Welcome brakes

Recently I went into a car park at a motorway service area to make a phone call. As I wasn’t going to go into the services I parked at the back of the car park around no other cars. Once finished I started...

Pounds and nuances

Why are kilometres more logical than miles?

Elementary, my dear Watts on

In the near future, electric cars seem ideal for me (1,200 miles per year, almost entirely city travel). However I am concerned that the performance (distance) may be reduced by its inability to defrost...

Carp parking

Your correspondent who was fined for overstaying at McDonalds is quite justifiably angry. I parked in my local Tesco in a handicapped bay and was fined £50. I was distracted by an incident in the car park...

Electronic Stability of Profits

I see from your correspondent AF that he had a similar problem to me with his ABS. In my case my VW Golf 1.4 had a service immediately (just days) before the 3-year warranty was up as a precaution prior...

Tyrzzzzz

I have a 3-year-old Honda Jazz with CVT. I am extremely pleased with the performance - but there is one fault that is very annoying - ROAD NOISE. If I go into neutral at 60 mph (I know this is not recommended)...

Primeraquai?

I have a 2004/54 Primera DCI that I purchased about a year ago with 36k miles on the clock and full Nissan service history. It has run well, and for a diesel is very quiet. It has recently been serviced...

The Revenge of Private Parker

I'm just dropping you a line to let you know that I have put up a webpage on my website to help people understand what to do if they get a so called "Parking Ticket" for parking on private land. The URL...

Urban car boy

Now in retirement, I am in the process of downsizing from a long line of 5 Series BMWs to a more practical, versatile and economical car. I have selected the Golf Plus SE including a few goodies as the...

Satellite Navfrustration

Having been influenced (again) by your reports, I bought an ex Honda CR-V CDTI EX. It does what it says on the label: 40+ mpg, comfortable, although nasty interior plastics, and no diesel auto, yet. I...

Camshafts in the wind

I really like the idea of gear train driven camshafts instead of belts or chains, since it obviously makes the engines virtually bomb-proof - a pity more manufacturers don't go down this route, although...

Deem topping

I am thinking of purchasing one of the last CZC3s available in the country, since Mitsubishi stopped making them about 3 months ago. Current price on Mitsubishi website is £10,999. Do you consider this...

Dread Wreckening

My car was stolen. Before the insurance paid me, the police found it, did forensic tests and then notified me it is ready for collection. By phone the police told me there was no visible damage. However...

Triple indemnity

I have 3 cars all insured by different insurance companies is there an insurance company that I could take out a policy with that would insure all 3 vehicles on 1 policy?

Cromalogical order

I have had many trouble-free years driving Fiats, my current car being a Croma 2.2 auto (a superb car in most respects). However, it has recently developed an annoying "intermittent fault" in that the...

4 letters – 3 across

Please can you help with my dilemma? I'm a bit of a car snob and like my premium brands, I drive a BMW E90 330i M Sport, which I love and my wife drives an old Focus that is now getting a bit long in the...

Lighter fool

I purchased a May 09 reg Golf VI GTi from my local VW dealer. It replaced my 58 reg BMW 320D convertible. That also had daytime running lights but in the BMW's case they were switchable on and off as desired...

Ex-septuagenarian circumstance

I am 76, very fit, have driven a 1995 Nissan Almera from new, and am looking to change it. I want a car of similar size as I take 2 grandsons in it, also need a higher seat. I have looked at the Hyundai...

Diabolical Sequential Gearbox

I was delighted with my 2005 SEAT Altea 2.0TDI DSG, purchased March 2006, until March this year when clearly there was a fault in the drive train, diagnosed as requiring a new flywheel and clutch. Total...

Inaction Direct

I not so recently was involved in a crash with another car insured by the same company at a nearby roundabout. The following day, having reported the details on my return home, the insurer contacted me...

Stopping speeding

I suggest there is a better alternative to road humps. These could be replaced by a single red light at the side of the road that is either on or off. At an optimum distance all approaching vehicle speeds...

Out burst

I would like to add my support for your campaign against speed islands. In the last 12 months alone we have suffered two unaccountable blowouts in our Mercedes Estate while in the fast lane of the M4 doing...

Favoured Five

I felt you may be able to point us in the right direction regarding the search for a replacement of our present car. I took it over from my father 16 years ago. He bought it new in 1991. It is a Renault...

Dura talk

I’m replacing a 2001/51 Mondeo Estate, 115bhp diesel engine, with a new Ford Focus ECOnetic with a 1.8 or 2.0 litre TDCi Duratorq diesel engine as shown below. The 1.8 is 139 g/km (5-door)/142 g/km (estate),...

Indieseled exposure

When a friend of mine went to buy a used Ford Focus Diesel (he was very impressed with my 1.6 TDCI), he was told by the salesman at his local Ford dealership that he "did not do enough yearly mileage to...

