Questions from April 2009
Having bought nine new Vauxhalls since 1960, currently a 08 Vectra CDTI, I have always done my own maintenance, with much information obtained from the local Vauxhall franchise and a cursory check by Vauxhall...
I have a 2008 model Honda Jazz, which is excellent in all respects except the awful ride. It is fitted with 15" Alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza 185/55 tyres, which are also very noisy. Would a change...
To help drivers avoid speeding tickets I have in mind is a very simple panel with six clear numbers on it, synchronised with the speedometer - 2 3 4 5 6 and 7. Thus for example on entering a motorway you...
I had to smile at your comment to M.C. that "buying a French car to use in France makes obvious sense". Some years ago an ex-colleague of mine towed his caravan to France, for a fortnight on the Cote d'Azur,...
There are a good number of three-year-old C5 and 407 estates on the market at what seems a good price. Many of them have the 1.6 HDI engine. Aren't these somewhat underpowered for what are pretty large...
I seem to recall you writing in one of your columns to watch out for being paid by bankers draft as they are not certain to be honoured even though it is a general perception that they are automatically...
I have just received my car insurance renewal quote from Saga Insurance that has gone up by a whopping 25%. The blurb that they have sent me is full of comments that this quote is very competitive but...
My Jaguar X-Type 2.0 diesel stopped and I called the AA. They said it was starved of fuel with the tank half full. They also said there was no fuel coming from the tank to the filter as this was dry. Can...
I have a BMW 525d, which was supplied with runflat tyres as standard. I am not impressed with claims by the manufacturer that they are fitted for safety reasons. Has anyone carried out independent tests...
I emailed you last year about a car for my Thai wife and settled on a Jazz, but then delayed due to the economic situation. Now I’m glad that we did because, having read your excellent report on the new...
When seeking car insurance quotes I have encountered significant difficulties relating to the exact description and engine capacity of my car and wondered if you can provide any clarification and / or...
I own a 2000X Toyota Corolla automatic and need to change it for a similar car with higher seating as I am elderly. My present car has a large boot space that accommodates my golf clubs and trolley easily....
I'm a 47-year-old man with up to £4,000 to invest in a used car. I'm looking for a car with a sporty edge to it. Which top 5 used cars would you recommend to this brief?
I'm looking to replace my Saxo Furio and think that this may be the
last car I will be able to afford, so it must be reliable, cheap to maintain and insure, with inexpensive spare parts. I would like a...
I read with interest your reply to AP on the subject of cambelts. You said that Ford/PSA diesels were "good for 60,000 miles". I have a Berlingo with the 2-litre HDI engine and the handbook says change...
I would like to raise a very serious issue over the safety of coil springs Last week, I was driving home from work at about 4 pm in my 46,000 mile 2004 reg car. I had gone about 1 mile (almost entirely...
I am very pleased with the automatic Skoda Roomster I run, apart from that my wife feels ill when she sits in the back. Maybe it is my driving, but she did not have the same problem in my previous car,...
The Road Tax for a Honda Jazz I-Shift is currently £120 reducing to £90 next year. A few months ago in your column you indicated that you thought the Road Tax for the Honda Jazz I-Shift might be re-classified...
As an engineer and a regular reader of your splendid column, I was interested by two recent correspondents, who presented opposing views regarding road speed, safety and the law, to do a little research...
I have a question about servicing and warranties. My 18-month-old car has a three-year warranty, of which the final year is a dealer rather than manufacturer warranty. If I take the car to an independent...
Last July, on our way to a funeral (me on crutches, he the named driver of my little Arosa), we got stuck in a traffic jam in Sudbury. We found a route round on the map and set of via an industrial estate....
Could you recommend a suitable second-hand basic, reliable twin-cab 4x4 for my school cadet force? It will be used as a safety vehicle when out in the field, so good cross-country performance is essential,...
Is there some reason apart from simple stupidity that causes a significant minority of British motorists to hog the middle and outer lanes of the three lanes generally available on, for example the M6?...
My daughter is starting a three-year posting in Pretoria (South Africa) in early June and has special rates to purchase a vehicle. She is keen to explore some of the wildlife in the area and is interested...
