Faults:

Ex-lease car, bought at a supermarket.

Needs front shock absorbers immediately - GBP 430.

Needs front suspension bushes immediately - GBP 520.

Needs rocker-cover gaskets immediately - GBP 460.

The car has just been serviced and the cam belts have been changed.

Someone has slightly loosened the coolant reservoir lid, with the consequence that 0.5 litres of coolant were lost before I realised what was going on. Lucky me I guess, but I think the garages intention was different.

After 150 miles (high-speed) driving today, a clunking noise is audible from the belt that drives the alternator. This has been renewed during the service, so either they got that wrong or damaged something so that I have to come back.

General Comments:

I decided to take the car to Germany over Christmas to have it fixed there, as the Germans are not charging such lunatic prices. Don't know now if I should still do that with the clunking noise. The dealers make a rather incompetent impression, but I have to admit that I have only been to one South-London dealership so far. A real shame, because the car seems to be well enough engineered. My Golf Convertible did not sound any better and was a real slouch compared to this.

Faults:

Left hand side cam assembly broke at 115000 miles.

Ignition barrel worn and key jams.

General Comments:

It's a well equipped, fast and agile car. Its size belies its handling capabilities.

The interior is spacious and lavishly equipped.

However it is not cheap to run. With careful driving I can just about squeeze 30mpg out of it on a combination of road usages. It's much more economical at higher motorway speeds and it has been suggested that 85 to 90 MPH is its optimum speed for economy.

Having driven the 3 litre versions as a police pursuit driver I was very impressed by it's drive-ability. There aren't many mainstream cars that will kick down a gear at 110mph and sit down on it's haunches as it accelerates away. Sitting in one all day long is not unpleasant and there is more than enough room for any kit you'd want to carry.

With these impressions in mind I bought a 2.5 litre model. Although it had high company mileage it had a full service history and had been meticulously maintained. It has just gone bang. The left hand cam bank now produces a tractor like noise. The engine still runs smoothly so the timing belt hasn't snapped nor jumped but something has broken. Until my mechanic returns from his holidays and takes the rocker cover off I don't know what the problem is. No doubt this will cost a lot to repair.

I have read various vague comments about top end problems and remember one of the police cars I drove doing exactly the same thing. Is there a common fault and if so what is it and how can it be prevented from happening again?