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Martin Chalker from Keston in Kent bought a Mercedes E Class Cabriolet on a 15 plate from a main dealer. He noticed sap like bubbles on the paintwork that seemed to be spreading.

After taking the car in for an inspection when it became clear that the marks weren’t as he thought, tree sap, it was agreed that the problem was with the lacquer.

It was proposed that the car should be re-sprayed under the warranty but that Martin would have to pay for the sills and bumpers to be re-sprayed. I’ve never heard of anything so daft!

As it was close to Christmas the dealer agreed to take the car in for the work to be done during January with the re-spray expected to take 6-8 weeks.

So Martin was not only facing a long delay he was also looking at a bill for £1,589 to repaint the sills and bumpers. Why? Whilst he was provided with a courtesy car, after 2 months he still didn’t have his car back.

He wrote to AutoExpress who contacted Mercedes, following which the dealer started work on the car the following day and 2 weeks later the car was returned with a full respray.

They didn’t charge for the sills and bumpers and in addition they made a payment to cover the finance cost of his car whilst he was suffering the faults and driving a courtesy car. In total, £4,657. Whilst Martin was delighted why did he need to get AutoExpress involved?

In the first place the car wasn’t his so he should have immediately got the finance company involved. The attempt to get him to pay for the sills and bumpers to be repainted was a disgrace, no doubt relying on the ‘betterment’ rule but that flies in the face of EU Consumer law or simply just trying it on.

Good on AutoExpress but so frustrating!! If the customer wasn’t entitled to everything he claimed for you can guarantee that Mercedes would not have rolled over and paid up. By Graham Hill

A shocking survey has been released showing that all new diesel engine cars fail to meet EU standards in independent real-world emissions tests. The survey carried out by the International Council Of Clean Transport (ICCT) found that 4 manufacturer groups had average emissions more than 12 times above the Euro 6 diesel type-approval limit, with the highest emitting vehicle family having emissions 18 times the limit!!!!

Petrol cars performed better with all Euro 6 petrol models receiving a ‘good’ or ‘moderate’ rating. In fact, the highest emitting petrol Euro 6 vehicle family had approximately the same level of NOx emissions as the lowest-emitting diesel vehicle family.

And this wasn’t a test on a few hundred vehicles the tests were carried out on 700,000 cars and 4,850 vehicle models, nearly all designed and built to Euro standards 3-6, across Europe.

The project named CONOX and funded by the Swiss Federal Office for The Environment, had an initial dataset comprising of samples collected in France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

In London, for example, researchers used remote sensing technology to measure the emissions from more than 100,000 vehicles during a 5-month sampling campaign that stretched from November 2017 through to March 2018.

Measurements were carried out over a period of 45 days at 9 locations in the Greater London area. All results have been put into a searchable database by the Real Urban Emissions Initiative (TRUE – no I couldn’t work that out either) which aims at bringing transparency to the public debate and awareness of vehicle emissions and urban air quality.

The way that the readings were obtained involved using technology developed by ICCT which required a beam of light to be passed through the exhaust emissions from a sampling location on the road. Automatic number plate recognition technology was used to determine which model of car was being tested.

They also felt that this method of monitoring real-world emission made it almost impossible to cheat or falsify the figures. Their results were graded Good (Green), Moderate (Yellow) and Poor (Red). They also grouped them under Euro 3, 4, 5 and 6 and even Euro 6 results only showed a few diesel cars that had climbed out of Poor to Moderate.

No Euro 6 standard diesel engines received a green rating but the yellow ratings were achieved by only 1 top-selling brand and that was BMW. Euro 5 performed particularly poorly and it was one of the car families in this group whose NOx emissions were 18 times over the limit.

You can read more about these frightening results by visiting the TRUE website. By Graham Hill

If you’ve been watching the news over the last few days you’ll be aware that learner drivers are now able to include motorway driving as part of the driver training. If you weren’t aware then don’t be shocked to see a learner driver in front of you.

As of the 4^th June learner drivers are now allowed on any of our motorways as part of their driver training. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced this change earlier this year as part of an effort to help reduce fatalities among young and/or inexperienced drivers.

This move followed studies that showed young drivers 5 to 7 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a road accident than those over 25. There are restrictions when driving on motorways, the learner must be accompanied by a fully qualified driving instructor and only in cars fitted with dual controls.

Frankly, I’m surprised it has taken so long to introduce this change. I have friends (no names to protect the dopey) who passed their driving tests many years ago who still won’t drive on motorways because they lack the confidence. Early reports from driving instructors have been very positive suggesting that learners are not only enjoying the experience but also their general confidence improves as a result of the motorway training.

So when you’re next on a motorway and you see a learner driver in front of you don’t be shocked but give them plenty of space – it must be nerve-racking for them! By Graham Hill

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that the MOT test has just changed making it a lot tougher for cars with diesel engines to get through. Even a whiff of smoke from the exhaust will, in future, be enough for the tester to fail the car if the car is diesel fitted with a DPF.

