Questions from October 2010
I'm an international student and a big car enthusiast. I have saved up about £30k from my childhood till now. I want to buy a car, if you were in my position what sort of a car would you go with keeping...
I saw the above car yesterday. There were a few things that the buyer had not advertised when the car was on various websites. The indicator light was broken and there were scratches here and there. We...
My wife has decided that after 25 years of driving cabriolets she needs something easier to get in/out of. The budget is around £11,000 and the requirements are 5 doors, auto preferably, easy to park,...
My brother wants to buy a Honda estate with 80,000 miles on the clock - it is a 2008 plate selling at £8,000. Can you advise?
Brief story about Renault Kangoo 1.5 dci. Glow plug light comes on when driving, power reduces, sometimes slightly and then it gets worse - until 5mph is about all it will do! Not good for busy roads or...
I've just taken delivery of a 1.6 Golf Bluemotion automatic as a company car. As I've driven countless automatics over the last 30 years I didn't anticipate the problems I'd encounter with the stop start...
Can anyone tell me where the addittive tank is for the Enlyos fluid on a Peugeot 307 2.0 110 hdi - I just had a "diesel additive at minimum level" show up on the dashboard?
I am considering a small 4 wheel drive diesel, such as Golf 4 Motion TDI. As a day to day car that is economical and will enable me to navigate tricky weather conditions similar to last winter. Choice...
I recently bought a Vauxhall Combo van with the airbag light constantly on, checked the seat belt pretensioners and they're plugged in and seem fine - any ideas?
I have just purchased a brand new Mini from BMW. I opted out of BMW seal&protect and took it to my reputable detailing company for a seal&protect. This was when the flaws appeared, in preparing the vehicle...
I've recently been told that my car's spare key is going to cost me up to £200 or more due to Fiat code system which has something to do with a chip inside the key. Please could you help solve this problem...
My A6 seems to have developed gremlims in the driver information system. It started with the AIRBAG warning light going on/off. Then the multitronic display would show a negative display and this would...
I have a long commute to work: 53 miles each way, mostly on combination of country lanes and twisty windy A roads. My children are very keen for me to choose a 7 seater as company car. After trying many,...
I have just recieved an £80 parking fine for overnight parking at the Moto Services at M5 Services Exeter. I parked from 02.54am to 06.48am. I am a Courier working out of Southampton, Hampshire. My first...
Pourriez vous me dire si ce model comprend un système bluetooth et si oui comment le rendre opérationnelle?
Would you be kind enough, please, to recommend a car that will do approximately 10,000 miles per annum, and will last for the next ten years, will do at least 10 miles per litre in mainly rural and small...
My granddaughter recently had an accident, not her fault, and her car was written off as a total loss. After eight weeks the third party insurers sent her a cheque in full settlement without even contacting...
Like JL, I had a dislodged kerbstone outside my house, I reported it to Bexley council at 10.00am. At midday workmen turned up and cemented the kerbstone back in place. Excellent service.
At age 73 and after 57 years without a traffic violation I finally hit the headlines with an "alleged excess speed offence" of 35mph in 30mph zone recorded by a mobile camera device in a leafy suburb of...
My son is interested in acquiring a Mitsubishi L200. He will not be able to afford a new one and so has been researching the secondhand market, including Mitsubishi dealer offers. Invariably, dealers quote...
I would like to draw your attention to the BBC Watchdog coverage of problems with the power steering of Vauxhall Merivas, which aired on 30 September. A trawl of the internet will also show that the problem...
Once a week I do a journey of three miles each way in town. Three times a year I do 140 miles each way, mostly on the motorway, and about four times a year I do about 50 miles each way. You have written...
You often publicise issues that seem unfair to road users: speed humps, road repairs, inappropriate speed enforcement and unfair parking charges, for example. Motorists are a huge proportion of the (voting)...
I recently took your advice to another reader regarding his fine for overstaying the permitted two hours at Aldi. In my case I incurred an £80 parking fine (reduced to £50 if I pay early) for staying too...
My husband contacted you a few weeks ago regarding the failure of the automatic gearbox of our Ford C-Max 1.6TDCI CVT with only 20,731 miles on the clock. I am unwilling to let the matter go and have written...
