Questions from March 2010
Due to an array of warning lights on the dash of her 118d, including traction control and brakes, my daughter took the car for a diagnostic check to a local main BMW dealer who has told her that it needs...
I am amazed that I read so little in your column about Xenon or bright white headlights. Anyone who drives at night will be well aware how dangerous and irritating they have become. I am not just talking...
I have been snowed in with sick animals in France for nearly two weeks and of course my Suzuki Splash wasn't up to it. So I have been chasing Jimnys to no avail. I now have the chance to buy a 2002 (but...
I wish to buy a set of winter tyres and steel (ie non-alloy) wheels for my VW Tiguan Escape. My VW dealer tells me I cannot buy steel wheels in the UK and therefore would have to buy a set of alloys, total...
I have discussed sale of my LHD BMW 530d auto with The Left Hand Drive Place and have arranged a suitable sale price. A gentleman is flying to Glasgow airport to check that everything is in order, and...
The letter from A.S. of Berisford regarding a rolling obstruction caused by a G-Wiz on the A4074 reminded me of two very sensible laws that applied to traffic during my time with the BAOR. The first was...
I forward this email to you in total frustration at the way that the traffic police and their partners manage their dealings with the tax paying public. I have only ever had four speeding endorsements...
My Dad is getting on in years and is looking to replace his SAAB with a car with an elevated driving position. He has taken a shine to the Toyota RAV-4, but really only wants a 3-door model. It looks like...
I just wanted to thank you for your advice (it arrived within 6 minutes of my emailing you), which I immediately followed. I scrapped my non-running 1999 Corsa 1.2 CDX (with failed head gasket) and bought...
Last year due to soaring petrol costs, and the difficulty of parking at work, I bought one of Honda's new Eco bikes, the CBF125 for my daily 40-mile commute. It returns a genuine 135mpg, takes up half...
I have a query regarding a car import. I purchased a new Honda CR-V ES in December 2007 from a garage in Leicester that has a licence to import Honda Cars. The car was made in the UK then exported to Cyprus,...
There seems to be a certain amount of scepticism about the value of a protected no claims discount. Press comment seems to suggest that whilst you may keep your 60% discount if you claim, the insurance...
I am wondering if there is some kind of ombudsman/arbitration service available for a dispute with a garage. Long story short, I took my van into a Birmingham van dealership. It was not starting well on...
Recently I wrote off my beloved car, which I had purchased new, three years ago from a Mazda dealer. The insurer, Swiftcover, wants to supply me with another vehicle the same as my old one, but I would...
I have just received a fine in the post from the municipality of PISA, for an alleged infringement of circulating in a restricted traffic zone without authorisation. The date of the offence was 12 Aug...
My question for you concerns the VAT increase (return to normal levels) implemented on 1st January 2010. I agreed to buy a Polo 1.6 TDI CR SE on 13 Dec from a VW dealership. This car had already been ordered...
My French registered MINI Cooper’s power steering developed a leak at 29,000km. BMW/MINI Cannes, from whom I purchased the car 6 years ago and who have serviced it regularly, charged me 1,356 Euros to...
Five years ago you recommended me a Lexus RX300. I have since been delighted with this car but feel it is now time to think of a replacement I am 80 years of age, somewhat disabled and overweight and therefore...
After reading your articles for many years and taking your advice for the last 7 years (3 Jazz, 1 Civic and 1 DCI Primera) it is time again.
Potentially a simple question this time. Mazda 2 or another...
A few years back we attempted to move from Southern to Northern England and bought a BMW 320D for anticipated long trips up and down the motorway. The move never happened and though we really like this...
Does the latest 1.6 diesel engine in the Audi A3 and VW Golf have a belts or chain cam? It seems to me that aside from the risk of a belt failure, the fuel savings over a 3-year period are negated by the...
Now that councils are again starting to comment on the cost of repairing damaged road surfaces after the last bout of winter weather I think the time is appropriate for you to give us readers an update...
I wonder if you can please provide me with some advice as Volvo is refusing to replace a broken turbo on my 18-month-old C70 D5 (which will cost me approx £2k in parts and labour). They are refusing to...
It is recommended and sometimes obligatory to use winter tyres in Germany in "the winter", whatever that is. Since I go there 6 times a year I am not happy with the wheels supplied with the car. I have...
I recently bought a second hand car from a local trader. There were no problems when I looked it over and took it for a test drive. I even noticed that it had a brand new spare tyre. After paying for...