I won’t go through all the new regulations as I covered those a few weeks ago. However, latest statistics from the Diver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) showed that over 35% of vehicles failed their MOT test in the financial year 2016/7.

The reasons were quite interesting as follows:

So there you have it. The areas you should pay special attention to. By Graham Hill

So often I’ve looked at the standard list of equipment fitted to cars and asked myself the question – why? Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to me but of course to others it is an essential must have feature. Business Car has had a look at some technology and having surveyed a number of business drivers who clearly spend a lot of time behind the wheel they have come up with an essential list of equipment that drivers look for. Here you go:

DAB Radio:   This got off to a very shaky start and is still problematic in some cars and in some areas of the country but for those reliant on radio weather reports and like to listen to crystal clear music a DAB radio is essential. The changeover came and went and frankly I don’t actually know if all new cars have to be fitted with DAB but I’m pretty sure that all new cars are.

Parking Assist: Once only fitted to top end cars it is now percolating down to family cars and smaller cars. The car finds a suitable parking spot. You activate, change gear, accelerate and brake but take your hands off the steering wheel and the car steers itself perfectly into the parking space. I have it but very rarely use it. Others feel they can’t live without it.

Lane Departure Warning & Blindspot Detection: Pretty much self-explanatory, a warning buzzer and/or light illuminates to let you know that you’ve drifted out of your lane if you cross over the white lines, possibly because you are nodding at the wheel. Blindspot detection alerts you if there is another car in the blind spot that it senses you’ve missed – pretty straightforward but useful.

Adaptive Cruise Control: There are some good videos on YouTube showing this in action. Basically, let’s say you’re travelling along the motorway, cruising at 70 miles per hour with cruise control engaged. You’re not properly concentrating and you run up behind the car in front travelling at 50 mph. The system will slow you down to match their speed, then as you indicate and move out to overtake the system picks up your speed back to 70 mph.

Rear Parking Cameras & Parking Sensors:  This is the next step down from Park Assist whereby the parking sensors and rear camera can assist you in not denting the back of your car or a pedestrian. Parking sensors normally come with an audible as well as a visual warning with the sound getting louder and warning LED lights increasing in number and in some cases moving from orange to red as you get closer. Some cars also come with front sensors. Some cars come with a rear camera instead of sensors whilst others have them in addition to the sensors. Particularly if rear visibility is restricted. Some cars even have all-round cameras and sensors which can give you a view on your screen as though you were looking down from above the car. Looks great but not sure if essential.

Autonomous Emergency Braking: In simple terms this stops you from running into a car (or person) in front if you lose concentration. I should add that most of these systems are not meant to stop a high-speed crash, it only activates at low speed but statistics show that this is one of the most common accidents in built-up areas. If you move forward in a queue and the car in front stops quickly the system will activate and stop you from running into the back of the car. Many manufacturers have their own system with mixed reviews but I have to say it has stopped me from having a shunt on a roundabout.

Heated Windscreen: This is becoming more popular as the cost comes down. It consists of a very fine filament built into the windscreen that will superheat and not only clears the screen of frost or snow but also the dreaded interior fog or mist without the need to take a cloth to it leaving irritating smears. The heated screen can also release wiper blades stuck to the windscreen. I would certainly say a must have in the UK.

Satelite Navigation: I believe that BMW is the first car manufacturer to fit Sat Nav into all their new cars. They are so much more these days than just a route planner they will also divert you if there are road works and direct you to garages if you run low on fuel or restaurants if you need some food. They still aren’t standard on all cars but we are moving in that direction.

Apple Carplay and/or Android Auto Capability: Effectively these systems allow you to use all the apps you have on your phone on the screen in your dashboard. You can use a sat nav app and play your Spotify playlist through the car’s audio system.

Speed Limit Monitoring System: This system simply warns you if you drift over the speed limit. They work differently, some give off an audible sound whilst others either flash up the speed limit on your screen or a warning light illuminates. Either way the system could save you points or even your licence.

Wireless Charging: More important if you are driving a lot and making a lot of calls on your mobile. Having wires connecting between your phone and USB port can be untidy and distracting so a wireless charger could be very useful. May not be that essential but useful to have.

There you have it – a round up of techie equipment that business car drivers would like in their cars and worth considering when you change next. By Graham Hill

If you are an F1 fan, as I am, you regularly hear of ‘marbles’ on the race track making driving difficult if you move off the driving line and into the ‘marbles’. If this has left you confused the marbles aren’t little glass balls they are particles of rubber from the tyres as they wear down.

Race tyres are made of much softer rubber than the tyres that you have fitted to your car but our normal road tyres, when they wear down, emit ‘marbles’ in the form of fine particles of rubber adding to the particulates in the air. The same happens when you brake.

Tiny particles are released as the pads wear down, not as dangerous as when the pads were made of asbestos but still bad for the environment. As a result of the particles still at fairly high levels the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced in its latest Clean Air Strategy that it will be looking into these particulate emissions with a view to working with International Bodies to come up with some new standards for tyres and brakes.

