Failed clutch

The clutch has failed on my daughter's 53 reg car, two months after the Peugeot dealership (who sold the car to her 15 months ago) carried out a service and MOT. Is it reasonable to expect them to have...

Branded or unbranded?

Budget tyres can cost more than 50% less than branded tyres. Tyre salesmen say that they are made to exactly the same spec as branded tyres so why pay more?

Can I use this oil?

I have a Nissan Micra K12 56-reg. In the manual it says use 5/30 semi synthetic oil, but my friend can get me 10/40 fully synthetic oil for free, so can I use the 10/40 instead of the 5/30?

Budget first cars

I am a 31-year-old female and Im about to buy my first car after passing my driving test. I would like some advice. My budget is about £2000, and I would like a car with low tax and insurance. I need...

Do I have to disclose the driver information

I have a received a parking charge notice from a private parking company for parking in the car park of an office/work building, supported by CCTV images of the car entering and leaving the car park. I...

Melted headlight bulb holder

You say in your write up on the Avensis 2003 that bulb holders "can melt, making replacement of bulbs impossible. Toyota replaces headlight units under warranty.". I am having some difficulties with Toyota,...

Which cabriolet?

I'm changing my 3 year old CLK 200 sport cabriolet. I really want a metal folding roof as we want to do some long trips in Europe and I am not too happy leaving a soft top overight in many different places!...

Damage in a car park

Do the owners of a private car park (e.g a golf club) have any liability to members or visitors for damage to cars where the third party does not report incident? Much of the car park is screened by...

Which company car should I choose?

I am now in the position where I get a company car and have a choice of Skoda Octavia 1.6D DSG, Golf bluemotion 1.6 diesel DSG or Audi A1 1.4TFSI DSG. These are what I have narrowed it down to as I want...

Small 5 Door Economical Car

I have a budget of between £3000-4000 pounds, I do a 100 mile commute to work everyday so am looking for solid MPG at least 60mpg combined. Due to the fact I will be putting a lot of miles on the car i...

Brake judder

I am a Private Hire Chauffeur Driver who went to a Mercedes Dealership a few weeks ago because I had a brake judder from a distorted front offside disk, which had been fitted 19,000 miles and less than...

Crossed over

I have a question about my selection of car. These are Skoda Yeti 1.2 TSI DSG, Peugeot 3008 petrol, Nissan Qashqai petrol. I think that all these cars are similar. The Qashqai is my most preferred car....

key fob won't open door

My car has not been used for a couple of weeks and when I came to get in at the weekend the key fob would not work to open the door. I then tried the key which did open the door but then the car wouldn't...

My Mercedes-Benz E220 Coupe returned almost 60mpg on a long trip - which cars can beat that?

Your correspondent LD of Weybridge should ditch his Fiat 500 TwinAir and buy a Mercedes-Benz. I have just driven my four-month-old E220 Coupe from Northallerton to Winchester, at motorway speeds throughout,...

I'm worried that my 1994 Toyota Estima may be written off after an accident - how can I avoid this?

At the entrance to a roundabout, I hit a W-reg car which had stopped and then was heavily hit from behind by another 08-reg car. My insurance company has told me it will give me a car to drive whilst mine...

Should I buy an ex-demo BMW X3 for full list price or wait until next year for a brand new one?

Can you advise me on an offer my local BMW main dealer has made me please? I am interested in the new X3 and he is quoting a delivery date of next March. Alternatively, he is offering me his demonstrator...

Do current emissions figures underestimate fuel economy from an emissions and a taxation point of view?

You wrote that the issue of certified fuel economy figures is about to explode in the face of the EC. It seems to me that this is more likely to explode in the face of the motorist. If, as regularly experienced,...

What can I replace my Toyota RAV4 with that offers better fuel economy?

The home of my family necessitates me travelling over the Pennines on the A66 from Co. Durham often, including in the winter. I have a 5-year-old 4WD Toyota RAV4 which I love, but its petrol consumption...

Is anyone lobbying against the British Parking Association's proposals to make vehicle keepers liable for penalties?

You recently mentioned in your column that the British Parking Association is lobbying Parliament to make vehicle keepers liable for parking penalties. Is anybody lobbying to maintain the status quo?

