We’re excited to announce that Best4 has been named our winner of Partner of the Month for April 2024!

Part of the Autoguard group, Best4 Warranty is a top-rated warranty provider, dedicated to providing drivers with peace of mind, helping prepare for the unexpected. Since 2022, Best4 has utilised Bumper’s pay-monthly option to offer their customers more payment flexibility with their products.

The Camberley-based team just had their best month ever, with more happy customers driving away with warranties split into manageable monthly payments than ever before. With fantastic reviews on Trustpilot, Best4 presents a stellar 4.9-star rating. 

The team have received extremely positive feedback with their customer service, with one customer sharing “Great customer service! Lara Norris was really helpful and couldn’t do more to help!” Another added, “Excellent professional service from Shaneil, very detailed and thorough.”

A previous Best4 customer who used Bumper through Best4 Warranty stated, “Took out a 3-year warranty for my Citroen and the finance was handled by Bumper. It was easy to set up, giving me peace of mind with my new car.”

We extend a huge congratulations to Callum and the entire Best4 team for an outstanding month!

Best4 awarded partner of the month

When you look outside, you can probably only see regular cars. Maybe you’ll spot a few luxury or high-performance vehicles, but you won’t see anything too out of the ordinary.

We’re all guilty of a little car modification. Phone holders, new speakers, and air fresheners can make driving more comfortable. And why not? It’s fun to drive something unique. 

But what about when people take it too far? From banana cars and snow ploughs to the it's-so-bad-it-should-be-illegal, some people take modifications to the next level. Scroll down to see a round-up of the strangest cars ever. 

It looks like this owner took their love for Liam Neeson to the next level. Introducing Liam Nissan, the first contender for the weirdest car in the world prize! Would you show your support for your favourite celebrity like this?

The banana car is a strong contender for one of the craziest cars ever. Unlike some other entries on this list, the banana mobile has a unique shape and an ultra-cool convertible style. It’s like something straight out of a cartoon!

We’re not sure when you’d need a snow plough on the front of a caravan. But we guess it’s always nice to have the option. This older caravan has seen better days, but its snow plough modification puts it in the running for one of the strangest cars in the world.

It looks like Doctor Who’s broken down again. This pick-up truck seems to have a Tardis onboard. Don’t look too closely, though. It’ll ruin the optical illusion!

Have you ever seen a big car with minuscule wheels? Well, now you have! This is one of the craziest cars in the world, for sure. Don’t ask us why, but this has the same energy as a T-Rex, and we’re here for it.

Good news everyone, with the Planet Express car, you can now make deliveries powered by an internal combustion engine along a pre-constructed pathway designed for vehicular traffic in the third dimension. If you’re a Futurama fan, you’ll be impressed. If not, keep scrolling! 

The next car on our craziest cars ever list has made the 7th spot due to its special design. Like a mullet, it’s business in the front and kooky design in the back. Alternatively, you could say it’s like a child’s drawing of a car has come to life. Either way, it’s strange!

At first glance, this sleek car looks like something out of a sci-fi film. With a smooth aesthetic and an alien-green hue, we’re curious as to where it came from. Let’s hope the driver comes in peace!

Motorhomes are already unique cars, but this one’s unique shape takes the biscuit. It also cements it on the 

strangest cars ever list. Congratulations to the driver!

Meet the driving home for Christmas final boss. You can’t question this driver’s festive spirit! However, you will curse them if you get stuck behind this bright monstrosity on the motorway. Sunglasses, anyone?

A car bed might sound like a dream for road trips, but this one actually looks like a hotel you’d leave a 1-star review at. With no protection from the elements, no comfortable pillows or bed sheets, and no privacy, we won’t be checking in here. However, we will be placing this on the weirdest cars in the world list!

Have you seen a grass-covered car before? Well, now you have! We don’t know if this car is as eco as it looks, but we love the green theme. It might not be the craziest car ever, but it’s definitely one that would make you double-take!

Next on the strange car list is the Post-it car. Underneath these neon office supplies lies a Jaguar. But you wouldn’t have been able to tell from first glance! This isn’t one to drive on a windy day.

Ever wished you could drive a car on tarmac 

 water? The Amphicar Model 770 could be your dream match. This model has four wheels, two propellers, and a watertight design. Sadly, only 3,878 were manufactured, and they're no longer in supply.

We’re ending the list of strangest cars in the world with the famous General Motors Firebird. This aviation-inspired car is powered by a large gas turbine engine — just like a real fighter jet. However, the cars were so unstable (due to the high power) that they were rarely tested or driven. 

There are almost too many strange cars to choose from. However, we think the banana car is pretty wacky. Do you agree? Or has another car on the list caught your attention?

