One of the reasons I like my car, a 2012 Mitsubishi Colt, is that it has no computerisation. Some of my friends have run up garage repair bills because a computer part was misbehaving or miss- reading a function, for example, a Vauxhall Insignia that kept going into limp mode because the computer was misreading something to do with the exhaust. My old workhorse doesn’t have a computer so it doesn’t know how to limp, for which I am grateful. I hope it lasts for ever so I can hold out against computerisation.
But at its last MOT my brilliant garage man said I might have to start thinking about buying a new car, because the front wheel hubs on this one were rusting. ‘Can’t you take them off and brush off the rust and paint it with rust proofing stuff?’ I asked. ‘Or buy new ones?’ The first idea wasn’t feasible, though I forget why, and the second impossible because wheel hubs are an integral part of the car and not available as after-sales. But it might be possible to find some good second hand ones in a breakers’ yard, and that’s what he did. ‘They’re really good condition,’ he said when I picked up the car, ‘this should see you out now.’
So I felt an affinity with Porsche drivers when I read the headline ‘Porsche drivers issued with alert that their wheels could fall off.’
Hundreds of Porsche owners have been warned not to drive cars worth up to £200,000 in case the wheels fall off. Recall notices of been sent to around a thousand drivers in the UK telling them not to use their vehicles until further notice. (The Telegraph 17/11/24). The fault relates to models including the Porsche 911, 718, and Panamera, which have ‘centrelock’ wheels. These are attached to the axle with one bolt, rather than the standard five-bolt mechanism in most cars. (Was this an economy move to save bolts? I wondered.)
A motoring and consumer expert at the Complaints Resolver said, ‘it’s quite shocking to see this recall on expensive cars that are considered a premium brand… you wouldn’t expect a premium marque to make high-performance cars with the risk of wheels falling off.’
I confess I felt a touch of schadenfreude as I drove my car to Tesco. My front wheel hubs may be second-hand but thanks to Cwmbran Tuning my wheels are well attached and they are not going to fall off. I get where I need to go and haven’t had to shell out £200,000 for the privilege, either.
