Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
Whilst recently on holiday on the Continent, I had cause to have the radiator replaced on my Mitsubishi Shogun SWB at a fully franchised Mitsubishi dealer in Germany. The total cost came to some £463,...
Another letter asking for your advice. I am an elderly lady, now the sole driver as my husband is not fit anymore. We have a 2005 2.0 litre diesel Skoda Octavia. We used to tow a caravan for which it was...
A correspondent recently wrote to you concerning the purchase of a used 2002 Mercedes S Class, both front wings of which began to bubble with rust in 2006, with the same problem occurring in 2008 on the...
During spells of hot weather, some front seat passengers trying to look cool (usually young females) put their up feet on the dashboard or even worse out of the window. In the event of a collision and...
We have had a problem with the steering column and ESP sensor of our 2008/58 Vauxhall Meriva 1.3CDTI. We bought the car brand new in February 2009. We first had this problem with the ESP light coming on...
Having driven a good workhorse for the last seven years, a Vauxhall Astra Estate, I am now in a position to buy a new car for the first time in my life, at age 73 years. I am looking for a stylish, reliable,...
Like you, for eight years I have been an avid Honda Jazz Fan. However, having recently bought the new model with the new I-shift I am in despair. It is a horrible drive and I should be grateful to have...
I've recently had two tyres ruined (sidewall damage ) and a Celica T-Sport rear spring broken. I can't pinpoint the exact event of each but I drive regularly along a badly pot-holed public road. I have...
So glad you are promoting left foot braking, it's been my method for decades. I have used a range of manual change and automatic cars, and I have no problems with using my left foot for the clutch in a...
I am now retired but I did spend most of my career dealing with motor litigation for an insurer, a large proportion of my time with cases in litigation conscious Liverpool and Manchester.
Your reader...
Having recently hired a Peugeot 207, I found the car OK except for a strange complication that I fail to understand. Sitting in the car after approximately 3-4 minutes, the central display showed 'economy...
My daughter recently bought a Peugeot 206 from a garage chain. She has had some problems in the six weeks she has had it even though the car had less than 40,000 miles on the clock and she has driven...
Please could you direct me to the location on your website where you have given advice to readers who have been involved in an accident, in which the damage to their vehicle is entirely responsibility...
My wife and I have an '07 Diesel Toyota Avensis 2.2. The front passenger seat is not adjustable for lumbar reshape and seat flatness, but only back tilt and seat height. Is it possible to have a fully...
Back in December 2008 I was involved in a minor road accident. A white van reversed into my stationary car damaging the front. The driver admitted liability at the time and this was confirmed in writing...
You have run several e-mails from readers who have been persecuted because their parking tickets dropped from the tops of their dashboards. My Skoda has a plastic clip on the drivers windscreen which is...
Having read your horror stories about insurance scams here's one on the other side. A few weeks ago in my Golf I was run into from behind stationary at a roundabout. (Pouring with rain, I was watching...
In 1996, when the Driving Theory Test was first introduced, I was employed as chief invigilator at a central London Test centre which processed about 200 candidates per day and we had about 4 invigilators...
I am trying to decide between buying a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 530d or a BMW 5 Series Touring 530d. At the weekend, I need a car for trips to the tip and park with my labrador dog, wife and two teenage...
Bizarrely, I received a letter from an outfit calling itself "Service Claims" in which it stated that my car (it quoted the correct registration details) had been involed in an accident in May this year...
I have a Ford Fiesta 1.3 1998 Encore. My rear wheel bearing has gone on the left-hand side, so I've gone to remove it but there is a casing over the nut for the hub so I'm not able to. Does anyone know...
If I disconnect the speedo on my 54-reg Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.4, will I lose the mileage? The dash has lost everything apart from the clock, indicators and oil light.
I'm getting erroneous low oil pressure warnings in my P-reg Volkswagen Polo and the rev counter and speedo are not working. Also a beep is sounding occasionally. Oil contents ok, all lights seem to be...
Anybody else suffer flat spots at low revs in the Ford Focus 1.8 TDCI or find it easy to stall at low revs in first and second gear?
A 2005 Volkswagen Golf with 90,000 miles has no record of the timing belt being changed. Should it be done and should the work be done at an authorised dealer?
