Which? Car Survey FAQs

Here we answer all your most frequently asked questions about the Which? Car Survey
Which? Team
Which car survey

The Which? Car Survey 2023

Below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the annual Which? Car Survey, we have a separate page that lists the full terms and conditions.

We mix independent lab tests with in-depth reliability information from our annual surveys to find the best cars you can buy.

Q1. How do I access the survey?

There are a number of ways to access the survey. If you are a member of Which? Connect (our online panel) you will receive an email invitation. Alternatively, you can access the survey via our website. We’ll also be posting links to the survey via our social media accounts.

Q2. When does the survey go live and when does it close?

The survey opened to members of the Which? Connect panel on 9 May 2023. It opened to everyone else, including non-Which? members, on 19 May 2023. The survey is due to close at 10am on 7 July 2023.

Q3. Who can take part?

Anyone with a registered address in the UK aged 18 and above can complete the survey. You do not have to be a Which? member.

Q4. How long will it take to complete the survey?

The time it takes to complete the survey depends on how many cars you choose to tell us about and how many problems you’ve experienced, but we estimate it will take between 20-25 minutes.

Q5. Can I complete the survey without access to the internet?

The Which? Car Survey 2023 is only available to complete online.

Q6. How do I complete the survey?

Either click on the link you received, or copy and paste it into your web browser. You will then be directed to a welcome page, which includes instructions for the survey. It’s helpful to have to hand your car make, model and registration year, as well as your car’s mileage and repair/servicing information for the past year, as there will be questions relating to this.

Q7. Why do you ask for my name and phone number in the survey?

We require your name and phone number in order for you to be entered into the prize draw where you will be in with a chance to win £2,500 (conditions apply) because we will contact the winner by telephone. To be entered into the prize draw you must complete the survey to the point of receiving the ‘thank you for completing the Which? Car Survey 2023’ page at the end. Entry is free.

If you agree, Which? will feature the winner’s name and location in any of our publications, websites and social media accounts – see our full Which? Car survey terms and conditions.

Q8. Why do I need to enter my car’s registration details?

We need this information to ensure we have accurate details about the make and model of your car for our analysis. The survey can only be filled out once for each car, and we need your registration details to ensure multiple surveys are not submitted for the same vehicle. Your registration details will only be used for the above purposes and won't be shared with any third parties.

Q9. Do I have to fill in different surveys for different cars?

No. The survey is designed so that you can enter details for two cars if applicable. You will be asked how many cars you own, and taken through the survey for your first (main) car. You’re then offered the opportunity to give information about your second car if you want to.

Answering the survey about two cars does not increase your chances of winning the prize.

Q10. If I lose my internet connection, or navigate my browser away from the survey part way through taking it, do I need to start again?

Possibly. The survey should ideally be completed in one sitting.  However, if you do lose connection part way through, it may be possible to re-enter the survey at the point you left it if you go back in using the same device that you started the survey on, and if that device has cookies enabled.

If you use a different device or do not have cookies enabled on your device, you will need to start the survey again from the beginning.

If you’re unable to find a link to get back into the survey, email carsurvey@which.co.uk and we will send you a new link to start from the beginning.

If you saw a page that said ‘thank you for completing the Which? Car Survey 2023’ when you were last in the survey, you have completed it and you do not need to take it again.

Q11. Who should I contact if I’m having technical difficulties?

If you’re having technical difficulties, please email carsurvey@which.co.uk. If you’ve already started the survey when you contact us, please tell us the email address you gave in the survey and the registration number of your car to enable us to deal with your query more efficiently.

Q12. How do I know if I’ve completed the survey?

You will see an end page on the survey that says ‘thank you for completing the Which? Car Survey 2023’.

Q13.  Why is there a prize draw?

We recognise that we are asking for a lot of detail in the survey and we want to encourage as many people as possible to complete it. The prize draw is a way of showing that we appreciate the time and effort it takes to complete the survey.

Q14. I’m a Which? member. Do I need to know my membership number to complete the survey or be entered into the prize draw?

No. Which? members don’t need to know their membership number to complete the survey or be entered into the prize draw.

Q15. Can anyone win the prize draw?

To be eligible you must have completed the survey to the point of seeing the ‘thank you for completing the Which? Car Survey 2023’ message AND you must have selected within the survey that you wish to be entered into the prize draw by 10am on 7 July, 2023.

However, as outlined in the terms and conditions, those who receive points, prizes or monetary rewards for completing the survey through a third party survey provider, or Which? employees, their immediate families or anyone connected with Which?, and those under 18 years of age are not eligible to enter.

Q16. Where can I find out more about the terms and conditions of the prize draw?

The terms and conditions governing the prize draw are available at the bottom of the welcome page and this FAQ sheet, or by clicking Which? Car survey terms and conditions.

Q17. I’ve made a mistake. Can I start the survey again?

If you want to do the survey again, or change your answer to a particular question, please email: carsurvey@which.co.uk. In your email, please include: the email address that you entered into the survey, your car registration number and tell us whether you had reached the end of the survey.

We can then advise as to whether you need to retake the survey and send you a link to do so.

Q18. The survey doesn’t list my car

If your model of car is not listed it may be because it’s a classic car or niche model. The main purpose of the survey is to gather information to help people to buy reliable cars, so the focus is on mainstream models.

However, your model of car may be listed in a format you don’t expect, such as with a hyphen between letters in the model name. If you’re confident this is your car, you can continue with the selection.

Alternatively, you can select the ‘my car is not listed’ option and then answer the following questions with details of your car. You should then be able to complete the survey. If you’re really not sure, you can contact us at carsurvey@which.co.uk for help.

Q19. The survey won’t accept my mileage

Mileage must be entered as a number between 1 and 100 for how many ‘thousand miles’ your car has done in the past 12 months (for example: if your car has covered 1,000 miles in the last year, you would enter the number 1).

A number between 1 and 300 should be entered for the total number of thousand miles covered by your vehicle (for example, if your car has covered 250,000 miles overall, you would enter 250).

The survey will not accept blanks or commas - an error message will explain why any information entered needs to be amended.

Q20. What happens if my computer keeps freezing or crashing?

A computer may freeze for a number of reasons. It may be possible to re-enter the survey at the point you left it if you go back in using the same device that you started the survey on AND if that device has cookies enabled.

If you use a different device or do not have cookies enabled on your device, you will need to start the survey again from the beginning.

If you’re unable to find a link to get back into the survey, email carsurvey@which.co.uk and we will send you a new link to start from the beginning.

If you saw a page that said ‘thank you for completing the Which? Car Survey 2023’ when you were last in the survey, you have completed it and you do not need to take it again.

Q21. Can I complete the survey on a smartphone, tablet, iPhone or iPad?

It is possible to complete the survey on a smartphone or tablet. However, the survey is complex so it’s probably easier to complete on something with a large screen, such as a desktop PC or laptop.

Q22. My region isn’t included in the list, what should I do?

We ask for region information under quite broad categories. If your specific region is not listed, please select the one that you feel is closest to where you live.

Q23. What are the terms and conditions of the prize draw?

The full terms and conditions can be read here - Which? Car survey terms and conditions.

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