The Truth about EV Break Downs - Part 2

The first part of my Electric Vehicle Breakdown Videos launched a little while ago, and a lot more information landed in my inbox since then! In this video we take a look at some notes after a long phone call with a gentleman who works in recovery... We'll be looking at which EVs are the worst offenders, what causes the problems and which cars shut down by themselves.
We're also looking at the state of UK breakdowns in general, from tyres to oil lights to not enough people understanding basic maintenance.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments...!
#electriccars #classiccars #greenenergy

[@timhicks2154]

EV’s - the answer to a problem that never needed fixing.

[@levelcrossing150]

The sooner people realise this the quicker we can get on with our lives.

[@aidanapword]

Except that possibly half of this video is about problems that EVs don't have. The second video on electric vehicle breakdowns and the only EV specification stuff was about the 12V battery problems in older and less frequent evs.

[@ryanjacques2007]

​@@levelcrossing150 lol what EVs are holding you up? 🤣

[@rhys180606]

Also there are a lack of good mechanics now

[@frenchenstein]

😂🤣😅👍🏽

[@matthewgodwin3050]

I once overheard a conversation between two women in a cafe, and one of them was really flustered saying that she'd never buy another Mercedes ever again. When her friend enquired why she said one of the tyres had gone flat, and that was why she was late. Her friend said, quite rightly that any car can get a flat tyre. But the woman replied in a haughty voice that she'd had other makes of car and that their tyres had never gone flat before. I've never laughed so much in my life.

[@josephriviera8300]

My neighbour pulled into her driveway, got out of her NEW car, slammed the door then stomped over to my place to tell me she’ll never buy a Renault again, I just got this bloody thing and it already has a flat tire, never again, she exclaimed and stomped away.

[@hectorshouse7348]

There should be an IQ test for driving

[@BioniqBob]

Tell her to relax, it is only flat on the bottom.

[@robertgascoyne8194]

Bet she was under 30yrs of age 🤣🤣🤣

[@bordersw1239]

When my daughter was in her GCSE year they all had to do a week of work experience. She wanted to do health care but school couldn’t find a place so put her with a local garage as a mechanic. A week of checking tyres , changing brakes and oil changes. Served her well now she’s driving her own car.

[@andrewgallop9634]

Back in the early eighties I was a petrol pump boy , regularly filling cars with fuel and selling top up oil . On one occasion a lady pulled onto the forecourt, I filled her car with petrol she paid went back to her car . 5 mins later she came back to my booth on the forecourt and bought some oil , I asked if she wanted me to top it up she said no I’ll do it . After another 5 mins I noticed oil coming from the bottom of her car , I walked over and said everything ok there’s oil on the floor! Turns out she’d poured the oil over the engine hoping it would somehow find its way in !! True story

[@dw9646]

🤣😂

[@RussellBury]

lol, thanks for the laugh, that is funny. My dad was servicing a wagon and told his apprentice to fill it up with oil while my dad went off doing something else, when he came back some time later the apprentice was still filling the engine, he had filled it to the top over the camshafts!! It was full. One that tickled me was the AA recovered a car with a tearful young driver, it was his mums car and he put rad weld in the powersteering fluid, his steering was solid, I just couldn't stop laughing, i had to hide behind my desk laughing while i could hear him sobbing. I did the lad a favour, flushed it out, easy fix but yea it can be embarrasing laughing so much.

[@alexwild4350]

I too was a Petrol Pump boy in the 1980's. Mine wasn't oil, but water. Mid summer a lady came in her husbands roasting hot BMW, while I put fuel in she decided to check the water level....by removing the expansion bottle cap. It gushed like a pulsating volcano sucking in bucketfuls of air to replace the expelled water. Thankfully she wasn't scalded. The lads from the workshop ended up pushing the car aside into the 'to be worked on' queue, while the little lady got a taxi organised to take her home to explain to her husband what she'd done.

[@nickboylen6873]

A friend of mine confessed to in his youth filling the oil in his Mini not only to overflowing, but spending hours filling it through the dipstick tube. 😂

[@matthewhowe3727]

Friend of mine at a dealership in the Detroit, MI area told me of a customer who stopped making payments on her car because it broke down. The engine seized because she never changed the oil. "No one told me to change the oil" was her excuse.

[@paulpaintshop103]

EV'S, an Impractical solution to an Imaginary problem.

[@organickevinlondon]

Man Made Global Climate Change is NO imaginary problem.

[@aidanapword]

But most of this video is about ICE specific problems.

[@firstnamed1501]

Tremendous line, Paul. Well played, sir. 👏🏻

[@robbeales5516]

Spot on

[@craig9365]

I wouldn't call the problem imaginary. But I also would not call evs a solution. What is it solving? Nothing about them is green.

[@fredericksaxton3991]

25 years ago I was doing 1000 miles a week in my 4litre XJ40 jag. Changed Oil & filter every 2 months. When I last heard of the car about 3 years ago it was still on it's original engine and gbox and was just shy of 300,000 miles. I have a female friend who has never opened her bonnet in 8 years. She recently complained she had a 'hi temp' light lit up, I told her to check her water level and she had no idea how to.

[@PibrochPonder]

I had an Audi A5 that had 300,000 on it. Same as the jag, original engine and gear box.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Two things...1, slap your friend (i know you can't say that anymore) and 2, where is the Jag and is it for sale

[@fredericksaxton3991]

@@PibrochPonder Was that down to sound regular servicing?

[@chrispartosbro4555]

55 year old friend just last night with a flat battery, No idea how to bump start a car, been in a shop 3 hours and lift the lights on and hazard lights??? took me 20 minutes top get there, 30 seconds to roll out and down the slope to bump it, 20 minutes back home. (i sat there thinking i have married into this family! o well i at least i got the one with the brains).

