Questions from June 2010
We recently bought a car which has caused us nothing but grief and the dealer gave us a 3-month warranty. The car started playing up after the warranty ran out and the dealer has said there is nothing...
We bought a car with our wedding money about seven weeks ago from a dealer. We found the dealer to be very nice and we test drove the car, and although the previous MOT wasn't available we saw the service...
I bought my Nissan Note NTEC last year. I've had continuous intermittent problems with the CD player / sat nav unit. The CDs I put in the player keep jumping. The unit was changed and I've even driven...
I'm in the process of buying 2005 Mazda 6 1.8 S with 37,000 miles. The car is being used for school runs, so I want to make sure it's in good working order. I've read that there was a recall regarding...
I bought an approved used 2006 C4 from a Citroen dealer last December. I had to take the car to my local Citroen garage this month to have the wheels balanced. My MOT is due in July, so I asked them to...
When I take my foot off the gas, my Vauxhall Vectra drops speed as if I'm pressing the brakes. I've checked the brakes aren't sticking, there is no free play in the ball joints, there's no noise from the...
I have just bought a Peugeot 106 XSI 1.6 8v. It was running a bit rough on low revs so I took the spark plugs out and they seem to have a little bit of water on three of them - do you think it could be...
I have a 2003 BMW 530d Auto (E60) that has done 124,000 miles. I recently experienced a sort of power lag, by this I mean when doing speeds of 75 - 85 mph and you press the accelerator (not kick-down but...
I part-exchanged a car but wanted to keep the numberplate. The garage charged £80 and said they would arrange the swap. They kept all the documents, including the complete V5 form, as they said it was...
I bought an '05 Nissan X-Trail new. At 2000 miles the turbo blew. At 30,000 the replacement blew which Nissan replaced out of warranty as a goodwill gesture because of an acknowledged turbo failure problem....
I will be graduating from uni this year. I have had my licence since early January 2009 and want to buy a car, as I am not insured on any other car and I would love to get back to driving. The problem...
I have to buy a replacement car for one of my managers. She currently drives a 2006 Colt CZ1. This car will go to my daughter who will be 17 in August. I have considered the Aygo which is a very good car...
I have recently received an NIP from a mobile speed camera. The camera 'warning' signs on the approach to the camera van were obscured by foliage. Do I have a defence to the ticket?
Does the new Astra (2009 model) have better handling than the 6-year-old Focus? I mean handling, not ride quality or comfort, just which is better for fast driving in bends. Also, why do you say on your...
I exchanged my Mercedes A-Class for a Subaru Forester, and was given a basic 3-month warranty with it. I also took out extra warranty with Warranty Direct. Within the first week of me having it, the car...
I am about to part-exchange my car for a new one with a main dealer. Wondering whether the motor trader may not want the car registered in his name (i.e. another owner) I rang DVLA to ask about the completion...
My step daughter has a Mazda 5 registered in June 2007. It has had an annoying squealing noise from the brakes. The noise comes of its own accord - touch the brake pedal and it goes away. The car has been...
I have a 2005 Vauxhall Monaro (5.7-litre, 333bhp version) which needs new front brake pads. Do you know if there is a source other than Vauxhall for these?
We were looking to buy an old model of the Ford Fiesta, which was registered in 2008. We were trying to find a review on your website, however they all seem to be for the new version. Would you be able...
I received a speeding notification from Portugal, which is 5 months old. It was sent 15 March 2010 and received 23 March 2010 and relates to a speeding offence on 24 October 2009. The fine is 120 Euros...
My Dad (aged 66, retired, disabled) is about to take up a car on the Motability scheme. His first ever new car. He is pretty mobile, his disability is around angina and late onset diabetes, but quite a...
To protect my alloy wheels from the ravages of winter salt and brake dust I use Poorboys Wheel Sealant, a soft paste, which is easy to apply and buff off. In addition to providing a barrier it leaves a...
I bought a BMW 320dSE Touring in just over 2 years ago. The stop/start always worked well until recently. The car has been back to the dealership 3 times and each time they say there is nothing wrong...
Mike Rutherford writes about the increases in "road tax", as he calls it, for vehicles in the higher emissions bands. The Government clearly realises the truth that nobody needs a high band car and that...
The Teves Mk60 ABS/ESP problem is turning into a bit of a nightmare especially for pensioners like myself who have just bought what they considered to be their last car, expecting it to run for six or...
