(2015) Honda Civic stops working when moving off at the traffic lights

I bought my Honda civic brand new from the Bushy dealership in Watford, love it to bits, I have previously owned a 2007 2.2 I-Dtec from new for nearly 10yrs always serviced by main dealer no issues at...

Boot leaks in Mercedes SL

I have a 4year old Mercedes SL350, which has done 16,000 miles. It has developed a leak into the boot. I am told by the local Mercedes independant specialist that "They leak when they leave the factory...

Short term investment with good resale potential

I recently posed a question regarding a short term lease (3/4 months) for my wife (we need an auto as she dislocated her knee recently). Having researched this following your advice, an auto 5 door fiesta...

Fault free VAG motors?

I was never a fan of the VAG group (VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda)and, on top of that, your site is full of examples about unreliable motors they produce; however lately I find myself in a difficult position:...

Mercedes Benz E class cam chain problems

I have a Mercedes Benz E 200 estate 2010 October model which has done 89000 miles. It has been fully serviced by a registered Mercedes Benz dealer. The cam chain has broken requiring a new engine at a...

BMW Warranty Support BMW 530D GT

In March 2015 I bought an approved used 2011 530D GT. It has, since then, needed a new window regulator, headlight control module and is booked in for a new headlamp (full of water..). All 4 alloy wheels...

Boxster or F-Type?

I'm planning to trade in my 2006 Boxster (40k, FSH) in the new year and am undecided between a 981 Boxster or F-type convertible. My budget is around £30k plus the trade-in, so I'm looking at manufacturer...

VW Golf, rear brake discs

I bought a brand new Golf Mark 7 just two years ago. At the last service in November the dealer told me that the car needed new rear brake discs at a cost of just over £ 300.00. I queried this and suggested...

Chance to buy my company car

Hi, been offered the chance to buy my company car but can't get price/value do to higher than normal mileage. Car is 34 months old and has done 95000 miles. Full main dealership service history. Fully...

tyre pressure

Hi all I am sure that I read in my brand new Zafira's owners manual that tyre pressure can be increased from 32 to 38 psi to improve economy.Can you tell me what the pro's and cons are to this (reduced...

After 6 years my Honda CRv has got the Honda Battery flat fault

My six year old Honda CRV has developed the Honda Flat Battery fault . Any ideas what has failed to bring this on ?

buying a used sl class mercedes

I have up to £20000.00 to spend on an SL class mereceds which model do you recommend

New job - new car - 20k annual commute - caravan tug

We have 2 vehicles a 2006 Kia Sorento which we use for towing a small caravan and a 2010 Peugeot Expert van hubby uses for work. I need a car for a new job which requires a daily round trip of 60 miles...

Problems with reverse on VW Up ASG

My in-laws have a 63 reg VW Up ASG which has only done 6,600 miles. It had a software update about 9 months ago however, 6 months ago it developed a problem where reverse won't engage when cold. It takes...

Reliable supermini

Dear Honest John, I am looking to buy a new supermini(which I would prefer to keep for at least 7 years)and having a hard time choosing between the new Hyundai i20 (1.2 petrol) and the Renault Clio (0.9...

Nissan X-Trail xtronic

Hi. I am wondering about your opinion of the X-Trail 1.6dci x-tronic. From your other posts I see you rate the 1.6dci and I think it's one of the better engines for not having DPF issues. What is your...

Fiesta heater fans and extended warrany

Hi, I have a 2013 Fiesta Zetec S and this has been trouble free up until now. The manual heater/blower fan speeds 1-3 have suddenly stopped working. full speed (4) is still OK. Researching points to a...

anti pollution fault warning on Peugeot 307 2.0HDI 110

I have anti pollution fault on my car but the car when warm is revving on its own and then it will cut out it will start but then there is no accelerator this may last five minutes then it will revert...

Replacing Citroen c3 picasso

My year old Citroen c3 Picasso was written off in a accident , what would you reccomend to replace it with , as I don't want another c3 as the lack of storage is restricting , I am looking for a dismal...

Discovered accident damage after buying car

Hi, we bought a 62 plate (just over 3 years old) Peugeot 3008 from a local independent dealer 6 weeks ago with 40k on the clock. It was an ex contract lease vehicle and came with a full Peugeot service...

Inaccurate MPG figures

When will the car manufacturers give honest day by day MPG figures rather than the concocted figures gained from Lab tests. The recent situation wuth regards to VW etc just show how we are all being stitched...

winter tyres in warm weather

Good morning A month ago I changed to winter tyres. Since then the temperature has hardly dropped below 12 and has often exceeded it when, for winter tyres, it should be 7 or below. As the tyres are presumably...

Legal rights after buying faulty used car

Hi HJ & Team. A question regarding our legal rights. We bought, approximately a month ago, a 2006 Ford Fusion 1.4TDCi Zetec with about 70k miles on the clock. We paid approximately £2,200 less a £500...

Water ingress mini coupe

My car has been in garage since 9th Dec due to water in driver footwell . replaced door seals and tried to return to me still with water you could dip finger in in the footwell and mildew growing on passenger...

golf/focus sized car for 18k a year

hi looking for a golf/focus size car 12 to 18 month old do mixed driving about 18 k a year any recommendations? regards

2007 SEAT Ibiza 1.2 Reference Sport front arches rusting

I have a 2007 Seat Ibiza 1.2 Reference Sport. I have just noticed that both the front wheel arches are rusting. I am the third owner of the car however the manual states the bodywork warranty is for 12...