I have been told I may have a sticky air doser on my 1.9 diesel Citroen Berlingo. What is an air doser and is it expensive to repair?
My Citroen C5 HDI has a loss of power. I have had it checked and been told it is showing up as a turbo solenoid fault. Where is the turbo solenoid and what, if any, are the likely rectifications?
Could you tell me please how to set up the pump timing on a 2.8 Mitsubishi Shogun turbodiesel? I put a new pump seal in today and I got the timing wrong.
Can I change my 2004 Peugeot 206's self-adjusting clutch cable to a manual adjustment?
I'm looking to buy a five-year-old Porsche Boxster from an independent motor trader. Would you recommend the vehicle be checked by an approved Porsche mechanic or have an AA inspection?
I have recently purchased a motorhome. I am not going to achieve a high annual mileage (max 5-6000) nor take it out for camping purposes that often (up to six occasions per annum). Clearly that is not...
I have just bought a 2004 Kia Picanto 1.1LX and it has only covered 12,000 miles. Now I am wondering if the car should have its second cam belt yet?
One of the motorcycles I own was caught on a Gatso fixed speed camera. I got the first letter on 15 September 2010, asking if it was me or who it was. The alleged offence was on 23 July 2010. What should...
I have ordered a Skoda 1.6 Octavia Elegance via an online dealer. The local Skoda dealer really slags the online dealer off, saying that I will not get a correctly-built new model etc. The supplier has...
We have a MINI Cooper S 07-plate with 35,000 miles that we love, but feel it can be expensive to run. Our local BMW MINI dealer has told us we can save money by swapping now, with various savings on the...
I own a Jaguar 2.0 diesel Classic 04 reg with 90,000 on the clock. Recently the engine has started to splutter, as if the idling speed kicks in as you increase acceleration (up to 50 mph). It seems as...
My 1998 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 CL loses power in the wet. Any ideas why this might be? It started happening after driving through a particularly deep puddle in the road. Then, once again, following a down...
I have a SEAT Leon 150 TDI FR. Today I have noticed a squealing/grinding/squeaking noise coming from the front of the car when I turn the steering wheel hard to the left or right. This noise is only heard...
I have a 2000 Volkswagen Golf 1.6 and have problems with it holding back, and it has no power when changing up gears. It also judders. It's ok for a while, but gets worse and will hardly pull away. I've...
I am about to buy a used 2008 Audi A6 Saloon SE Special Edition from a local Audi dealer, who is suggesting that I should have the Autoglym Paint and Exterior Protection. I know that they are charging...
I'm looking for a car of up to one year old, automatic, of a similar size to my 10-year-old Vauxhall Omega or bit smaller, with a soft ride, quite good spec (ie cruise control, air conditioning etc), folding...
Which 4x4 would be the best for me? I need to be able to tow two horses in a trailer and would like a reliable, economical car that will be able to tow regularly and not burn out, costing me lots of money....
I have a 2008 Nissan Micra that I have owned from new, and in the time I have owned it I have had to replace the rear tyres twice due to them wearing on the outer edge. I went to an independent alignment...
I'm thinking of buying a Volkswagen Bora 1.9 diesel Sport. It's in very good condition, well maintained, 150,000 miles in black. The dealer is asking £2500. What do I need to look for and does the price...
I've got a problem with my 1.3 Daihatsu YRV 4Trac. Its gearbox seems stiff and gets stiffer as you drive it (it still drives though, and does not grind). Is there a known problem with this gearbox? I believe...
My daughter will start to learn to drive and will use my wife's Honda Civic. Is there a company which will enable her to start to build up no-claims bonus as a named driver?
I just bought a 2007 Volkswagen Polo today, which was stolen/recovered from an auction site that insurance companies give their cars to. The car's back brakes are locked for some reason. Any ideas why...
I have read that the new Volkswagen Polo is not a lot smaller than the Golf, but a fair bit cheaper. I was considering a Golf, but this buyer's guide recommends that I take a look at the Polo as well....
I'm thinking of buying a MINI D4 Countryman (and spare winter wheels/tyres) as I live in the Scottish Highlands, but most journeys will be only 15-20 miles each way and 6-7000 miles a year. Will this keep...
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