To have and to hole

On 18th January 2011, at approx 21.15, so dark, I was driving along the A13 when I hit a large pothole in the road. The damage was quite bad with a bent front right alloy wheel and some tracking damage....

Are accident management companies pushing up insurance premiums?

I was interested to read your letter headed ‘Decline and Fall’ in the DT dated Saturday 13 August. I had an almost identical situation arise as MM of Hawick which involved the same insurance company. Last...

Accidental tourist

How do I obtain a blank 'European Accident Statement' form in English? A contact at my current motor insurer says he has never heard of it in his five years with the company. The policy booklet from my...

Higher car

We would welcome your advice about selecting a replacement car. At the moment we drive a BMW 118 SE petrol automatic. We live on a steep hill and last winter could only get into our drive with the help...

Seven up

I have a friend who has a FIAT Multipla and asked my advice about buying something different. He has 12 grand children but doesn't want a people carrier. He's looking for a new or preferably second hand...

Panned driver

I have a FIAT Panda Dynamic Multijet 114g/km diesel. I wish to purchase winter tyres for it. At present the size I have is 155/80 R13 but my local tyre dealer says that he can only get winter tyres in...

Devon help us

I write regarding the letter from MM in last Saturday's Telegraph. As an accident to my wife's car was deemed to be the fault of the other party, our claim was passed to CLAIMFAST who, amongst other...

£4 batteries, no charge

I am pleased to say that not all Ford dealers are quite as 'sharp' as one recently described in your column. I needed new batteries for the two remotes for my Ford and my local dealer Sprys of Launceston...

Armied and dangerous?

As summer seems to have now departed my thoughts turn to winter and more of that white stuff that had us hemmed up our road for 4 days. I rather like the idea of an Ex Military Landrover 90 Softtop as...

The inspection pits

I took our shopping car for its MoT, yesterday. I have been using the same local garage for years, and I was taken aback when the owner told me that he was stopping doing MoT tests because of the number...

Head case

My daughter has my old 1999 Volvo V70 which has now done 165,000 miles but doesn't look it. Last week the coolant light came on and her garage diagnosed a failed radiator. £300 and almost a week later...

Diescision time

We are close to buying a Honda CR-V auto but can’t decide between petrol or diesel. We only do approx 12,000 miles per year so not sure it’s worth getting a diesel, but do you get better performance from...

Winding down

I own a 6 year old Skoda Octavia 1.6FSI with 50,000 miles on the clock. Three evenings ago I locked the car, only to find later that the windows had all dropped open. I reclosed the windows and left the...

Migrate expectations

To get away from our recent horrid winters we have rented a house in the southern hemisphere from January to March 2012. My car, a 2008 Audi 2.7D auto, will be left on our drive for this period. Are there...

Audis ringed

On 1st June this year, I purchased a brand new Audi A6 Avant S line Special Edition. 5 weeks later it was stolen from my drive following a night-time burglary while my family and I were asleep to get my...

Twoly shafted

I am a Scenic auto driver looking to exchange a 2-litre petrol for a new Scenic. My Renault dealer is strongly advocating I go for the EDC 1.5 auto diesel, for which he says there is no particulate problem...

Chip panned

We have an 18-month old normally aspirated Astra 1.6 petrol, which is rather slow to accelerate. Would it be worth having the engine "chipped" to improve performance and who would you recommend?

Starter car

My 17-year-old son passed his test very quickly and has saved up for a car. His maximum budget is £2,500. We have scoured local papers and local dealers but are a bit nervous about taking the plunge. Some...

Let us pay?

I recently took my Octavia 1.9TDI into my local Skoda dealership (Progress of Letchworth) for a service prior to its first MoT and asked for a couple of areas on one alloy wheel to be repainted/re-lacquered,...

Part and particle

I drive a 2006 BMW 320d that I have had for a year and I understand it has a diesel particulate filter. The car has covered 60,000 but I only drive about 5,000 miles a year. From reading your column I...

Selling car to Germany. How to ensure I get paid?

I have advertised a car for private sale in the UK and have been emailed by a potential buyer from Germany who wants to buy the car and re-register it in Germany. Could you please advise on how I should...

High mileage Fiesta

I would like your opinion on my 2003 Mk6 Ford Fiesta 1.4 petrol. It has covered 174,000 miles and I duly changed the Cambelt at 100,000 but it is still successfully running on the original auxiliary (stretchy)...

VW Extended Warranty - is it worth it?

I have been offered a VW "Extended Warranty" for my soon-to-be 3 year old Golf 2.0 TDI Sport. Comprehensive cover with roadside assistance and an excess of £250 costs £254 for one year. Is this worth taking...

Can I change to run flats?

Can I change to run flat tyres when due for change. Understand new RF are very good. Many thenks

Wandering steering

My 2004 Jazz steering has always "wandered" when going straight ahead making frequent slight adjustments necessary. Your latest review of the Jazz (2008 on) in "What's Good" comments on improvements...

