Questions from August 2010
The lease on my company car comes to an end in November and, due to the poor choice on offer, I am coming out of the lease option and taking a cash allowance with which I intend to buy a car. I have a...
I believe I have a problem with my Audi A4 Avant B8's start-stop system. Whatever I do, including switching everything including radio, lights and climate control off, I cannot achieve more than 25 seconds....
The car I want to buy says that the finance register for the car was agreed on the 15/03/2007 and the term of the agreement was 43 months, which would mean there is two months left from today. Does that...
I just bought a W-reg Volkswagen Transporter 1.9TD. It runs really well and starts every time, except if I drive for longer that an hour and turn off the engine. Then it will not start again for at least...
My 2001 Nissan Almera Tino's accelerator pedal sticks when I am in a queue or stopped at junction, but never when actually changing gear when driving. I have checked the cable and it seems to be OK, and...
I read much about premature head gasket failures on early model 1.4 D4-d engines, fitted to the Yaris range and BMW MINI models. I am at present suffering with a failure, but I am led to believe it has...
My friend is looking to buy a new car with a smallish engine. She has been looking at a 2003 Daihatsu YRV 1.3 F-Speed. What are your thoughts on this car? She needs an automatic and her budget is up to...
I have just purchased a two-year-old 1.6 premium Hyundai i30, due in no small part to your favourable review. So far I am very impressed with the vehicle, but I have a couple of questions. I am sure the...
I recently bought my wife a new vehicle but did not part-exchange her old one as the new vehicle was bought privately. The new vehicle had to have work done it, so she used my car on which she is a named...
How much should I pay for a full service on a Chrysler Voyager?
I have a 54 reg Peugeot 407 SW HDI. When I first start up the brakes are inoperative as if with no servo assistance. The pedal is hard to push and when pushed has little effect on braking. If I wait with...
My sister-in-law is looking to purchase a new Ford Focus but cannot decide between the 1.6TDCI diesel and 1.6I petrol engines. She does less than 10,000 miles per year, mainly very short runs in town with...
I bought a 2003 Hyundai Coupe 2.7 privately. The car was described as having an occasional misfire but still driving fine. When I collected the car all seemed well, the seller agreed to meet me at the...
I have a 2007 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8CRD auto which is stuck in second gear. When starting up, either none of the gear selector positions on the display is highlighted, or they all are highlighted....
My wife and I are working in the same town so basically we just need one car for commuting, as we're currently driving a 57-reg Mazda 3. Now she's pregnant. Basically we need a bigger car for carrying...
My 2004 Grand Cherokee's heating system has packed up. It all sounds fine, the fan makes loud noise as usual but nothing comes out (as if something is blocked). Plus there is a blast of cold air on the...
What would be the best advertising medium to sell my 1964 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 Coupe? I'm asking£34,995. The engine has been rebuilt, and the body restored and resprayed original Sand Gold. I'm not...
I'm looking at a BMW 840 with 120,000 miles, selling for £3500.00 What are the main faults with this model?
What would be a recommended 2008 saloon car to purchase that will fulfil these requirements: diesel engine 1.9l to 2.2l, low C02 emission (<140 g/km, maximum of 155g/km), 130-150bhp, six-speed gearbox...
In your column in the Daily Telegraph recently you were replying to a guy with a Laguna Sports Tourer with problems with the air conditioning compressor, and the reply almost read like you were going to...
i have a Ford Mondeo estate 1.8 LX on an 02 plate with 112,000 miles. I am using about one litre of oil every 100 miles, but otherwise the car runs fine. Does anyone have any idea why this is?
I've a 53-plate BMW E46 3 Series automatic diesel coupe (the 2-litre 320) which has taken upon itself to develop an annoying rattle. It doesn't lose power or emit smoke, and it improves when the engine...
I purchased an Audi A4 Mulitronic in Jan 2010. In July the car started to "judder" when pulling away and sometimes when accelerating. I reported the fault to my warranty company, who told me to take it...
My daughter has a 2008 Ford S-Max Titanium X with a 2.2 TDCi engine. The car has been back to the Ford main agent eight times now for oil leaks. The fault is obvious from spasmodic blue fumes from under...
Do you think a secondhand Saab 9-3 at five or six years old is a good buy at around 50,000 mileage for £6000?
I'm 64 years of age and need a car. My wife has a new Fiat Panda Eco Active so shopping is sorted. My annual mileage has now dropped to around 10,000 with 12-20 visits a year to family down motorways and...
Is it true that there have been a substantial number of Volkswagen Passat fuel injector failures? If so, does this apply to all Volkswagen dealers?
I am due to receive a new Toyota Auris Hybrid next month and the Toyota dealer has recommended GAP insurance, to cover the difference in allowance between the insurance company's valuation and the invoice...
Do you think diesel additive is worth buying and using? Or would it be better to buy the premium fuel on the forecourts?
I appear to have seemingly a common fault regarding EGR failure on my 2004 Ford C-Max diesel, where the air pipes were filled with engine oil which the RAC man said was dripping onto the alternator. On...
Driving down the M1 in our new Toyota Prius, my wife in the passenger seat asked what she should do if I dropped dead at the wheel. I can assure you that I have no intention or likelihood of doing so;...
I bought a BMW 520d as an ex-fleet car with 96,000 miles. I have done less than 1000 miles, but I had to change all brake pads and all four discs because they were worn out. Now i also have to change all...
I bought a Cadillac BLS 1.9 Wagon in January. £15,772 for an all singing all dancing car with Sat Nav bluetooth seemed like good value. I have now covered 20,000 miles with only a loose wire on a fog light...
Can you help? I have about £1500 to spend on a second car for work. I do about 50 miles a day and I was originally looking out for either a Nissan Almera or a 1.25 Ford Fiesta, something reliable and fun....
I have £15,000 and am potentially happy to do 0 per cent interest type deals. I want an economical diesel (gets 50mpg combined ideally) which is fun, drives well and you can get a mountain bike in the...
I am considering an Audi 2.0 saloon on an 06 plate, which has a CVT automatic (Multitronic) gearbox. Has anyone got any views on this type of automatic?
My Vauxhall Astra 2.0 TDi's cooling fan is running all the time.
When staying in any gear, my 2004 Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTI SXI seems to shudder when staying at same speed. I've been told it could be air flow meter.
I am considering buying a 2000 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 saloon. Can you tell me of any problems with these cars apart from the slightly suspect gearboxes? Do they have ECU problems like the C200s?
Is there anything I should be looking out for when buying a 2004 Honda Civic VTEC 1600i Sport?
I'm thinking about buying a 1993 Nissan Sunny 1.4 with very low miles of 39,000. It drives well, but the clutch seems a bit high on the biting point. Is the clutch on its way out? Also is the motor cam...
On the 23 October 2009 I purchased for my daughter a used car with 67,000 miles on the clock for £2200, but she did not use it until disposing of her existing car in January 2010. In May 2010, with only...
I am considering selling my 2005 Vauxhall Zafira B 1.9CDTi automatic and buying an alternative MPV with less CO2. Which automatic is best to buy? I don't mind if its a petrol car.
We have a Citroen Xsara and a Rover 200 valued online at £400 and £50. The quotes for insurance are £300 and £295! What is the cheapest way to legally insure them?
I am about to purchase a used RAV4 to replace my lifesaving, sadly departed RAV4. Could you advise on the better option, either petrol or diesel? My annual mileage is 15,000.
If my W-reg Vauxhall Zafira is not used for several weeks it is extremely hard to start. We have had a non-return value fitted in the fuel line as the local garage thought the fuel could be draining back...
After rain, when drying, semi circular deposits are left behind and eat into my Volvo V70's paintwork. I don't know the cause or the necessary restorative treatment. Deep pits are left behind. This has...
I have a 2004 Vauxhall Meriva Design CDTi and every morning in the early hours my car alarm goes off for no reason, and just recently it has started going off during the day. When I deactivate it, it then...
I have a Ford Focus Ghia 2-litre TDCI which is now four years old. When it was three years old the "ESP System Fault" message came up. I live in France and the garage informed me that the part alone was...
.jpg)