I am considering a replacement car to use as a commute of around 110 miles a day plus some business miles say 28-30k miles per annum. At present I have a Golf MK 1V TDI 100BHP on an 03 plate approaching...
My Meriva (petrol) has been sitting under snow and ice for nearly a month, whilst I have been in hospital. I can't drive until February 4th. Should I start it and let the engine run, or wait for my son...
I wrote to you some while ago about the 1689 Bill of Rights as it may apply to on the spot fines. This Act contains "inalienable rights", one of which is as follows: “That all grants and promises of fines...
About a year ago the driver's door on my daughter's Passat would not close. The repair was over £100 and took three days. Now the other front door refuses to close. The original workshop does not want...
Please can you give us any advice regarding a problem with the Toyota Avensis? Earlier this year we noticed our car was using a lot of oil and our son subsequently discovered on the Toyota Owners Club...
I recently bought a Rover from a dealer in Peterborough. It was a used car and one that I could afford. My husband and I test drove it for about 5 minutes and asked the seller questions about the car and...
After a long search I finally picked up my MX5 up yesterday after delays due to horrendous weather both here in Bath and in Yorkshire (had to abort one attempt). Drove home from Knaresborough to Bath no...
Having been caught out with a flat battery, on my Vauxhall Omega 2.5, during the recent cold weather, I am keen not to let it happen again. I have two cars and use the omega for longer runs about every...
My daughter bought a 2006 Mazda 3 (manual, petrol) from a Mazda dealer last year for £7k just after her first baby arrived. It's a very nice car and is fitted with EU-approved child-seat brackets. All...
Having been caught out by the snow before Christmas and given the dreadful driving conditions this week, a female friend and I were both of the same mind in seeking out some skid pan training - when the...
I ordered a new Mazda3, trim TS2, on 27 Nov 2009 from a Mazda dealer after examining several TS2 models in the dealer's showroom and test-driving a TS2. When I went to collect my car on 28 December 2009...
My daughter, who lives in France, has a problem with her French bought 2005 Toyota RAV-4 D4D 2.0 Litre. It seems the “Volant Bi Masse” has packed up, which I take to be a dual mass flywheel. It will cost...
I live in an area where the solution to traffic flow problems is seen as reducing the number of possible lanes at junctions with white paint, wasting vast sums of money on electronic signs that warn that...
I am shortly going to be looking to buy a used estate, 4x4 or people carrier for circa £15,000-£20,000. We have one child, which will soon probably be two, and a dog. I will be doing circa 15,000 miles...
I currently own a Honda Civic 1.6 Sport 3 door hatchback registered November 2003. I bought this nearly new on your recommendation in exchange for a Ford Puma. The Honda has been very reliable and is still...
I am a company car driver and currently have a choice of:
Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCi 125ps Zetec 6 speed 5 door
Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCi ECOnetic 5 speed 5 door Estate
Ford Focus Titanium 2.0 135 TDCi 6 speed Estate
Vauxhall...
Looking for advice please. My 2007 BMW 120d currently runs on 17" wheels with runflat tyres. The ride is ok, but a bit firmer than I like. I can get 16" BMW wheels for the 1 Series with run flats or tubeless.
Can...
I bought a new VW Golf plus 1.9SE TDI and was persuaded to have the car with a DSG automatic gearbox after reading the Golf brochure that stated "the DSG gearbox offers a genuine alternative to a manual...
December and January’s weather will obviously lead many to consider purchasing a 4x4 vehicle as a possible solution to being able to get around in the snow. I would have thought that a more cost effective...
In theTelegraph, of 14-1-2010 there is a photo of a Range Rover in a ditch. It appears to have been fitted with low profile tyres. Would these tyres have had any detrimental effect on the handling of...
Last May I mailed to ask your advice concerning a car and warranty purchased from Carshop Northampton and the subsequent misery experienced by my husband and myself when we came to claim under the warranty...
The week before Christmas I was struck with the ESP light stuck on, on my 06 Skoda Octavia 1.9 4x4 estate, with 30,500 miles. Took it to the dealers that I bought the car from and who have done all the...
I visited UK in November and hired a car from Hertz, everything was in order when I returned the car, I was therefore surprised to find an amount of £34.50 debited to my credit card a few weeks later....
I have driven various Vauxhalls over the past 20 years or so and have always found them to drive well in the snow when fitted with winter tyres. My current car is a Meriva and it does not perform well...
I have an 2007 2.0 TDI DSG and have just read the following in your ‘car by car breakdown’: “Early 2.0TDI DSGs suffer from ECU programming that reduces torque from standstill so acceleration is very poor...
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