The aim will be to reduce the toxic, non-exhaust emissions, termed as micro-plastics, that are currently polluting the air and water. The study also called for action against older, heavily polluting diesel vehicles with proposed charges to be introduced in all major towns and cities. Frankly, anything that improves air quality is OK by me but we still need clearer guidelines from the Government regarding the dangers of diesel vs petrol – it is long overdue. By Graham Hill

Years ago I was the ‘Man To Go To’ for many middle eastern members of their various royal families when they wanted to buy anti-terror protected cars. Most were top of the range stretched or LWB Mercedes S Class. We would buy the cars from the factory and delivered to a company near Gatwick who would carry out all of the security modifications.

It generally took about 3 months, the car with its armour plated body and bullet-proof glass and special bullet-proof tyres (yes there is such a thing) ended up weighing about 4 times its original weight and cost around 4 times the original cost.

They obviously didn’t need finance but each car had to be overseen by me personally but on the bright side I made a lot of money out of each car. They generally kept the cars in garages under West End houses for use when they came over for a visit.

They tended to keep them for 2 years then part exchange for a new car. On average, after 2 years they had travelled less than 1,000 miles. It cost them a fortune but such was their paranoia regarding safety and security. Who would have thought that many years later a specialist armour plating company would modify a fairly standard family car and for it to be available from a franchised dealer (so I’ve been told)?

An anti-terrorist car in their line up – what’s it all coming to? And I’m not talking Bentley, Mercedes, BMW or Jaguar. I’m talking Skoda – a Skoda Superb Estate. The cars are modified by a British based company and takes about 4 weeks to modify but when the bodywork has been modified and the glass replaced by bulletproof glass the car will meet PAS 300 standards for ballistic and blast protection.

The modified car will weigh much more making the acceleration lower than the standard car’s, 0-60 in 8.4 seconds with the top speed dropping about 20 miles per hour. Rather than bullet-proof tyres they have modified special wheels that will still work even if the tyre is full of holes.

It seems that if you have the money you can have one but with a price tag starting from £118,688 I think I’ll pass. Although I seem to recall reading that some police forces were looking at Skoda Superbs as replacements for current cars – maybe this is why! By Graham Hill

Sadly it seems nearly every week we see the results of another terrorist attack on the news resulting in horrendous injuries and death. In several instances, we have seen vans and cars ploughing into innocent pedestrians but where did the vehicles come from?

Read about a jewel robbery or a security van heist and invariably the vehicles used by the crooks were stolen. But if you think about it nearly every vehicle used in a terrorist attack, aimed at killing and maiming people, was a rental vehicle.

Which must call into question the checks carried out on those people hiring vehicles. It has led to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) having high-level talks with anti-terrorist police.

As Gerry Keaney, CEO of the BVRLA said, he would never have expected to be involved in anti-terrorist talks this time last year – certainly a sign of these unsafe times. I guess if it is made difficult for terrorists to rent vans and cars for their terrorist attacks they will do what others do and steal cars – or is that not acceptable as part of their religion? By Graham Hill

We certainly live in some very confusing times!

The simple answer is no. Let’s take cars. The fact is that we have the second highest number of new car registrations in Europe. So whether we are selling into Europe or importing into the UK, from European countries, it makes commercial sense to keep consistency between all of us.

The problem is that we have always had a seat at the table when deciding on EU laws regarding safety, minimum standards and emissions. And not just a seat but a very influential seat. After exiting the EU we will have the opportunity to make our own laws and safety rules moving forward but without consistency with the EU, any changes to imports to conform to our new rules will potentially make them more expensive.

On the other hand if our rules differ UK based manufacturers will end up making cars for the UK different to those being exported from the UK into Europe. And I’m not just talking about where the steering wheel is fitted.

So will we ever be completely independent?

We will still be able to make representations in the same way that we make representations to foreign countries regarding the use of slave labour in making goods that are imported into the UK. But that isn’t as influential as sitting at the table being part of the negotiations and the decision-making process. Having said that it wouldn’t make sense for us to go our own way when it comes to meeting common objectives such as environment and protecting lives. So most experts believe that these areas, post BREXIT, will remain unchanged.

I also agree with others that we should come away with a free trade agreement. Unlike the free trade agreements between the EU and Canada, that took a painfully long time to agree with the main sticking point – a cheese made by Greece I believe and being called the same name in Canada. That sort of argument shouldn’t exist so it should be fairly simple because we already have a free trade agreement as part of the Customs Union and Single Market Agreements which will end as it stops us negotiating trade agreements with non-EU countries.

But, as I see it, the free trade agreement part of the Customs Union could simply be modified with a few accommodations to keep everyone happy. If we can’t achieve a solution it is estimated that new cars from Europe will cost 10% more and components 4.5% more.

As an old friend of mine, Gerry Keaney, CEO of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), pointed out, if we don’t get a trade deal it will not only affect the cost of cars but also the cost of service and repairs, insurance costs and ultimately inflation and productivity. I’m sure the negotiators have the message loud and clear – we must come out of Europe with a tariff-free trade agreement. By Graham Hill