[@petesmitt]

and when that female sells, her ad will state 'one lady owner'..

[@tomjacobs1156]

I drive a Nissan leaf for work. Its a 21 plate on 26000 miles Had two breakdowns in 6 months both related to 12v battery. Things I've learnt from this. 1. Leafs can't be pushed in reverse. Whoever decided didn't think about the charger being at front 2. Jump leads/jump pack would be quicker than breajdown 3. The car being a lease car, they didn't tell us service intervals. Only came to light a service was required after second breakdown. On a secondary note, charging a evs a sod without a home charger. Monday I went to two chargers and no spare (fast) drove to the third one and had calculate how long I could stay and if it would be long enough for what was needed. In short, nice car to drive pain to live with

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Cheers Tom!

[@RussellBury]

Im a garage owner and im constantly booked up, at least a 2 week waiting list and very selective about taking on new customers so i can focus on and look after the great customers i already have. Been a mechanic for 32 years and i will be sticking to what i know and wont be repairing EVs, I am seeing people willing to pay for repairs to keep their older cars properly maintained, with the cost of living crisis you would think people would be cutting back on servicing but i am seeing the opposite and a desire to keep what they have in its best condition. I am also seeing a change in attitude to tyres and seeing people take my advice to get good new tyres fitted, some Hankooks or Avons that dont break the bank rather than unbranded or part worn, the cost per millimeter of useable tread for a part worn is more than a new mid range and then there is the extra fuel cost driving on the supplied underinflated 3.5mm 2009 egg shaped winter tyre they proudly paid £25 for at ye olde local lost wheel key tyre emporium.

[@firstnamed1501]

This is true in my case. I have a 4.4 V8 L322 Range Rover and a new Cupra 4wd estate which is silly fast and is my daily driver. However, I’m spending thousands currently on the Range Rover doing preemptive work, already done…new brakes all round, gearbox completely refurbished with new torque converter, new water pump, new timing chains etc etc. When the Cupra lease deal is up next year, the RR will be my only car as I own it outright. I’m not getting a new car again.

[@robertsmuggles6871]

I spent £4k keeping my 2011 [130k miles] BMW X1 on the road. Tempted to get a new Subaru XV but they now all have a massive battery in the boot - who wants that ?

[@lachcris]

Hi , You're so correct about the emergency service that is provided . I put my first full tank of petrol in & noticed on returning home rough idling & a hard brake pedal , anyway called the AA who came and resolved my issue quickly & pleasantly (brake servo pipe had come adrift) resolved my problem !. My point is really when I offered the guy a coffee & a bacon roll he was so grateful it was almost embarrassing. He said that some of his ' clients' were unpleasant & ungrateful & it is what he was paid for anyway , its got worse recently apparently !. Sorry to rant on , love your observations etc . Cheers , Lachie.

[@khalidacosta7133]

Most likely because the customers have been told, "driver is only 30 minutes away!".... whilst they've been there, sat in the freezing cold for a few hours....

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Great comment thank you. I think this is a general degradation of society... Like if I was having a bacon sarnie and a cuppa, i'd only naturally offer the AA guy the same. People don't think like that anymore.

[@johngraham6181]

Problem is that keep on prioritising lone women. Fair enough but can be frustrating especially on a freezing cold day.@@khalidacosta7133

[@JollyRogerTheDodger]

When the M1 roadworks were being carried (widening of the M1 around Luton) about 15 odd years ago. I pulled onto the hard shoulder as my car was overheating (young, irresponsible lad back then)...anyway, with 10 seconds some dude in a golf with his Mrs and kid in the back pulled over, the dude came over and was like 'oh, your just overheating, I'll grab you some wate...and he did. Literally, I was back driving in minutes. What an absolute legend. Another time, I had friends coming round to mine from up north and I was on my way home from work...anyway, my mobile rings and I answered my mates' call. Anyway, I took a left hand turn quite sharply and somehow, Lord only knows, I ended up popping the tyre. As I lived only minutes away, I decided to trundle home...anyway, a Scooby-Doo (Subaru Impreza WRX) saw my situation and pulled up next to me Sking if I needed any help and I said I live minutes away and it was cool...but he was like 'I have all the tools in my car to change it right now!'. I thanked him and trundle home. Two stories of a couple of legends I'll always remember.

[@julianpalmer4674]

Looking after a car these days is a lost art, just look at the number of numpties standing around wating for the RAC (other companies are available) to come and change a tyre! Mind you nowadays your lucky if you get a spare with your car. A bottle of sludge and an electric pump on the hard shoulder of the motorway is no use for a tyre missing its side wall.

[@geoffnorton9279]

Exactly. My car has space under the boot for a full size wheel so I bought one and had a tyre fitted. Way more sensible.

[@levelcrossing150]

Years ago that exactly happened to my young daughter at midnight and far away from home. No spare and a bottle of sludge and pump to fix it. She was never going to manage that. First of all the car manufacturers changed our spare for a crappy space saver then after that they got rid of the spare, it's an absolutely appalling solution for their customers. All to save weight to aid their climate nonsense.

[@spindelnett6315]

True, but I wish it reflected on old British motorbike prices. No-one left to service them but aging riders, yet a concourse Triumph T120 costs twice that of a modern T120 with twice the c.cs. I should never have sold mine when I was a youth 😢

[@LukeMM95]

I can't believe EVs don't come with a spare. Are EV owners really expecting to never change a tire?

[@sorbabaric1]

Yes. I miss the day of a proper (regular) spare tire. I would buy 5 tires, and rotate the spare in during tire rotations.

[@petertaylor5901]

I still maintain my own cars by the kerbside, something you don't see much of these days. Some of us friends get together around one of the houses for a group car repair and service, lots of fun and laughter to the annoyance of some people living close by but we all chip in and help one another. Been doing it over thirty years now. Great times.

