Flubberducking cars run by computers!

[Elisi]

All set to go out and meet Cannon Margaret for the initial meeting on our forthcoming Marriage Blessing in April and got in the car and it refused to start! The AA had to come, and it is a 'fault with the car's computer system'

In the end could not start it so had to cancel the meeting, and now have to try to start it again in the morning to get it to the Ford Garage in town 20 miles away for them to look at the fault and try to correct it. If it deosn't start then we have to call out the AA again to start it up so we can then drive in.

What a performance I love the car, but give me an old fashioned non computerised car any day!

[Qwerty]

What make is it Elisa OH is looking at a Ford Kuga and so the hunt begins I dread shopping for cars its boring and tiring!

[Gemini]

All progress isn't good progress, is it Elisi?! What a pity that you missed your appointment. I hope the car is up and running soon!

[Elisi]

Qwerty, it's a Ford Focus Titanium, Automatic. It is run by computer as a lot of cars are now. Basically you have an electronic key which opens it for you, even it it is in your handbag. You press the key to lock it, but it will open automatically when you approach it. Lovely car, great to drive specially with my bad knee as an automatic it takes the strain off. My advice is to not get a car which is controlled via a computer. If you can find now these days??? It's going in tomorrow, (if it starts) to the Ford dealer for assessment. The repair could be £350 so not too happy about this, and researching on the internet OH has discovered it is par for the course with these cars, the computer is a source of trouble always! Hope that helps X

Thanks Gemini XXX

[Qwerty]

Flipping heck OH is looking at one of those too !!!!!!! but they are all computerised these days, the one he has seen is a titanium X as it has parking sensors and there is a great big wheel on the back I am sure to reverse it into a wall lol

[Elisi]

Lovely cars though Qwerty...but do look up the potential faults and ongoing problems online, there are many frustrated people out there but apparently not enough of them for Ford to call in all the cars for free repairs.

[ZIZI]

Mine is a company car, it has Bluetooth and now that my work phone which is connected to it has my work email on (which I didn't want) as soon as I get in it starts downloading all my contacts, email addresses and phone records. I sometimes have seventy emails a day so you can imagine the noise in the car as it peeps with every one. I have looked in the manual and cannot funds it how to turn it off. I considered disconnecting the phone from the blue tooth but I feel safer with it.

Surely if there is a known problem the company should sort it out for you? Iam lucky, I have a company car and whilst I don't have the wide choice when you buy a private car and I get taxed on it if there is anything wrong I phone our fleet management company and they get it sorted, if the car not drivable they organise a replacement (but always a tiny little box)

[Elisi]

My SIL has the same as you Zizi, a company car and he gets taxed on that and he tells us it aint cheap! Mine is a 'work' car insomuch as I get tax relief at a certain percentage every year for work travel, which is a bonus,but it's when you own your own car the troubles seem to begin and the expense mounts up, but you can't win as there is something wrong in a way with every make and model, you picks one and you deals with it!

[Elisi]

Well the latest update is I had to cancel a work day ...two important visits.... then the Ford dealer said he needed BOTH key fobs in order to change the system and update it Well WHY didn't he tell us that when we made the appointment to take the car in so we went there for nothing, costing fuel and time, and so car has to go back again on Tuesday early morning...and it may not work for us at any point in time before that!!! so we may be grounded ! But the good news if there is any is it is only £80