The ultimate list of strangest cars - Final thoughts

Hopefully, the list of strange cars has given you something to giggle about at work. Who knows? Perhaps it even inspired you to modify your car so you can make the craziest cars in the world list. If we’ve missed any iconic cars, send them our way!

 is here to help you split the cost of car repairs and services. 

Search for a reliable garage in your area by entering your registration and postcode with 

15 of the Strangest Cars in the World

Congratulations to Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds for being named Dealership of the Month. 

Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds use Bumper’s PayLater to split their customers’ aftersales invoices into interest-free monthly payments and PayNow for customers to make instant, digital payments from their device. 

Having joined the network in 2015, the team at Drive have gone from strength to strength using Bumper’s digital payment methods to improve customer satisfaction and retention. 

Flexible payment options have proved to be popular with Drive customers. One said, “So straightforward to use. It's a big help with budgeting and makes the difference between having all the work done at the same time, rather than postponing some, which is less than ideal. No interest charged either.” 

With a near-perfect 4.3 out of 5 stars, customers have also praised the staff at the site. One driver said, “It was so straight forward, the service advisor, Stephen Eboma, helped us as we are elderly. He kept us in tea and coffees in the waiting area while they fixed the car. 

“We are on a pension so splitting the payments was perfect for us like Stephen explained. We would recommend Bumper and Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds to everyone.” 

Part of the site’s success can be attributed to the team’s streamlined process. Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds use the Bumper and CDK integration enabling Bumper applications to be completed within their DMS. 

Congratulations to Harry, Stephen, Sam, and the whole team at Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds for winning this award! 

Drive Vauxhall Bury St Edmunds celebrated as Dealership of the Month 

We're thrilled to have been awarded the Overall Judges' Award at the Northern Tech Awards 2024.

Held at Manchester Central and hosted by GP Bullhound, the awards celebrate the top 100 fastest-growing companies in Northern England, with categories such as Fastest Growing Company of the Year, the Innovation Award and the Entrepreneur Award. A Northern Stars category shines a spotlight on younger companies with potential for growth in tech.

The Overall Judges' Award recognises the company with the highest achievements for growth, innovation, global ambition, cultural excellence and leadership. 

GP Bullhound's ranking of fastest-growing companies comes at a remarkable time for Bumper, having recently closed a $50m Series B funding round. The funding will aid further growth of Bumper's automotive payment platform across Europe. 

Managing Director of GP Bullhound Javed Huq, said, “Congratulations to all the winners of the 2024 Northern Tech Awards. Their success is a testament to the remarkable determination and entrepreneurship, which have enabled their businesses to thrive in a challenging market landscape. 

"We are immensely proud of the dedication and innovation within the Northern tech ecosystem and believe it is important to celebrate these achievements at tonight’s awards. We are honoured to champion these leading tech businesses, and look forward to their continued growth and contribution to the UK economy.”

Over the course of the evening, a wide range of tech companies were recognised, from leading industry experts in AI to digital product development agencies. Amongst those recognised were xDesign, Opencast, Cassie, ProofID, IDHL Easyfundraising, Robiquity and Answer Digital. 

We'd like to say a big thank you GP Bullhound for recognising Bumper with this prestigious award and congratulations to all the other winners.

Bumper Wins Overall Judges' Award at Northern Tech Awards 2024

Bumper gana el premio del jurado en los Northern Tech Awards 2024

The Golden Gate Bridge is an American Icon. Stretching 1.7 miles long, the San Francisco-based suspension bridge has appeared in countless films – Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and even DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens. 

If these movies are anything to go off one thing’s for sure, if you’re a would-be, Earth-destroying, giant monster from outer space you simply must make a stop to destroy the Golden Gate Bridge. Possibly on your way to the Eiffel Tower or Sydney Opera House. 

However, despite its limited luck on the silver screen, the Golden Gate Bridge has endured the years. 

But it hasn’t always been plain sailing. During the bridge’s construction in 1935, terrified workers clung to the top as an earthquake caused the bridge to sway up to 16 feet. 

You might be surprised to learn, given the period in which the bridge was built, that there were some safety precautions in place.

A giant safety net had been deployed to catch anyone who accidentally slipped. The net saved the lives of 19 workers during the construction of the suspension bridge. 

In an iconic orange, the US Navy had originally demanded the bridge be painted in blue and yellow to increase its visibility. 

However, when the steel arrived in the now-familiar orange the architect decided it looked better as it was. Sorry, US Navy, your concerns over visibility and safety will have to wait! 

But what about the bridge sagging? Well, I won’t keep you in “suspense” any longer. 

 anniversary of the bridge was celebrated. To mark the momentous occasion, San Francisco organised a bridge walk. 

Thousands showed up to take part in the walk with an estimated 300,000 pedestrians marching across in celebration. 

Then, what seemed like a big success suddenly turned into a big concern for safety. 