My son had a tyre blowout two weeks ago in his 5-year-old SAAB, causing him to swerve into the barrier of a dual carriageway. His tyres had been checked just ten days before by a local tyre company and...
We have a 1995 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 auto 5-door that has done 44,500 miles, mostly on journeys of a mile or less in our local urban area. This could well be a good time to buy a new one, which, at our age,...
I am not sure whether to buy a used Audi 2.0 litre 140 TDI or a 2.0 TFSI, around 70k miles. I am aware that the diesel will give more mpg but as I will not be doing much mileage, I wondered what your views...
I have a BMW E91 3-Series 2.5 Tourer with runflat tyres. After 16,000 miles the fronts are coming close to need replacing. I have found the present Bridgestone tyres seem to transmit even minor bumps in...
Is it just my imagination – or are used prices really firming up? I’ve been keeping an eye on Skoda Roomsters with a mind to purchase when my funds are high enough. My target was to get a low mileage 1.9...
I qualify for Mobility and would like your advice. Up until now I have always claimed the allowance and purchased a used vehicle approx 3 years old, such as a basic Ford Focus, and paid my own insurance...
I have been reading your column with interest regarding the renewal of 'credit card driving licenses'. Like you, my wife and I were sent renewal forms and paid our £17.50 each and they were received within...
Some garages are offering vehicle servicing prepayment plans as a means of spreading the costs of vehicle servicing by enticing you to sign up for a once off or for monthly pre-payments. I investigated...
Thank you for your advice. In the end I have bought a Nissan Almera 1.5S. Please let me know your views on this.
My wife has a Ford Focus and the dashboard has just failed - speedo, temp gauge, fuel gauge etc. A local auto electrician has advised that this is a known Ford fault and there was a recall sometime back...
I have recently bought a Left Hand Drive, (UK plates) FIAT Barchetta and am planning on driving it down to the coast of Spain and leaving it down there for the foreseeable future? I have found an insurance...
I don't know if you have any ideas, but I am looking for a vehicle that I can have modified to take a wheelchair-bound person, which I guess principally means having a lot of height. I have seen such a...
Multiple queries: Current views on recent build quality of Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar? I have a 2002 Celica Premium Sport Pack. If it was still made I would have another. I have around £30k and am considering...
I am the proud owner of a 2-year-old Morgan Plus 4, which I am generally very pleased with. Recently (within the 24 month warranty period) the car has needed replacement king pins and bushes which, according...
I've been duped in to buying a stolen car, which I have no doubt will be taken away by the police and returned to the owner and I'll be out of pocket by £11,500. The seller has now disappeared so I can't...
Many thanks your very swift reassurances as to the legality of nearside overtaking, albeit in very specific circumstances. You have clarified the situation to my enormous relief though I have to admit,...
We recently emailed you regarding our 2004 BMW 320d that suffered a catastrophic engine failure when a swirl flap in the inlet manifold broke off and entered the engine. The car has full BMW service history...
My wife and I are looking for a 4WD style family car in a diesel powered 2WD format. Having seen the Nissan Qashqai + 2, which I particularly like due to the sizeable boot, are there any other cars which...
I would like to make everybody aware of the hassle that can evolve from accepting a credit hire car after an accident. My first advice is, don't. Mine was delivered a day later than asked for, came with...
You are, it would appear, always right. "Smug of Suffolk" here has just been snapped doing 54mph in a 40mph zone - I have been driving 35 years without an incident of any sort. I was keeping up with...
I recently purchased a Ford Ranger pick-up truck from a dealer for £7k + VAT. It is a 2006 model with 44,000 miles on the clock and I am pleased with the condition, etc. However, the bill of sale states...
I'm thinking of moving on from my much-loved 120,000 mile Volvo 480. I live in inner London and mainly use a car for quick trips to and from North Wales with quite a bit of driving on country roads and...
What do you think of the Nissan Note? Can you tell me the best car: the Nissan Note, or Citroen Picasso?
I have just had my Citroen C5 MoTd. As always my neighbour is a mechanic and we go over all the MoT requirements before the test. Today it failed on excessive play in the lower ball joint. Yesterday we...
I've had VWs and a SEAT in recent years and, enjoying the cricket commentary on the radio, have been frustrated that their radios do not receive LW. I presume that applies to all VAG cars. I have discovered...
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