[@ianemery2925]

Last car I had, went on the next wheel diameter size down, with wider, higher profile tyres to keep the overall diameter the same; every garage that serviced it (and took it for a test drive), commented on how much smoother and more comfortable it was to drive than the standard set up.

[@paarker]

Society needs more of this. It’s social and people tinkering. A bit of dirt and manual labour keeps us young.

[@ianemery2925]

@@paarker The garages dont help; I went to several dealing in the make/model of car, but outside the dealership - including one that deals in sports modification - and they all said "oh you cant do that, it isnt safe, it wont work, the tyres will rub the wheel arch" etc." In the end I managed to find a wheel/tyres combo page from Mitsubishi in Japan, that listed all the compatible sizes - the UK, US and Euro-zone only listed about 4, the Japanese version had dozens; and included the +/- effects on the speedo. Since my speedo was woefully over-reading, I went for a tyre width combo that slightly increased overall diameter and got it spot on at 40 MPH on new rubber, and only 3mph over reading at 30 and 70 mph. Previously, the speedo was reading 84 mph when the true speed was 70 mph (all checked using several different GPS devices on a long, straight and flat section of motorway, close to where I live.).

[@vayduong6806]

The iPhone kill a lots of family and friends activities

[@blue246]

Awesome! Love this! Neighbours just jealous and so am I! 😃

[@robindumpleton3742]

Went out to recover a big 4x4. Woman was not happy having spent 3hrs wait, middle of nowhere and I was 100 miles and a 45 behind. Anyway when the steam had finished, she said she was taking it to the garage, they had used a pressure washer and taken the paint off her wheels. I said, "They've done worse than that, they've washed the tread off your tyres " Mercedes 300E kept going out to ones flat on the floor, suspension wouldn't rise, loading was a pig because you had to make wooden ramps because they were so low. Last one I did service manager and mechanic were still there. I said whats happening with these 300E. Nothing he says. I said are you sure. So he gave me the experienced service manager and you're just a recovery driver speech. I said this is the sixth one I've recovered with floppy botty this month. Apparently the air suspension distributor valve at the rear was not up to the extra 500 Kg and was popping. Mercedes just didn't want to make it public. Leafs, well if they ran too low, they had to go back to the workshop because they wouldn't take a charge. 😁

[@GeoffBuysCars]

That's a brilliant comment... When was the 300E issue...?

[@khalidacosta7133]

The issue on bulging tyres is three fold. Cars getting heavier (especially EV's), roads getting worse but most of all, us brits love big wheels on cars, to the point a small family hatchback comes standard with 19's....

[@gravemind6536]

The rise of low profile tyres is causing no end of issues. Hatchbacks coming with 18 and 19 inch wheels is just insane. Even 17 inch is a bit big I am very happy with the 16s on my Toyota and have never had any tyre issues.

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

That's also why snapped coil springs are so common these days, hardly ever heard of that years ago, yes the state of the roads but also limited suspension travel and no cushioning in the rubber band like side wall.

[@buffalomerkis7603]

Christmas 2022, travelled from north west England to south east. M6, M6 toll, m42, m40, m25, m23 Around 300 miles, I counted 25 broken down cars on the hard shoulder. It was late on the last Friday before Christmas, it’s like no one used their car for a year due to Co V1d and working from home….. and then wondering why the car they’ve neglected for a year suddenly stopped working when going on to a motorway for the first time in ages… I have never seen so many breakdowns.

[@mpersad]

Yes. The recovery services do a terrific job. Definitely, given fewer people know, or their cars even allow them, how to fix the breakdown the recovery firms are the 4th emergency service. Great video, as per usual, thanks Geoff.

[@brianalder7549]

I genuinely believe “Young people “ today believe the car will look after itself AI and all that ! Driving conditions should be taken care of by the vehicle . P.s great channel 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

Some have never opened the bonnet or know how to.

[@scaryfakevirus]

I have a Defender and have never had any of those issues. Tyres last years, uses little oil and is very reliable and if someone cashes into me I don't really care.

[@visage331]

Filmed on location in Stephen King's The Mist 😂 Great video as always Geoff. Had no idea about the expected oil consumption of modern cars. All my cars are considered terrible old outdated things, meaning I can work on them myself and that they actually work haha Love the videos keep em coming!

[@stevehulford2069]

Hi there-- As a retired mechanic I noticed that people now treat a car as if they were white goods. Daily/ weekly checks never get done and nobody even glances at a handbook to check what warning lamps signify. Drivers seem to think that a car is the same as a 'fridge-- If the interior lamp comes on when you open the door, everything must be fine.

[@johnmcconville6055]

In an EV the 12v is charged off the HV battery.When you are driving it ,the 12v is being charged in the same way an alternator charges the 12v in an ICE.

[@thetreadtrader7565]

Modern cars are fitted with much lower profile tyres now. That’s why so many pothole failures.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Exactly. Sporty suspension, huge wheels, tiny tyres = problems.

[@douglasb.5601]

Yep....but have you SEEN the size of the holes...the A1 in Herts is turning into a slalom event!! 😱

[@stoney2424]

And the roads are definitely worse than they used to be!!

[@julesdowner5585]

I recently had a Honda Accord that blew 3 tyres in as many weeks , but also broke the alloy wheel! , It may sound like i am a clubsy driver , possibly! , but one was like when i got it , one was pulling off the road to let a car by on a back road and pulling back onto the road did the tyre! and the other i clipped a kerb . Bloody thing had an electric tailgate which promptly broke and the only way to open it was from the inside {estate car} with the rear seats down and using a golf club ! brilliant design

[@timhicks2154]

Modern cars have low tension piston rings, to reduce friction. Consequently, they burn more oil as they have poorer oil control.