With so many people on the bridge, the structure began to sag, dipping in the middle so much that the bridge's iconic curve flattened out.

As well as the bridge beginning to dip, organisers were concerned about people becoming trapped in the middle. If there had been an emergency there would have been no escape.

Organisers decided to cancel the event, preventing a further 600,000 pedestrians from marching onto the bridge and perhaps stopping what could have been a very big catastrophe. 

Luckily, nobody was hurt and engineers said the bridge had never been under threat of collapse, with the weight exerted on it only being a small fraction of the load it had been designed to hold. 

Even if the weight had been too much, suspension bridges are designed to dip in the middle rather than completely collapse. 

I wonder what they have planned for this surprisingly bendy bridge’s upcoming 90

 anniversary? Whatever it is, I think I might “dip” out of that one.

That time the Golden Gate Bridge sagged 7 feet 

We’re pleased to announce we’ve raised a further £2 million in a Series B extension round, with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining as investors.

With Suzuki’s strong European dealer network and Marubeni’s RRG Group, HPL Motors Group and Norton Way Motors in the UK, the new investors are strategically important for further accelerating Bumper’s scaled growth across the UK and Europe. 

Suzuki’s UK dealer operation recently ranked as the top-performing automotive brand in the Institute of Customer Service’s 2024 UK Customer Satisfaction Index. 

The latest investment follows last year’s £40 million Series B fundraise with Autotech Ventures, Shell Ventures, JLR’s InMotion Ventures and Porsche Ventures. Total investment in Bumper has now reached £55 million. 

The new investors are joining after a record year of growth for the business with Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growing 100% year on year and customer numbers up 80% in the last 12 months. 

James Jackson, Bumper Co-Founder and CEO said, “With Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures joining our growing portfolio of major automotive investors, we can accelerate our ambitious plans to be the dominant payment platform for car dealers in the UK and across Europe.

“We’re delighted that Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures see the value of what we’ve already achieved and our future potential. Unexpected and unbudgeted car repair bills are a universal problem requiring flexible payment solutions that benefit customers and dealers. With our investors’ support, we’re now ideally placed to invest in new products and increase our dealer footprint.”

Kinji Saito, Director and Senior Managing Officer at Suzuki said, “Bumper’s unique AI technology enables real-time financing decisions, thereby making it easier for customers to take their cars for repairs and services, and dealers to attract customers. 

“With this investment, made through Suzuki Motor Corporation’s corporate venture capital fund, we aim to enhance the convenience of customers through expanding Bumper’s services.” 

Tristan Jennings, Senior Associate of Marubeni Ventures said, “Bumper has clearly demonstrated an ability to address the unique financing needs of automotive repair customers, reduce friction at point of sale and improve the user experience, while seamlessly integrating into existing dealership IT infrastructure. 

“We aim to leverage Marubeni’s existing businesses in the automotive and auto finance sectors to further expand Bumper’s reach and build upon its outstanding level of customer service.”

Bumper raises £2 million in Series B extension with Suzuki Global Ventures and Marubeni Ventures 

Bumper recauda 2 millones de libras en la ampliación de la ronda de financiación serie B gracias a Suzuki Global Ventures y Marubeni Ventures como nuevos inversores.

Bumper sammelt 2 Millionen Pfund in der Erweiterung der Serie B ein, wobei Suzuki Global Ventures und Marubeni Ventures als Investoren einsteigen

We’re excited to announce the Dealership of the Month for February is Acorn Kia Crewe.

The Crewe-based site had a fantastic start to the year and has continued its upward trajectory into February.

One of the longer-standing Bumper partners, Acorn Motor Group adopted PayLater into their aftersales departments back in 2017 and have now gone live with PayNow, processing customers’ one-off payments in just a few taps, and Pay By Bank, an instant account-to-account payment method.

The team also make use of Bumper integrations through popular automotive systems Keyloop and CitNOW, creating a seamless customer experience for drivers.

Their world-class customer experience has impacted their Trustpilot reviews, of which there are plenty!

One customer said, “Seamless, straightforward process, very well explained by Matt. Nothing was too much trouble.” Another stated, “Jay did an amazing check on my car for [my] MOT... great detail on the inspection video”.

Others described Kia Crewe as, “Very helpful”, “Quick”, and “First class”.

Bumper’s Chris Booth (Business Development Team Lead – North) and Islay Horton (Business Development Consultant) visited the site to hand over the award. 

Islay said, “Congratulations to Acorn Kia Crewe on their win. They’ve had an outstanding start to 2024 with Bumper, really embedding PayLater into their aftersales process.

“Having recently taken over the site, it’s been a pleasure to meet with the team here in Crewe today and I’m looking forward to seeing how we can utilise PayLater even further to create an incredible aftersales experience.”