Right nutters

Having lost the key to the locking wheel nuts on my Volvo, I was shocked to be quoted £172 to drill them out by a Volvo main dealer. Instead, Volvo referred me to McGard in Germany who, given a digital...

Bad Thaidings

I am looking for a new car about £10,000. After a recent visit to friends in Dublin their suggestion was a Nissan Tiida. Is this car worth considering and are there any pitfalls in purchasing a car made...

Rovanny 75

I’m looking to buy a Rover 75 diesel 2000 - 2003. What's the most reliable gearbox, Auto or Manual? I slightly prefer a manual but not enough to worry about. I may well be using it to tow a caravan. Any...

VIN he owns

I read your car-by-car breakdown on second-hand Jaguar XKRs and XK8s where you recommend avoiding 96 to 2000 models with a VIN numbers 001036 to 042775 inclusive. My XKR was registered on 20 04 2000 and...

Insure rescue

Coincidently my mother-in-law (aged 80) and I are both insured with Saga/Acromas (fully comprehensive) and recently had our cars damaged in separate incidents by other drivers. In my case my 1999 MX-5...

At your bidding

I'm moving from 2 cars to 1 and it's time to sell the larger one, a silver BMW 330d SE Touring Estate auto bought new in April 2001, which has provided excellent service over its 96,000 miles. It has...

Indignition

I purchased a new Audi A6 Avant (2.0 litre, petrol, Multitronic) in September 2004. I have been pleased with its performance and reliability except for two ignition coil failures on no 3 & 4 cylinders....

Flywheels of mass destruction

I am having trouble with my Vauxhall Zafira 1.9CDti Sri, which is registered 06 plate. I bought the car in January 2007. In January this year I had to have a new EGR valve and windscreen washer pump, which...

Wheel appeal

For a number of years, our church has supported St. Agnes Orphanage and Children's Home in Zimbabwe and we are currently trying to raise the funds to buy them a good reliable, second-hand 18 seater diesel...

Going cramping

Is there a range of 2 berth Campervans practical enough for everyday use? Also do any accommodate passengers?

Horse plower

I am a horse vet. I do between 25k and 30k miles a year. I need a car that is reliable, economical and has a large boot space. 4 wheel drive is an advantage as I need to travel in all weather conditions...

Drip freed

At the moment, LandRover has two finance agreements. The one I am interested in is 0% finance where you put down half the value of the car and then pay the second half off in two years time. I have a Freelander...

Doctored vibes

Over the last few days I have noticed an increasing amount of vibration through the steering column of my 2006 Jaguar X type (it is a petrol 2.5 all wheel drive). I decided to take it into my local garage...

Flat-tyrey charger

Nearly 2 years ago I bought a 2005/55 BMW 535d M Sport. I have been very happy with it except for the run-flat tyres. On the inside of the near-side rear and the near-side front, blisters have appeared...

Renault unto others

Following the letter a week ago concerning Renault stepping up to the plate regarding a contribution to non-warranty work I thought I would add my own observation. I have owned a 1600cc Megane Sport Tourer...

Much sport after

I do 70 mile daily commute on the M5 so low gearing discounts the Civic Type R for me. What about the Honda Civic 2.2 turbo diesel? I read about it on your website, so I drove it today and really liked...

March mellow

I am now a widower in my mid seventies and still wish to do a certain amount of convenient motoring, short and long distances. It seems to me that the best type of vehicle to get would be a smallish car...

Admitting de-feet

My father has just experienced a very frightening incident. Driving steadily down a suburban main shopping street at 30mph or less his automatic Peugeot 406 (2 litre) estate suddenly accelerated away without...

Auts and crosses

Please could you help settle a domestic? My husband says that Toyota did not make an automatic Celica. I say they must have done (but what do I know I am only a female). Whilst we are on the subject, do...

Part-vexed

I recently bought a Ford car, and decided to trade my wife's Hyundai Coupe in part exchange. I thought the dealer's offer for the Coupe seemed rather low. He insisted that, although the car was immaculate,...

Blanked it coverage

Why can't I renew my car tax on line? My current car tax and insurance both expire on 31st July. I renewed my insurance on 13th July and received the certificate a couple of days later. The insurers...

Superficial surveillance

I am thinking of buying a Skoda Octavia with DSG transmission. As this car has got the best reliability rating in the JD power survey I wonder if DSG has improved after reading a good deal of negative...

Swift decision

My wife’s car is eligible for the scrappage scheme and so we will be replacing it shortly. She wants a small, cheap 4-door car that is reliable and reasonably chic. For this reason are considering the...

Polos apart

My wife and I bought a three-year old Polo TDi from a VW dealer in Nottinghamshire, as an approved used car. After only six weeks of owning it, it needed new rear brake discs and pads due to excessive...

Colonel Blinkered

I have read your column avidly for many years but today's response to D.E. of White of Roding is enough to put me off you for life! This is the sort of response I would expect from 'new' Labour, or even...