[@paulpaintshop103]

My mate works at a dealership, they are replacing engines flat out because of that problem, under warranty.

[@timhicks2154]

@@paulpaintshop103 - my tiny Toyota Yaris uses virtually no oil in between oil changes. I never have to top it up.

[@timhicks2154]

@@paulpaintshop103 - I watch Scotty Kilmer on KZbin. He covered this matter extremely well.

[@isleofthanet]

Why do they use those piston rings if it increases oil consumption, surely that doesnt help the engines longevity?

[@timhicks2154]

@@isleofthanet - to try and reduce internal friction for better MPG. Clearly a FAIL

[@paulriggers1558]

when nissan launched the new qashqai model in 2014, they didn't bother fitting a wire to the oil level gauge in the sump of the petrol engines, just the gauge on the diesel ones. no.1 failure on petrol engines was.... lack of oil... hundreds were replaced under warranty, as when the oil pressure light come on, it was too late.... nice one nissan, save 5p on a bit of wire, spent £4k on putting in a replacement engine...

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Whaaaaaaaat?! INSANE!

[@sueievers8700]

Many years ago my ML300 went on go slow mode 2 miles from the Gatwick airport car park we were aiming for. Booked in, contacted correct company. The car was collected, taken all the way back to Worcester and was waiting for us 2 week later when we returned from holiday. Wonderful service!

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Stuff like that really should be praised, that’s brilliant 👍

[@janebaker966]

You make cars INTERESTING. What a skill!

[@IanJLennard]

I had a Vauxhall that I could tell was running rough, it was on a service plan so I booked it in with the dealer, they told me that no fault codes were found. I explained that I had checked the coolant and had to refill it, again I was told no fault code so I shouldn’t worry about it. I booked it into an independent small garage for later that day, that garage told me my head gasket was totally blown and that the engine was done for

[@andrewnevermind4902]

Main dealers are a cash grab.

[@barriewilliams4526]

I have as much faith in battery powered cars as do the companies that are fighting each other to install the infrastructure, you know, those charging things that you have to stand in the rain while you try and get the bloody thing to work whilst using the wrong app on your phone that only has 1% battery left & is about to leave you in the shit because you have left the charging lead at home. Life is stressful enough, why on earth would you pay thousands of pounds to buy some🙃

[@curtisducati]

This is why we all have a £3000 electric bill to cover EV cars and replace the lost 200 million pounds a week in diesel and petrol taxes ..EV cars have cost us all dearly ....

[@markwilliams5654]

How do you pay for petrol if you have forgotten your payment lol

[@markwilliams5654]

​@@curtisducati has nothing to do with EVs what are you talking about 😮

[@ryanjacques2007]

Hmm I charge at home, never have to visit public chargers! Solar and cheap EV rate 10p per unit, way less hassle than the smelly petrol station. If I have to go 69,420 miles I'll use my campervan(which is rare)

[@ryanjacques2007]

@@curtisducati lol so ripping people off for the petrol/diesel is the way forward yeah?

[@bentullett6068]

The newest breakdown issue is with a lot of these modern cars and EV's with electric handbrakes because when the cars engine or electrics decide they don't want to work and the manufacturer has decided that making the electronic handbrake release difficult to find can mean complications (Land Rover and the new Range Rover Sport is one of those where they forgot about putting the E brake release somewhere sensible). There is a specialist recovery team who own a few of these diesel powered tracked recovery machines that slide a bed under the car and carry it to the truck or around the yard at the dealerships. I have heard the cost of getting this machine and operator out to collect your car is very expensive to call out for dealers and insurers.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Insanity, isn't it.

[@davidwatkins594]

After 2 tyre blow outs caused by pot holes, leaving me stranded for hours, I fitted 'BRIDGESTONE DRIVEGUARD' RUN FLAT TYRES, which fit any normal rim. They have stronger side walls, so are more resistant to blow outs and they don't cost any more than any normal premium tyre but give you peace of mind, knowing that you can continue driving at 50mph. There is slightly more road noise, but the biggest benefit that I have found, is that the steering is so much better, with better directional stability. I hated the dead steering on my Mercedes, but these tyres have transformed it. Wear appears to be less than on my previous Continentals.

[@darrinheaven4643]

Forecourt boy in the late 1970's when a camper van came in for fuel. We're about 70 miles/120km from the airport that the American tourist picked up said camper van. He moaned about the lack of power and poor fuel consumption. He paid and left but stopped after around 10m, coming back to ask about the light on the dashboard, which turned out to be the handbrake light. I needed a lot of strength to pull out the 'walking stick' handbrake and unwind it several rotations before it would release.

[@TK-Will.]

Absolutely spot on. I’ve been driving since 1982. Still do all my checks, and get the cars regularly serviced. I just don’t think people today realise the significance of it. Once the’ve done the ‘show me’ section on the driving test, that’s it.

[@Mr.Unacceptable]

I was there to help a car a coworker was test driving a client's car that ran into trouble near a local grocery store. I had the tools with me for him. I hear from across the lot the distinct sound of a ford starter ringing the flex plate because someone didn't tighten up the started bolts. Native lady about 30 with a child. Sitting in the parking lot trying to start the pickup. Crawl under and sure enough simple problem. Ask her if she wants me to take care of it. It will only be a few moments I have the tools on me. Her drunk pall starts on a tirade of how I'm a rip off I a white scumbag and all the racist call signs. I'm half bread mohawk from the other side of the country so I have pale skin. Roll my eyes and I ask again you sure you want me to take care of this before your ice-cream melts. Yes please she says. All the while this friend of hers is just going off and yelling and shouting all the popular epithets. 2 min to tighten the starter. She didn't even say thanks and drove away with the guy still yelling what a rip off I was. I never asked for a penny or a thanks but still.