Congratulations to Amy, Rebecca, Chloe, Matt and the whole team at Acorn Kia Crewe.

Acorn Kia Crewe named Dealership of the Month

The Audi A3 is a popular premium hatchback, but like any car, it has some common reliability issues.

Owners frequently report problems with the DSG gearbox, suspension creaking, oil pump failures, and fuel line leaks. This guide covers the most common Audi A3 problems and how to avoid costly repairs.

Like any car manufactured in large numbers, the Audi A3 isn't without its own issues. 

While these common problems may point to areas needing improvement, they also serve as a helpful checklist for prospective buyers. 

Here are typical Audi A3 problems to note:

Some 2004–2008 Audi A3s with the 2.0 TDI engine have a known oil pump issue, where the drive shaft wears out prematurely. 

 which, if lost completely, may cause severe engine damage within minutes.

On some newer A3s (2016+), owners have reported creaks and rattles from the front suspension, even with low mileage.

Since there's no clear fix, listen closely on test drives. If your car’s doing this, try replacing the suspension bushes, like the bottom arms or top mounts.

On 2003–2012 TDI models, engine vibrations can crack diesel lines, hurting MPG and posing safety risks.

Luckily, replacement pipes are cheap, and vibration-reducing upgrades are available online.

A common issue with 2.0 TFSI engines is torn boost diverter valves, which cause a loss of air pressure. Under hard acceleration, you might notice 

Replacing the valve with an upgraded version solves the problem—it swaps the weak rubber diaphragm for a stronger one. It’s a quick fix for any experienced Audi tech.

 can droop over time. To check, see if it stays horizontal after use. 

If not, a garage can easily reposition it using a puller tool. This is usually cheap and prevents paint damage: a win-win!

Front wings rust early on many VW and Audi models. 

If your car’s under 10 years old, Audi’s rust guarantee covers it. If not, getting a wing from a parts car is usually cheapest.

 ranked the A3 last in their reliability leaderboard for 2022, and warranty provider MotorEasy gave it a reliability score of 63%. These indicate a few quality issues with A3s from 2021 onwards.

However, provided the car receives timely maintenance and repair, it should be as reliable as any other car in the same market segment. 

As most of the warranty claims were for automatic 

-related issues, we’d suggest the manual version.

What years of the Audi A3 should I avoid?

The A3 is generally reliable, but certain years have recurring issues. Here's a breakdown of the ones to avoid:

You can avoid some Audi A3 common issues by skipping these years. 

The Audi A3 isn’t the cheapest car to maintain, but it's not the most expensive either. 

Parts can be pricey, especially for newer models, and labour costs add up if you need 

. Regular maintenance and servicing are key to avoiding bigger bills, but overall, it’s manageable for a premium car.

How much does it cost to fix common Audi A3 problems? 

Below, we’ve detailed some rough cost estimates for fixing common Audi A3 problems.

Keep in mind that prices can vary based on location, parts, and labour costs.

DSG gearboxes are fantastic pieces of engineering; they are complex, and numerous reports of faults have developed if the service intervals have not been adhered to. 

For many years, the DSG type has been the go-to gearbox in Volkswagen Audi Group products. This dual-clutch gearbox offers fast gear changes and efficiency as good as a manual transmission car.

DSG gearboxes rely on clean, free-of-contaminants oil, hence the recommended 

 interval of 40,000 miles. If you make sure these services are done, we don’t see why you won’t have a trouble-free experience.

Does the Audi A3 have a timing belt or timing chain?

The Audi A3 generally uses a timing chain, not a belt.

But watch out—older models with 2.0 TFSI or 2.0 TSI engines can have chain issues. Newer ones, like the 8V 1.2 TFSI, also use chains.

In general, most petrol engines use a chain, while many diesels, especially older ones, have a belt. Always check your specific engine code to be sure, and don’t skip scheduled belt replacements.

Are Audi A3s prone to electrical problems?

Some Audi A3 owners have reported electrical issues, such as problems with power windows, central locking, and the infotainment system. These are often caused by faulty wiring, sensors, or software glitches.

Likewise, Audi A3 owners have reported cluster failures (problems with the instrument cluster). These can cause incorrect readings, warning lights, or even blank screens.

While not always serious, they can be frustrating, so it’s worth checking that everything works properly before buying.

That wraps up the common Audi A3 issues. While there are a few known problems, the A3 still scores high on style, practicality, and efficiency. So don’t let a handful of minor faults put you off, as it remains a solid choice in its class, and you can trust Audi A3 reliability.

Need to repair your Audi A3? We’re here to help. With Bumper's 

, you can split the cost of repairs into monthly payments at no extra cost. Apply online for up to £5,000 and choose from 1,000s of trusted repairers. 

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer