone

2008: Opel Manta, Electric fuel pump failure on m69, had to get tow from RAC because they get funny about you replacing parts on the hard shoulder :)

I don't think that's such a bad run considering that apart from the Volvo none of them cost more than £800 to buy :D
 
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