[@douglasb.5601]

That's your privilege for you!!? 🤔🤣

[@nataliam9764]

wow. What a disgusting woman. No wonder she ended up with that loser.

[@ianwright2637]

Came here via the macmaster. I like your style, very enjoyable!! I've subscribed.

[@kyle18184]

Use to be a nissan tec at a main dealer loads of cars come in for prep to be sold after 3 years and there always shagged no care or love just abuse. the leafs 12volt battery is always knackered and brakes will rust away and need to be replaced even tho the brake pads are still the factory ones and still have 30% life left because of the regen braking so they never get used and rust.

[@michaeltutty1540]

What I notice here in South and Central Ontario, Canada is that in the spring I see a LOT of modern cars on the side of Highway 400 north of Toronto. That is a 6 land dual carriageway with a 100 km/h (62.5 mph) speed limit. It will be starting up in the next week or two. The low profile tires have to be so hard to maintain the weight rating that the rubb bands that pass as tires have no flex. Tires ruined, wheels bent or even broken. People and cars stranded because of it. Meanwhile my 1990 Volvo 240DL Estate continues on with no problem thanks to running 205/65R15 Michelin Defender H rated tires in the summer. Lovely that they were made in England!

[@willh9386]

My Volvos ev is great. No issues likes eating tyres though ! Cheap to run, cheap tax . Rapid as … Once you drive electric driving a petrol or diesel feels old school! Love the video though gotta love the hate for the ev 🤙

[@MajimaEnterprises]

You see videos of people in America in new Lincoln Navigators and other stupidly large SUV's doing 70 down the motorway, riding on the rim, leaving a shower of sparks in their wake and the drivers of said vehicles being blissfully unaware. It's crazy. It feels like a metaphor for today's society. Everyone on autopilot, not noticing that everything around them is falling apart.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Superb comment,

[@MrFrankGallagher]

I can and do service & repair my own vehicles . I was ripped off by a few garages in my teens . I decided that armed with a Haynes Repair Manual I can fix this thing . Ok it took hours at times but nowadays I can fix anything and hold not 1 qualification . I've saved thousands of pounds on repairs .

[@djtaylorutube]

"Replacement is a simple reversal of removal" 😂

[@ricksimmons9054]

I've had an EV for a year now and it's fantastic. I've yet to have a problem. It's not due for service for another year, and that's to change the cabin filter, which I can do myself. Fewer moving parts = less can go wrong. Regen braking means less maintenance there. All that's left are the tires (tyres), which is no different from a gas (petrol) car. I like low maintenance women and low maintenance cars. Does the instant torque affect my opinion? Yes it does - because it's a blast to drive!

[@paultasker7788]

Practically a breakdown service myself on our street since getting a booster starter pack. If I hear someone has a flat battery on the street I lend it to them, starts first time! Never needed to use it myself yet. Last time I actually installed it myself and it's incredibly easy. Highly recommended

[@peters6601]

Your comment at 3:40 about oil consumption is an interesting point. So the effort to reduce fuel emissions has the effect of increasing lub oil vapour emissions. Which with all the additives can be pretty toxic in its own right.

[@iandodds9112]

Geoff you can take your VW ID to any VW dealer but if it needs work inside the battery it will get shipped out to 1 of 13 BCC dealers currently able to do the work.

[@Bruce4lmighty]

Great video! I love insider info!

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Ah thanks man, I hated this video. It was badly filmed and I felt like crap today.

[@paarker]

They should prosecute the people who decided to implement smart motorways. They are dangerous and cost lives. Can you imagine an average citizens who did that working a normal job. They get prison. Why aren’t these politicians feeling the same wrath.

[@neilstern7108]

Here in Florida it rains a lot. Well one day driving home in a storm I watched a woman float off the road into a ravine. She lost sight of the road. If she where in a electric she would have been fried. Your right about dealing with people. I helped a few women with their car's, one when the boy friend sabotaged the car. Got it running good enough to get home. You would think they would say thanks. Heck one I had to follow to make sure she got home. Not much thanks for that one. I get more action when I'm under a gals car at their house. I don't do it for that reason but it just seems over the year's like you say the person feels more comfortable. Thanks for sharing.

[@dps615]

These ICE car are so complex! Remind us how many moving parts they have in comparison to a BEV? And how much more do they cost to service every year?

[@ryanjacques2007]

The 12v is charged also charged off EVSE depends on the car.

[@PureEvolution]

Wow what an insight i drive a JDM performance car and only every need to top up little oil when due a serivce as oil has broken down over miles and time but mostly change the oil before it comes to this so its a rare sight me topping off the oil indeed. what a great video breakdown was some interesting facts for sure

[@stanbona7746]

I picked up a 1.0 puma st line 125ps mhev from the main dealer and was told it's 18000 miles or 2 years for the first service. I opened the bonnet within minutes of getting home and had its first service at an independent garage within the first 6 months

[@alansmith934]

Going on holiday and fitted a lockable petrol cap short story petrol cap did not have a breather hole result in crumpled petrol tank mechanic drilled a hole in cap and fitted tyre valve and very slowly pumped air into tank and tank popped back into shape luckily still had old cap

[@londonviking3801]

Currently driving on slicks on the VW T6 lease van. Tyres are part of the service contract. Lease co refuses to approve new tyres until absolutely last minute. Won't feel safe driving my family to Cornwall this summer.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

That is insane.

