Which mid-size estate would you recommend for £8000?

I have £8000 to spend on a mid-size estate. I have narrowed it down to the Mondeo, Passat or Vectra. I will get more for my money with Ford or Vauxhall, but will I get better reliability? Should it be...

Should I go for a 1998 Mercedes-Benz 250 TD Classic or a 2000 BMW 5 Series?

I have a 1998 BMW 323i SE Touring but it's heavy on juice and my partner can't drive manuals yet. I have seen a 1998 Mercedes-Benz 250 TD Classic with 126,000 miles on the clock on Autotrader. Also, I...

Can I recommend my local garage, David Thomas Garage of Codicote?

David Thomas Garage, Codicote, Herts. Excellent service, encyclopedic knowledge of all makes but especially Alfas, very friendly and personable. I won't use anyone else and I'm very fussy. http://www.davidthomasgarages.co.uk/

Do you recommend any paint finishes for bodywork that preserve the condition?

I have just bought an Alfa 159, and I want to keep its bodywork in tip top condition. I've heard about finishes that can be applied after external valeting that protect the finished surface and keep the...

What's a nice looking car for £2000?

I'm looking for a nice looking car for around the £2000 mark? Any ideas of what's a good buy and what to look out for in terms of mileage, etc?

My daughter bought a used Smart Fortwo with inaccurate mileage and a number of problems - what should we do?

My daughter bought a Smart Fortwo Cabriolet (used) which was said to have been serviced and MoT'd before she picked it up. They gave it an advisory saying that they couldn't MoT it properly because of...

Do runflat tyres normally shred within a few miles when being run at low pressure?

I recently had a bad experience with runflat tyres as a passenger in a friend's 2009 BMW 525 diesel. After the message saying 'check pressures', all tyres were inspected. All appeared okay with no obvious...

Should I buy a Ford Kuga or Skoda Yeti?

I am torn between buying a nearly-new Kuga or a nearly-new Skoda Yeti. I have a Ford Focus to trade in that will get about £10,000 at the Skoda garage, and about a grand more with Ford. A nearly new Yeti...

Recommend a four-wheel drive family hatchback or estate car?

Could you give me a list of family sized hatchbacks and estates which have 4WD? My Subaru Impreza Sport is due for replacement but my wife loves the security of 4WD in winter. She's not so keen on 'big'...

Is the Peugeot 307 SW known for having dual mass flywheel and clutch problems?

We bought a 2003 Peugeot 307 SW in May 2004 via the Peugeot Direct scheme through the Peugeot dealership in Devizes. In June 2005 the car broke down due to a failure of the clutch and flywheel, which was...

What do you think of the BM 535d M Sport Touring?

I am looking to buy a BMW 535d M Sport Touring and wanted your general comments and thoughts on the car, as well as key areas to check on the car and its history. I am buying it from a BMW main dealer...

Where can I get a replacement central locking unit for my Mercedes-Benz A-Class?

On the 10th of this month I bought a 10 year old A-Class Mercedes-Benz from a local dealer. Within a couple of days I found that the central locking unit did not always work - then it stopped working altogether....

Does my daughter's 2005 Clio really need a coolant and brake fluid change at 13,000 miles?

A Renault main dealer is suggesting that my daughter's 2006 Clio (1.4 petrol) needs a coolant and brake fluid change (mileage is about 13,000) - they are pushing the "special offer" at £50 each. Should...

My son's Swiss-registered Volkswagen Multivan will be staying in the UK for some time - should it be registered with the DVLA?

My son currently lives in Bern and runs a Swiss-registered Volkswagen Multivan. He intends to return with his family to the UK in July, although will remain resident himself in Switzerland, commuting to...

Should I dispute a 50-50 insurance settlement for an accident that wasn't my fault?

The other day I had been to my local garage and was just about to pull out of the forecourt when a woman turned right off the main road onto the forecourt and then (I guess) swung round to go right again...

Can I get a PCO licence despite my drink-driving conviction?

Can I get a PCO license despite being banned for drink-driving two years ago?

Should I use an imported car's build date or import date when insuring it in the UK?

When insuring an imported vehicle, do I use the manufacture date or the date of first UK registration?

Does my 2009 Toyota Yaris 1.4 D4D SR have stop-start technology?

I recently purchased an '09 plate Toyota Yaris. It's a 1.4 D4D SR. When browsing it the dealer, they stated it has Toyota Optimal Drive/stop-start. There is a sticker on the rear window that states it...

Is my son's insurance company going for the easy option by settling a claim against his own insurance?

My son in law was involved as the middle car of three in a minor shunt. The car he hit in front of him suffered no damage and the driver is not making a claim against him. His car was damaged on the off...

Should I use this service to sell my Jaguar XJ Sovereign, or do it privately?

I am selling my Jaguar XJ Sovereign but, to date, have had limited response from my Auto Trader ad. I have been contacted by a specialist company in Bristol who are offering to take my car and sell it...

The DVLA have removed C1 category from my licence - is there any way of reinstating it?

I passed my practical driving test on 10/10/1996 and my theory test (as it had just come in then) on the 18/02/1997, and have recently noticed that, even though I am sure I had every category (grandfather...

Is there a company that offers insurance in the UK for non-residents?

I am UK born but emigrated to South Africa in the 1970s. I now want to return to the UK for short summer holidays and want to keep a car over in the UK. I tried to get car insurance but so far all the...

Should we buy a car that was originally bought on finance?

Is it safe to buy a friend's daughter's car which was on finance? It has been stood for the last year. The parents say they have paid the finance and they don't want any more to do with the car. Will it...

What could I expect to get from my 1997 Jaguar XK8 at auction, privately or as a trade-in?

I need to sell an 1997 Jaguar XK8 platinum grey coupe 4-litre in fair condition with 125,000 miles. What could I expect to get selling at auction, privately or trading in for a small family car e.g. Fiesta?

I damaged a hire car in the hire car company's forecourt - am I liable?

Having hired a vehicle, I subsequently damaged it whilst still in the forecourt of the hiring company. Am I still fully liable for the damage caused?

Is this a good price for a 2003 MINI Cooper with just 11,000 miles?

I have seen a MINI Cooper 1.6 2003 with only 11,000 miles and one owner. The asking price is £6495 - is this a fair price for this car in immaculate condition with 12 months MoT?

Would you recommend a Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90 to replace our Porsche Cayenne?

I need to replace a Cayenne S as we have three small kids. Should we get a Q7, XC90 or Discovery? I am very confused. Could buy new or secondhand with less than 10,000 on the clock. Any ideas?

Why won't my dealer repair a number of faults on my Ford Focus under warranty?

I had the fuel pump on my 2004 Ford Focus 1.8TDCi replaced under warranty by the garage I bought it from. It took them five weeks. Now there a problem with the dual mass flywheel. They are saying that...

Why have my insurance premiums been put up after a non-fault accident?

Several weeks ago I was parked in a secure car park when a council vehicle collided with my car. They immediately admitted liability. I arranged for vehicle repair and a hire car at no charge. Trying to...

Should I have whatever's causing wind noise from my MINI Cooper fixed before the warranty runs out?

Wind noise (can't be 100 per cent sure - but it sounds like someone blowing over the top of milk bottle) is coming from the underside of my 57-plate MINI Cooper auto, 13,500 miles, once I get above 60mph....

Are concrete central reservations easier to maintain than grassed ones?

Why are some central reservations grassed and others not? Surely concrete zones are better, as lanes do not have to be closed for grass cutting, plus less maintenance is needed and therefore they're cheaper...

Where can I find a competent LPG converter?

Where can I find a well established LPG converter using reliable products?

Why are older vehicles still exempt from road tax?

I wonder if there is now support for the ending of the exemption from Vehicle Excise Duty for cars registered before 1973? It cannot be right that these vehicles, often marques such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari...

Is it worth paying £30 for a protected no-claims bonus?

My insurer is charging me £30 for a protected no-claims bonus. Is this worth having? I understand that premiums rise anyway if you have an accident.

Can I recommend Eye Car Care for providing excellent customer service?

Good service is hard to find and they looked after me.

Will the Skoda Octavia Estate diesel be suitable for my seven-mile daily commute?

I’m interested in purchasing a new Skoda Octavia Estate with the 1.6 CR diesel engine, but I'm concerned whether my daily drive to work is suited to a DPF. One way, my journey is rural and about seven...

How can I find secondhand car prices for 1946/1947?

My father bought a secondhand 1935 Talbot 75, reg BXY334, in 1946/47 and it was scrapped in 1962. I know it was virtually impossible to buy new cars immediately post-war, and secondhand cars carried a...

I think I've bought a 'clocked' car - what should I do?

I purchased car on 28/10/09 for £6999 from a trader. Since then I have found out that the car has done 117,000 miles, dated 24/6/09. When I got it, it read 30,000 and now done 35,000. It came with a full...

How can we have our neighbour's rusty old van removed from private land next to our property?

My neighbour has a very large unroadworthy van parked right next to our access road. No fence is between the properties and the van now has four flat tyres, and is rusting and leaking fluid. As this thing...

Should I sell my Morgan Plus 8 now or hold on for more money?

I have been given a Morgan Plus 8 as a gift and don't know if I should sell or keep it a while longer, if it will get me better money. It is a mint condition 1988 Plus 8 in cream with red leather, fully...

Which model of Volkswagen Golf TDI do I have?

I have a 2002 Volkswagen Golf TDI. I'm trying desperately to find out which model it is for insurance. It has the full electric pack if that helps.

Can you recommend a car with better economy and lower tax than our Renault Laguna 150dCi?

We have a Renault Laguna 150dCi as we currently do some long journeys in Europe. This will cease soon and we want something else with lower tax, better economy, lower insurance, and suitable for normal...

How can we stop other drivers parking outside our front gates?

I live in a council house in West Yorkshire and have been given permission to make a footpath to my house, as the one that is there now is not wide enough for a twin buggy. We don't have a car or a driveway...

Does the Nissan Note have an athermic windscreen?

I am thinking of buying a speed camera detector for my Nissan Note 1.6SE. Does it have an athermic windscreen? If so, a camera detector will not work properly through it.

I'm retiring to France and would like a new car - should I buy it here in the UK or in France?

I'm hoping to retire to France in the near future. At this point, there should be sufficient cash to purchase a new vehicle. I am looking at a Volkswagen Sharan or Tiguan or similar. Do I buy one here...

My father has lied to a court in order to take speeding points for his son - what should I do?

My brother was caught speeding by about 10mph over the limit. He is a new driver, so our Dad took the fine and points for him and our Dad lied to the judge, saying it was him that was speeding not my brother....

Why the delay in delivery of my new Citroen Grand Picasso?

I have had a Citroen Grand Picasso Exclusive EGS on order since March. The delivery date was going to be June, but the dealer has told me that the expected delivery date is now September as there are production...

Is it possible to trace a number plate that was on a car stolen ten years ago?

About 10 years ago my car was stolen and unfortunately the insurance had lapsed, so I could not put in a claim. Having recently moved house, I found some old documents and wondered who actually owns the...

What is a 'V car'?

What is a 'V car' thats been repaired?

Will 'traffic film' repair paintwork damage on my new Skoda Yeti?

On Friday 21st May I took delivery of my new red non-metallic paint Skoda Yeti and, later that day, was told by a Volkswagen-trained mechanic that there was evidence of "fallout" from rail dust or industry...