As my first car I own a high mileage 2005 Toyota Avensis 2.0 D4D, which is perfect for taking me up and down the motorways. Over the last few weeks, the car gradually lost power below 3,000rpm, culminating...
I received a promotional mailer today, addressed to me personally as the keeper of a car with my registration plate. At first I was amused at the marketing, but on reflection I have concerns about how...
I have a friend who, having spent the 1970s in the USA, has always driven with two feet. He does this today with his Nissan Micra. His wife has recently purchased a Skoda Yeti DSG and he says that it confuses...
I was involved in an accident. A car ran into the back of my stationary car at approx 40mph and the driver immediately accepted liability, as have her insurers (RSA). The next day I received two calls,...
I was interested to read the correspondence on rusting Mercedes-Benz cars. I bought four E-class Mercedes-Benz Estate cars in a row. The first three were excellent, both mechanically and bodily. I bought...
I called into Norton Canes services on the M6 Toll/Expressway services in the morning en route to a meeting in Northampton, staying just long enough to makes a phone call and use the toilets and then carried...
Having owned and run a 1991 Land Rover Defender since passing my test at 17 four years ago, I was pleased to see the article a few weeks back in favour of older cars as first cars. The Landy has provided...
My husband has a Mercedes-Benz ML270, six years old. Last April he made an insurance claim, having damaged the front bumper and wing by driving into the gate across our entrance. The estimate we had was...
We have a 2007 Land Rover Discovery but are looking to change for a smaller car, and are thinking about the Audi Q5 or the BMW 5 Series Estate. We do drive to Scotland several times a year from London...
There are a number of what look like reputable companies advertising simple-to-install electronic upgrades that are claimed to increase the power output and economy of turbo diesel engines. They also claim...
My Honda Jazz auto Sport is just three years old. It has of course been serviced by new by the main dealer in Norwich. I have no idea what may go wrong in the future and I have only driven 16,000 miles....
My 19 year-old shopping trolley, a Vauxhall Nova 1.2 Merit Plus, will have to be replaced. Should I buy a Panda (2004/2005) or a Yaris (2003/2004) or a Fabia for £2,000 to £3,000? And should I source it...
I own a 2 year old BMW 320d which I purchased 8 months ago with 21k on the clock from a BMW dealer. I have been extremely happy with the car except that over the past few months it has developed a judder...
We recently put the childlock on the rear door for obvious reasons but now the door will not open from outside or inside, obviously because of childlock. I'm a bit stuck. Can't take the door panel off...
I purchased a Sept 09 reg BMW 320i in March this year with only 1800 miles on the clock which would suggest that it had done mostly short journeys. It is now 12 months old and showing 7,500mls which have...
I have an Hyundai i10, mainly brought on your recommendations, which I purchased in Sept 09 (59 plate) and it has just had its first service. On driving out of the dealership, I started hearing a wind...
I want to buy a small car to tow behind my motorhome. My limit is £3250 and thinking of a Ka, Matiz, Smart. I am prepared to go to auction or private. What are your thoughts, bearing in mind reliability,...
I ordered a BMW 520d SE with BMW Leicester in the first week of August. The estimated delivery was for 30th September. Called the garage and they cannot specify a date now, citing production delay in BMW...
Is the actual fuel tank capacity usually that given in the owners manual or is it fact larger to give one a margin before running out of fuel? This a question I asked myself when running short of diesel...
Does the Renault Sandero has any problem with its automatic gears? Or has it been proved that it has a good performance and reliability in its gearbox?
I recently got all the filters changed and car started to splutter and put out black. I changed air flow meter but no change so I disconnected air flow meter and black smoke stopped but car is now in get...
Our Rover 'V' reg 200 diesel car started to stutter occasionally soon after a new fuel tank was replaced at a local garage. It usually jerked twice within a mile from home then might only do it once on...
My Fiat Panda's ('55 plate) passenger's footwell fills with water only after heavy rain. I think the water must be coming in from underneath the car when I drive over puddles. It doesn't seem to be coming...
My cam belt broke at 56000 miles on my 5 1/2 year old car (servicng schedule advises changing at 150000 miles or 10 years) damaging the valve gear. The garage spoke to citroen about a goodwill contribution...
I watched your road test video of the Skoda Yeti and am encouraged to go for a road test. My wife and I are planning on retiring next year and we need to choose one car for the pair of us. She has a 2005...
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