[@nickfarrow9032]

Broke down in my 1997 V70 T5 last night and had to be recovered. Was having a chat with the recovery driver about various things and ended up on the subject of broken down EVs. He said to me that they're a nightmare. Mostly there's nothing that can be done to fix them and they have to be recovered. If you're lucky, they can be towed or pulled on to a flat bed, but if not they have to be recovered by a grab. He was also saying that you have to be very careful as sometimes, especially in the event of a crash, you can't even touch them as the high voltage/current can kill you if the car becomes live. His overall opinion was that the current infrastructure for breakdowns is not where it needs to be to support the needs of EVs.

[@GraemeHart8888]

He needs to educate himself about EVs. They are designed so the high voltage system shuts down if there is a serious crash.

[@Nastyjonny]

I had to call out the AA to my VW Fox with the steering lock on and wouldn’t release. The initial blasé answer from the engineer was I will break the lock and cross the ignition to get you to a VW dealer to then they will sort out the steering lock and the wiring. I was definitely not happy with that and suggested he at least should try taking the plastic cover off and lubricate. He did, it worked and is still working 18 months on. The repair at VW would have been more than the car was worth. Pleased he listened.

[@-A-lm5xb]

Interesting part on the tyres. I've had to replace 6 in the last 2 years, bulges, splits in the sidewall, big chunk out of the tread, nail right on the edge where it can't be repaired as usual....I just expect to have to buy one every few months now. None of them had less than 5mm tread and cost over £200 each, not cheap brands.

[@JasonUmbrellabird]

I bought a 2008 petrol citroen berlingo last year, had so many problems with it. Diagnosis was the throttle body causing it to go into limp mode, but after replacing it we still had a problem. We sent off the ECU but the problem persisted. After spending nearly £1,000 I sent the car back to the dealer and found out two weeks later the problem was a £12 multi plug to the throttle body. I lost loads and loads of work and it sent me mad.

[@kaybee5150]

I believe that people rely and the tyre pressure warning system to let them know when the tyres want air in them. I have never trusted them. I still check every one or two weeks, or, before I go on a long trip. for pressure, depth of tread. stones in the tread, nails and screws, splits, cracks, anything that looks out of place. It sounds a lot, but only takes few minutes as you are checking the pressure.

[@a1harrogate]

Honest and beautifully scripted, with some valid points that even I'd never thought of.

[@chazsach6594]

The way I see people parking on pavements I'm not surprised sidewalls get damaged.

[@gravemind6536]

People think their crossovers are rugged and buy the hype and think they can launch their cars at the pavement.

[@cliveprocter3698]

Agree low profile tyres must take the blame for a lot of the problems. My basic super mini Fiesta came with silly 40 profile tyres on the nice alloys (standard fit). I avoid potholes like the plague. The other week I was a passenger in mates car, a 20 year old Rover with old style 60(?) profile tyres and each time he headed towards a pothole I braced myself for the impending crash and thud only to be amazed how it rode over them.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

Yup, the car I’m sat in rides on 55s. Lots of give!!

[@gravemind6536]

I have 205/55R16 on my car and they're just perfect I imagine 40 is rough on a little car with smaller wheels like a Fiesta.

[@ghunt9146]

Classic cars are even better at 80 profile! They become part of the suspension. Skinny tyres better in snow, dig in more. I've seen big Yank cars at shows with wide wheels that just spin on damp grass. I'm talking classics not modern set ups.

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

I’m amazed how many cars you see running nearly flat tyres, and no not low profile, just nearly flat and totally unaware.

[@djtaylorutube]

They're only flat at the bottom though.

[@southendparaquest]

Think this is even more reason to keep my 20 year old Saabs. Just done annual oil change on my old 95 2.2TiD, hadn't used a drop. Same with my 93 2.0SE.

[@hoonaticbloggs5402]

But every town and city will ban us driving in due to ‘emissions’

[@carbondragon]

That 12V thing is a problem with hybrids too. In my 2012 Prius (and my new 2024 no doubt), if the 12V fails, you can't even turn the car on to put it in neutral so you can tow it out of your garage. Fortunately you can jump start them and AAA knows how.

[@ChromeStacks]

I drive a heavy recovery on trucks and coaches. I went and did a 26t horse box where they had left a 15yr old girl with it while everyone else went off to the horses event with the horse when another horse box arrived! I couldn’t believe it. Almost didn’t want to take her in the truck with me to take her and her mums horsebox home. Man invites 15yr old girl into truck from side of road 😆🤦‍♂️. She was alright in the end and no bother but I was hesitant none the less. Tbh in heavy recovery you just get a lot of truck drivers who are full of rubbish and just say stupid things On the topic of EVs I don’t know a lot but the trucks arnt meeting the range stated. I went to a fully electric truck that had done just shy of an hours driving and had gone from 80% to flat. I think the manufacturers are having a hard time getting the range especially on HGVs. Apart from having a habit of catching fire the ev buses seem to work okay. However on the car side we do a police contract and we have had 3 crashed electric cars catch fire in our yard in the past 2 years. Most recent one being an MG.

[@gravemind6536]

The EV buses are only doing okay because they're being put on low mileage routes and P&R where the bus spends most of its time parked. They never leave the city centre except to go back to the depots.

[@ianhe-kensken9303]

channel is on point sir.

[@edwardmurray8507]

Can confirm Geoff - my wife's 2018 Alfa uses about 1000ml over 10,000 miles... Even that seemed a lot to me. It's only got 25,000 miles on the clock 🤦

[@grboorman]

When you said about the DSG service £ it made me think of car's with options which cause the vehicle to be scrapped early, like Merc's ABC suspension, with its pneumatic thingys that fail and ceramic disc brakes on lower-end high performance cars. When the car is 10+ years old, who's going to pay that kind of money (£8k+) to change the discs when the car is worth 1/2 the price of 4 ceramic discs. There must be countless more killer options, its not like the old days when a factory fitted rust trap (aka sunroof) was the danger option 😂

[@richardwebb9532]

Yeah, I have a 1993 Toyota 1800 Stallion, been round the clock a few times, same engine. No point to replace it as I'm retired now. Still runs great. 🍻🇿🇦👍

[@grahamstevenson1740]

I once knew an Iranian student who bought an old Toyota whose oil light was 'stuck on' he said. So I opened the bonnet and checked the oil and surprise, surprise there was no oil on the dipstick. Bizarrely, being a Toyota, it seemed not to have suffered greatly from this oversight.