Upgrading Qashqai

Hi John I will be moving home soon and my distance to work will be a 35 mile round trip. I already own a Nissan Qasqai 1.2 DIG-T but I like the idea of the 1.6DIG-Ts extra humph or would I be better...

Contract Hire

Re: Unhappy Returns, AC, Elgin 26/12/15 Many years ago I had an MB300TD on contract hire from MB, contact mileage 90k/3 years. The car was collected, the people ticked all boxes as OK on the collection...

Contaminated fuel

I recently took my 2008 Jag XF for a routine service at a main dealer who reported a problem with the injectors. On removal the diesel was found to be contaminated with 30% (est) petrol which invalidated...

7 Seater with some off-road capability

Hello HJ - With 5 children between 8 and 12 years old on an in town school run would appreciate your advice regarding vehicle options to accommodate them and large dog with regular trips along farm tracks...

mis sold car purchased from marshals Jaguar

Dear John We bought and paid for a Jaguar 2006 xk convertible from the Marshal Jaguar dealership on the 26/04/2015.We were unable to collect the car for another four weeks as it turned out the previous...

Fitting a Renault Megane Heater Resistor (3R68K 1R71K R41K)

Is there a special method for refitting the Heater Resistor (3R68K 1R71K R41K) in a Renault Megane without having to completely remove the dashboard? The positioning / design of the resistor connector...

BMW Active Hybrid

What information do you have about BMW Active Hybrid motor cars?

2007 Mondeo 2.2 TDCi - Turbo Blown

Hi I have had my Mondeo looked at today by the RAC as it wouldn't start and have been told that the turbo has blown. Oil is coming out of the exhaust and a neighbour who is in the trade confirmed that...

New Car Dilemma

HJ; have an approx. budget of £15-20,000 to spend; reliability ONLY requirement! What should I purchase from below; Toyota Yaris Toyota Auris Mazda 2 Kia ProCeed Kia Rio Honda Jazz Honda Civic Should...

AVENSIS CAR OVERHEATING - POSSIBLE CAUSES

I drive a 2013 Toyota Avensis but recently starts to overheat in traffic if the air-conditioner (A/C) is on. The cooling system will stop working immediately the temperature rises. Once the A/C is of,...

which one do you consider best

Hi H.J. I have owned since new , 2004, an x trail. The car has done 104000 . it has been very reliable during the 11 years.I now want to replace it . Max spend is 14000.My choice of cars is between x...

VAG. engines

Dera HJ Speaking as an avid reader of your column I read that virtually every type of VAG diesel or petrol engine has relliability and other failure issues,there seem to be many problems with readers cars. I...

Seat Altea 1.6 cr tdi Ecomotive se 103 bhp

Hi, Happy Xmas any way, Have put a deposit of £40 on Seat 1.6 Altea that has done 890000 miles at a price of £4,900 not to bad a scuff or two. will give MOT & change oil...

2006 Citroen C3

Search results for I bought a 2006 citroeon c3 5 months ago on finance. The car had 37k miles on the clock. last week i could smell burning rang the dealer took it to citroen to be told that it needed...

Timing chain problem on SEAT Ibiza 1.2 TSI - a known issue?

I read with interest your response to a recent question regarding a noisy timing chain in an Audi A1. My 2011 Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSI has suffered from a similar problem and a while ago, the timing chain was...

How do I get my money back on a faulty second hand car?

I purchased a second hand Golf 1.4 FSI with 80,0022 miles on the clock for around £3000 in October. After driving it for around 600 miles it broke down. They have since diagnosed it as timing chain failure...

My garage has charged an exploration fee - do I have any redress?

My daughter bought a 10k mile MINI Cooper in March 2015. In December, at £20k miles, the clutch failed. Guildford MINI Centre would not entertain a warranty claim unless a £900 'exploration fee' was paid....

Turbo failure & high oil consumption Outside warranty claim

My 2010 Skoda Scout 1.8TSI developed very high oil consumption after 80K miles. This was a few months outside my warranty that I had extended to 5 years.Investigation determined that this was caused by...

How do I cure Fiesta misfire?

My wife's Fiesta was slightly lagging a bit on take off so I gave the car a service, the usual like oil air filter plugs. After installing the plugs the car was misfiring. So I have done a full check on...

Volkswagen emissions scandal - early business lease termination

I'm a plumber and back in June 2014 I leased ( on a three year deal) a Touran through my business. It's fitted with the EA189. I'm thinking about approaching Volkswagen and just saying ' look, you fibbed...

Suggestions for a new SUV?

My son and his wife (with one child) need a replacement family car, either an estate or an SUV style. They would prefer to buy rather than lease and I have offered to provide funds up to £10k.The first...

Ford Focus gearbox failure - should Ford pay?

I bought a Ford Focus manual 1.6 TDCi just over 1 year ago and it was just two years old. It has been serviced at Ford dealers at required intervals and about three months ago with about 38000 miles registered...

Tyre pressure warning light after winter tyres fitted - why?

I've just had new winter tyres fitted to my 2013 Honda CRV. I was advised that the tracking was incorrect so I had a 4 wheel laser check to correct the alignment. On the first straight road after the fitting...

Road noise on a Hyundai - how to reduce it?

The only problem I have with my Hyundai i30 auto is the level of road noise. You often advise lowering the pressure in the tyres will this help in this case?