I’d like your opinion on my complaint to FIAT Group Automobiles UK Ltd. I bought a £35,000 FIAT based motorhome last year and after 1,700 miles the battery has failed despite a 3-year battery warranty....
I have a 2004 A3 3.2 Quattro which has developed a fault which is really bugging me. My rear light cluster lens was slightly cracked and had let in some water and so I removed the cluster to seal the lens...
My mother has had the clutch replaced twice since 2007 in her Toyota Corolla with 40,000 miles on the clock. I don't think she's a 'heavy' clutch user even though she's 80, but it is possible that as the...
I have paid the road tax for my car online and I will receive it in five working days - can I drive only with reference number until my disc arrives?
A named driver on my private car insurance policy has an unspent Fixed Penalty speeding offence (Code SP30). Can I allow him to drive my car, given that I have not told my insurance company of the three...
I think I have found source of the creaking rattle noise heard in the cabin of my 2009 Ford Focus 1.6 'Style'. On the outside of the car, when very lightly pressing down on the bonnet with my fingers on...
I have a 2003/53 Fiat Punto and after filling up the water for my wipers I can't get the bonnet to close properly. There is approximately a 1-inch gap and I'm really worried it's going to fly up, as it's...
About 3 months ago I bought a Renault Clio from a faraway franchised dealer with a 1-year warranty. I took it into my local Renault dealer recently to check out what I believed was a slipping clutch and...
Having worked on a farm for many years I have unloaded thousands of used tyres supplied by numerous tyre fitters, both national companies and small local companies. The tyres are used on a farm to weigh...
I know someone who is a named driver on a trade insurance policy. The thing is, he is on the dole and doesn’t work (not legally anyway).
Is his insurance valid or not? I thought it was insurance for people...
I read with interest your article about road humps and tyres recently. I live in the lovely village of Ickleford and Hertfordshire Highways are about to install 11 road humps over less than a 1-mile stretch...
I'd like to recommend Marshalls Jaguar in Peterborough. They've helped me care for my XK8 since the dealership I bought it from closed down. Service and customer focus is really good. I feel properly informed...
I'm planning to change my car from a nippy little Fiesta Ghia, which I really like driving, to a more substantial vehicle that will accommodate my tall, disabled husband and a medium sized scooter or self...
I have a 1998 XJ8 with 73,600 miles. Although Jaguar has said the auto transmission is sealed for life, and a main dealer has told me not to have the oil in it changed as there are no problems, there seems...
I wonder if you can help me. My partner bought a brand new Lexus RX400 from a Lexus dealer in 2006. She is currently experiencing cash problems and I wondered if it is possible for her to hand the car...
Have I been mis-sold a car? I feel I have. I was assured that I could not put petrol into a diesel engine by a Citroen salesmen. He categorically assured me that this was no longer possible. Needless to...
Something I never thought to see: A busy road in Stevenage that was well-humped for about 1/2 mile has just had them removed and those sections of the road resurfaced. So what was real penance for me to...
I have agreed to buy a car from a local Jaguar dealership and the last time I sat in it I perused the service history record and made a note of the mileage that differs by 10k from the advertised mileage...
My husband and I posted an add on Autotrader to sell our Toyota Amazon and within minutes we had a phone call from an Asian guy wanting to buy, he asked a lot of questions: what is the reg, what is the...
As a regular M4 motorist I'm intrigued that the powers that be are replacing steel barriers with concrete ones, as the steel ones are reaching the "end of their lives." Concrete ones are supposed to require...
Our 2002 Peugeot 307 Rapier is just coming up for its 8th annual service and MoT. So far it has been very reliable and incidentally the most comfortable car to drive in 60 years of motoring. However, at...
In the last few days I have taken two calls from Online Claims (via an Indian call centre) about a recent accident involving a car registered at my address. There has been no such accident so this seems...
My husband recently passed away and I am looking to downsize. I have a 1998R Lexus GS300 Auto SE with fsh and 93,000 miles on the clock, which I believe is worth about £2,000. However, over the last 3.5...
I am a one-man band with a 2007 Renault Traffic. I am looking to get a small car as a second vehicle because of quoting for larger jobs that are often further afield, and becoming more frequent, it just...
Last Saturday, the wife and I went on a test drive in the new BMW F10 5 Series diesel. Yes, it was very nice, but it was not great step up from the 2006 BMW 5-Series we are driving now. Do you agree?
Elsewhere on 