[@coconutBarnes]

In Amsterdam I hired a car to drive thru europe to my girlfriend parents in the Czech Republic (a 14hr drive). On the way back, winter time we got a flat tyre. So swapped it with the spare, which had a huge buckle. Being the wee hrs I had to call the breakdown services. When they arrived they had a look at the underside of the car and saw it was badly damaged and not fit to drive. This was historical damage as it had rusted badly. Hire company refused to cover repairs and get me home, so the breakdown company gave me one of their breakdown trucks to drive home in. They kept the dutch hire vehicle as well.

[@Call23456]

Tyres My little sister isn’t short of brass Last year she had one of the Audi sq models She had popped round to my house to pic something up of me I spotted her front ns was bald less than 0.5mm on it So I checked the other side even worse Sis you need two new tyres Her; I’ll get x to check them when I get home A few weeks pass and we are all in the pub Did you get some new tyres He perks up no there fine I pop outside for a smoke yup there virtually shiny Back inside I give him a roasting for puttin my sisters and my nephews life at risk This is a bloke who runs a business with a fleet of vans

[@michaelbell9120]

Nissan only have 2 dealers in England that can touch the ev batteries one in Swindon and other in Maidenhead that’s it Vw are lucky to have 10 😂

[@robindumpleton3742]

I worked at the import yard when they first came in. First 10 off the boat, minimum charge, and only one charge point 😁

[@wheater5]

I understand the chap who told you he’d never pull out of an emergency lay-by before the inner lane has been closed. We recently experienced a Spanish HGV pull out from one on the M1 without signalling. I was in lane 1 towing a caravan, with the other three lanes chock a block with mixed traffic. How I managed to miss him without getting hit from behind I don’t really know.

[@michaelsnell284]

When I lived in " outback " Australia I was in sawmilling and supplied the local town with timber.. my place was a bit of hub and a local institution. One late afternoon the noise of a passing land cruiser utility was terminated by a loud BANG ! I got my tow rope and tools and drove my utility to the scene.. on approaching there was a trail of cogs, snapped shafts, and shattered cast gearbox fragments littering the road well before arriving at the damaged vehicle. The leathery elderly couple were very disgusted at their breakdown and blamed all sorts of things... there was one thing that stood out however all the shattered gearbox bits were totally dry ! "Oil ? what oil..? "🤣

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

Spoke to a guy recently who's friends daughter just had her cam belt snap, she said the car was just MOT'd, he asked her when it was last serviced, she thought the MOT was a service, she hadn't opened the bonnet in the 4 years she had the car. With the cost of living and peoples general cluelessness etc you wonder how many cars on the road are playing cam belt Russian roulette. Modern car drivers/non car folk seem to have no driving finesse, rough gearchanges, harsh braking, riding the clutch or holding the clutch down at red lights and junctions (completely stupid habit), no wonder modern garages have so much work.

[@Adinkra.Dahomey]

Been driving my qx70 diesel since 3 years with engine light, and I do service my car as recommended by the mechanic, they couldn’t figure out why the light, some say it’s the exhaust sensor.

[@newy2277]

Great vid again Geoff, one thing i will say. Many years ago i went to hire a car from Heathrow aiport as i had to drive up north , so i popped the bonnet checked the coolent , screenwash and oil all fine. Then i went around to check the tyres( mean while the agent was oh you dont need to check as we do that over and over ) well to my supprise the front were both bald on the inside and one rear was below thevwear markers, no i dont want tjis as its Dangerouse. The guys face was a picture and red as fire, eventualy i hired a ford mondeo which passed my inspection. I do not understand why people do not check the basics weekly. Keep up the good work

[@tomsurrey2252]

Nice one, Geoff!!

[@dominiquecharriere1285]

I wrote it once probably but I'm so puzzled by it... I was given to drive a Skoda Enyaq 80 iv by my company (we are (were?) moving to EV). The car was 1 year and 60k kms use and of course I punctured 2 times the first month. But my big problem is that 2 months later I took it to the garage for painting the front bumper and they told me they would install the new ME3 software on it. After 2 weeks they gave it back to me (empty when I had left it fully charged) and right after recharging it in a 50 kW fast charger, error message "electric system failing", back to the garage. This was in late June and I haven't seen the car since. The only information the garage gave me was "we need to replace module 3 of the battery". My question is: how can a software update destroy a battery module? Can I trust the car now? I'm worried it can burst in flame one night inside my parking lot burning tens of cars or even killing people.

[@petersimms4982]

In the uk in 2022 - 49 EVs had a fire, 1989 petrol vehicles burned 🤔

[@MrStevecrasher]

Break down stories, Geoff I don’t know where to start… 42 years of shit.

[@hedydd2]

Bulges in tyres are due to curbing or severe potholes combined with low profile tyres. Punctures are due to road debris, nails and other sharp things. Sometimes small stones.

[@gravemind6536]

You can tell a lot about how people care for their cars not just through service history but also MOT history where people fail on stupid stuff or things that are downright dangerous and usually a long list of daft advisories too. I always check the tyres, brakes, suspension and all the lights before it goes for its MOT, no fails and one advisory that shouldn't have been given but was because they decided the plug a tyre after the test instead of before this is in the last 5 years of MOTs for me. Coolant and washer fluid is done every two weeks when the car is washed and oil every month. Never use any oil though. Should also judge a car by the kind of tyres fitted, ditchfinders is a bad sign.