Help selling an MX-5

I have been trying to sell my daughters 2000 reg green MX5 1.6 since the begining of the summer, but with little interest from prospective customers. It has 100,000 miles on the clock, is in good condition,...

Alloy Wheels

I have an E-Class Coupe first registered 12.6.09 which has now covered 18,088miles. A few months ago I noticed degradation of the rear alloys and my local dealership photographed them and emailed the...

Which fuel should I buy?

I am taking delivery of a new Qashqai 2.0 diesel auto. I always use Shell fuel. Do you think the extra cost of Shell V Power is worth it for my new car? I estimate that I will cover 20,000 miles p.a.

Is the 1.4 Punto Evo powerful enough?

Is the 1.4-litre engine strong enough to shift the body in semi-auto form? Will the 16 valve do a lot better?

Worn out used cars

I bought a Rover 75 from a dealer 3 weeks ago and a garage check told me that the track rod ends were worn and need replacing. The dealer told me that I was given a 28 day warranty. Is this fair wear...

A cool small car?

Hi, I’ve got around £4500 to spend on a supermini, must be reliable, do 50+ mpg, have air con, some street cred, up to 5 years old. I’ve been looking at slightly older MINIs and the old shape Corsa. Your...

Buying New Smaller car

My current car is a Subaru Legacy 2.0Ds, replacing a previous 2.5i Leagacy Tourer. I find current Legacy very boring & not as exciting as previous in enjoyment, looks & ownership experience. I'm looking...

Insurance and modifications

I have fitted running boards, do I need to inform my insurance company?

English manual for a foreign car?

I drive in Portugal. I have bought a Galloper with a Portuguese manual. I need an English manual. Is this car badged as another name? I am told a shogun or pajero is close.

Burning smell in a Mondeo

I've recently bought a Mondeo Titanuim X Sport 163 and after driving the car today for about 20 minutes and arriving back home I noticed a knocking or flapping noise in sync with the engine that I've never...

Audi A1 problem

Bought new car March 2011 - in garage 4 months later with leak from coolant tank. Garage have advised that leak is from coolant into head gasket, now replacing cylinder head and head gasket. Is this...

Servicing schedules

I have driven my my VW Polo (59 plate) for 10 months and 7000 miles. According to VW, it is now due it's 20,000 mile service, although it has only done 16,000. Should I wait until it's done 20,000 miles...

Price quote from garage

My son has just been quoted £150 by a Ford main dealer to repair a broken clutch return spring. Is this reasonable, as the part only costs about £4?

Cheap car for 6 miles a day

I commute on the train every day and the time has come where driving a 3-litre twin turbo BMW 3 miles to the station everyday is not economical, practical or financially viable. What should I replace...

Replacement Tyres

I had new Toyo tyres 3 years ago. They need replacing after 25,000 miles, does that seem about right, I think it's low? Can you recommend a replacement set, for ride comfort and resistance to potholes...

Mondeo coil pack.

My 2003 2000 Mondeo has done 102,000 miles and has been excellent throughout. Recently it started to "pink" and struggle to pull away in higher gears without jerking. After a couple of weeks to eliminate...

Nissan Micra C + C - can't be driven smoothly

My recently purchased 2007 Micra C + C 1.6 Sport has done 30,000 miles and has been looked after. However, the throttle response makes it impossible to drive smoothly. The lightest touch on the throttle...

When's the Lexus IS due a replacement?

I'm hoping someone can shed a bit of light on whether you have heard when the Lexus IS is due for a replacement. I've read rumours on a couple of sites stating that they replace current models every 6...

Juddering brakes on a high mileage car.

Despite changing front discs 3 times and last time cleaning piston on calipers brake judder returns regularly after c 4-5 months.. should we change front calipers? Car has done 180,000 miles.

Flickering old Fiesta

Garage can't find a fault to explain the flickering brake lights on old Fiesta. Any ideas ?

Cruise control and fuel economy

In the past few weeks you have said that a 'human' is likely to be more efficient than cruise control as a human wil allow overrun going down hills, which will increase economy. Is any manufacturer producing...

Great Exploitations

The AA, the UK's largest motoring organisation, spotted the potentially disastrous Clause 56 in the Protection of Freedoms Bill when the draft bill was first presented. Since then we have campaigned to...

Slotting in

Reading the options in the BMW F10 5-Series brochure (which include 4 wheel steering), I came upon Park Assist. At low speeds, this feature measures any parallel parking space then if the car is put into...

These fuelish things remind me of you

I went to your website on real fuel figures and found that it is based on a month's consumption. My figures are based on 20,100 miles since new in a VW Passat CC 1.8 TSI. Overall consumption works out...

Guilt edged sword

You may recall that in 2009 I campaigned against the government's plans to restrict costs recovery for acquitted defendants by way of an e-petition on the number 10 site. Thankfully, the Law Society was...