A car manufacturer has been forced into an apology after a widow was left five months without her car when it went in for repairs.

Pauline Palmer started noticing her vehicle was juddering and making worrying noises so she took it into the WJ King garage on the Medway City Estate in April to be checked.

The 78-year-old said: "I took it in and they said to me to make a date to bring it back in but I told them I did not feel safe driving it as it was.

"It was not roadworthy so I left it in there and they agreed to take a look at it."

She believed there were issues with the steering column and this was confirmed by mechanics who told her it would need to be replaced and would cost £1,477.42.

Needing her car to get around, Pauline agreed thinking it would only take a couple of weeks but this wait turned into five months.

The grandmother-of-five bought the white Vauxhall Viva in 2015 and has now had to have the steering column repaired three times – twice in 2018.

In a letter sent to Vauxhall's customer care team, Pauline, of Hilltop Road, Wainscott, said: "I do not think three steering column replacements is acceptable.

"I will have to pay for the repair as I am not very mobile and cannot do without my car. I do think there is something very wrong that this part has to be replaced so often."

After a few weeks, the former receptionist rung the garage for an update on her vehicle and was told they had ordered the part but it had not arrived – this continued until the end of August.

"It is not the garage's fault but Vauxhall," said Pauline. "I just despair with it. I am not a boy racer, I am a pensioner. I have to rely on people to run me around.

"I do not go out. I cannot walk as I have had both of my knees replaced. It is a struggle to walk to the end of the road and back.

"I am stuck in here. I feel isolated, this has been my life since April. It is like being a prisoner in your own home. I do not know what else to do."

The mum-of-two had operations in 2018 and 2019 on her knees meaning she finds it difficult to walk for long periods of time or to get on public transport which does not drop her off at her house.

If she does, Pauline said she is left in pain and recovering for the next week. "That would finish me off," she added.

She has also been waiting to visit her daughter in Australia but needs a medical check which she cannot get to without her car and she does not want to continue relying on her family to take her.

"It has affected everything," the widow said. "It is just ridiculous. My late husband Michael thought getting me this car would sort me out but it has caused so much despair.

"How long can it take to get it repaired?"

As the Viva was out of the three-year warranty window the firm could not offer her a hire car.

But after KentOnline contacted Vauxhall this week about Pauline's situation, the pensioner said the company has now offered to pay for all the repairs.

A spokesman for Vauxhall said: "We sympathise with the length of time that Ms Palmer has been without her vehicle due to a specific part being on backorder and we apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused her.

"The vehicle was first registered in 2015 and is therefore outside of our normal three-year warranty period.

"In recognition of the inconvenience that Ms Palmer has experienced we have offered to cover the entire cost of the repair (£1,477.42) and we are pleased to say that Ms Palmer has agreed to accept this proposal.

"We understand that our retailer should have the vehicle back to Ms Palmer next week."