[@timwright5466]

I've got a 2010 pergeot bipper diesel.. never uses a drop of oil between services ..

[@davidclark7584]

I like the EV ad when I clicked on this video. Classic.

[@AquaMarine1000]

Love the outro.

[@clutchdroptv4345]

The argument on part worn tyres is a funny one Once you're new Tyre has done a few miles its then a part worn or if it has to be removed to fix a puncture it's no different to having a tyre that's been used refitted as long as its been properly checked for damage before resale I'd rather be driving on a used branded Tyre for £30 than fast fits brand new budget Chinese ditch finders for 70 quid plus I'm a mechanic and qualified Tyre fitter and can't see the problem Ev's on the other hand are a joke

[@nothandmade9686]

When my last car had a blown engine it was 2 days to get a replacement used engine to the garage and 6 days of the cars waiting for someone to do the swap. There is a garage problem for sure. PS Renault H4B 0.9 TCE engines all die at around 70,000 miles 🤬

[@hoonaticbloggs5402]

French cars 😂

[@robmclaughlin420]

The Geni light, Iv'e never thought of it that way.

[@alexanderblonk7883]

Here in the Netherlands we have to do a yearly roadworthy test This is mandatory no test no insurance no registration VERY BIG FINE

[@AussiePom]

With ICE cars I live in a hilly area and people breakdown and want my help. On opening the bonnet the radiator overflow tank is dark brown and the engine oil (petrol engine) is jet black and the consistency of thinners and then they tell me that they've just had it serviced. I reply "who by Dodgy and Sons Ltd perhaps?" and if it's an older car I say "this century or the previous one". I just know they haven't had it serviced at all and the car has finally had enough. With BEV's it's not so much range anxiety but charging and the availability of chargers. James May said it well that the ambition of BEV's has far outstripped the technology that powers them. Having to wait an eternity for a charger to become available to having to wait even more for you vehicle to charge is not enticing. Even with a huge fuel tank on an ICE it's only 5 minutes at most and you're tank is full and you're on your way again.

[@hazharibo7439]

I've got a S5 . V6t .. it uses a litre of oil a month as standard. Do all v6 engines use lots of oil? I get new tyres .. part worn tyres are lethal. A service on the car was 1700.00 last time out. Worth every penny.

[@crazyforcars]

Tires are the only connection that a car has to the road. No modern system like ESP or ABS can work properly with bad tires. That's what makes it so important to buy quality tires. Saving money here is no good choice.

[@GeoffBuysCars]

I nearly did a video on this the other day. Like, you can have the best tyres in the world, but if they have no tread, you're broke...! What's the best tyres to have in bad conditions? Good tyres. Simple as that.

[@gravemind6536]

Still believe Pirelli, Continental and Michellin are the best tyre choices going.

[@crazyforcars]

@@gravemind6536 Pirelli didn't perform that well in the last tests I saw. Dunlop and Goodyear are good tires too.

[@beautgrainger147]

Tbf, some of the modern car's increased oil consumption is because the designers figured a looser fit has less drag.. I'm actually not convinced the new engine blocks will do less miles than the older ones most of the time, and there's plenty of other stuff which can be expensive before that. That being said, my current cars are 25 and 30yrs old

[@marclang7431]

For anyone harping on about the model Y being the best selling car in the world, it's not, the are registering cars that are sold at a huge discount, it's a scam. "Model 3s and Model Ys with delivery mileage in stock for instant delivery, some with £7,460 discounts. The company’s website lists upwards of 100 cars, all said to be ‘Ex Demo’ examples with around 50 miles or less registered on the odometer, suggesting they have been registered but not driven."

[@BionicRusty]

An aside, I know but you mentioned pot holes. After previously having two cracked wheels from hitting disguised potholes and sorting myself (i.e. having repaired), I have finally put it my first claim to the local council, who are insured by Zurich, for a ruined tyre after hitting a pothole on Christmas Day. I’m currently sitting at three months waiting and have to say that while Zurich are brilliant at keeping me informed on Special New Deals and updates to their T’s & C’s, I’ve yet to hear anything about my claim. A six month old £200 tyre, at that. Our roads are so poor and my brother is so fed up with them that he has just put off road tyres on his van.

[@vendomnu]

We have to pay high taxes to have infrastructure and healthcare. But when the healthcare and the infrastructure doesn't work then can we get lower taxes?

[@Baerchenization]

I am calling BS on the oil consumption claim. I am recently driving my parents' ca 7 yo BMW 118i and it seems it is never supposed to be topped up between services; driving it locally for everything, did Germany-Britain return trips twice etc... it does not want oil. Personally driving a Porsche 981, can drive that for 10K Km and not need to top up... the only time I saw that a car needs 1L every ca 3000 Km is when reading the owners manual for an older S500 Merc V8, i.e. a W221.

[@ginog5037]

Geoff low tension rings lead to more oil burning, and the infamous P0420 catalytic code among other things...

[@melmo5218]

Why don't we have a smaller supplementary 12-volt battery devoted to the starter motor ONLY? You can't run it down by leaving the lights on. In addition, an intelligent coil which will disconnect after 3 minutes if the starter key is not turned. My small dump truck needs the ignition switch on in order to dump. You dump, get on with the job and at the end of the day...bugger!

[@aaronfranklin324]

Geoff. Tires used to be made of rubber. For some time now they have been made of soft plastic. They have been making the plastic softer and shittier by adding more and more endocrine disrupting "plasticisers" to trans-fer your money and soften your will and appendages by loading the air that you breathe. That's why they go flabby and soft, and fall apart all the time.