Can I clarify how radio interference affects the keyless entry systems in cars such as the Toyota RAV4?

I've just read the item titled "Wave machine", and can provide you with a bit of clarification on the matter. The keyless entry and ignition system in the Toyota RAV4 will probably use a small radio frequency...

Which single car could I replace my Renault Avantime and Fiat Punto with?

I have a Renault Avantime V6 and a Punto 1.1. I need to switch to just one car. I'm thinking about a Golf but which model? Or do you have an alternative suggestion? A car in between the two extremes would...

Why are the overhead warning signs on motorways so often inaccurate?

Please can you tell me who controls the signs on the motorways that warn us about hold-ups, delays etc? I do not remember the last time that the warning on one of these gantries turned out to be up to...

Why did my insurance premium increase by £100 when I got married and took my husband's name?

I’ve just received a £429.57 renewal quote from 1st Central to re-insure my 2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara, kept on private property in Coniston, Cumbria. Having recently got married, the renewal also involves...

Does fitting smaller diameter wheels to a car count as a modification for insurance purposes?

You advised a reader that his BMW wheels were 'oversized' as original equipment and that he would be OK fitting smaller ones. My question is whether fitting the smaller wheels/tyres would count as a modification...

Does my two-year-old Ford Fiesta really need its brake fluid replacing?

When we bought my Fiesta two years ago we paid upfront for servicing. It is about to have its second service and my local Ford garage tells me that it is Ford policy to replace the brake fluid after two...

Why don't you differentiate between different fuel economy figures on your 'Real MPG' database?

I applaud your efforts to record achieved MPG figures against the manufacturers' quoted numbers at www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg. The mpg readout on my BMW 318 computer is consistently four to five mpg...

Please remind your readers to carefully check their insurance documents carefully.

It is worth reminding your readers to check the wording on their insurance policies. I recently had to renew mine and changed insurers. On checking the 'use', I found it stated Social, Domestic and Pleasure...

With what can I replace my faithful 17-year-old BMW E34 525SE Tourer?

I read your articles every week, and am constantly amused at all the problems readers have with their cars. Our family car is a fully loaded 1994 BMW E34 525SE Tourer with some 165,000 miles on the clock,...

Can you recommend a small car with easy passenger access and a low roof for my sister?

My sister is considering replacing her 7-year-old Toyota Yaris T Spirit 1.3 automatic with which she has been very pleased but she thinks it might now start costing her money. She has only reached 27,575...

Does my MoreTh>n insurance policy really offer a protected no-claims discount for life?

I have a maximum "No Claim Discount Protection for Life" with my MoreTh>n policy. But I have always been worried that, although I would not lose my no-claims discount following an accident, my premiums...

I'm not happy with my 2009 BMW 525 - what could I replace it with?

I owned a 2002 BMW 525 Touring for a number of years and was very happy with it. Thinking it was time to replace it, I bought a 2009 BMW 525. I have been very disappointed with this car as the satnav accepts...

Should I have an expensive service carried out on my 12-year-old Impreza turbo or sell it?

I have a Subaru Impreza Turbo 5-door, which will be 12 years old in July and is still in top condition. It has been nothing but fun and 100 per cent reliable, as well as low tax for its performance due...

Our troublesome new Skoda Fabia has been in the dealer's for seven weeks - can we request a full refund?

In November 2010 we bought a new Skoda Fabia Greenline estate. On 10 April this year, the car broke down and we had be towed home by the RAC. The following day, the RAC towed the car from our home to the...

We are looking for a reliable 5-door car with good build quality - should we buy petrol or diesel?

We have recently retired and are planning to spend around £20,000 on a new or nearly new car. Being conscious of escalating fuel costs we were planning to buy a diesel engine, but are now confused by the...

This is a good method for finding the source of a car battery drain.

You wrote of a chap whose batteries ran down after three idle days and gave him a possible theory. Actually, the matter is simple to prove - to anyone with any electrical knowledge. You switch off everything...

What could be causing a slight vibration when driving my 20-year-old Volvo 740 through lower gears?

Six months ago I took the cylinder head off my 20-year-old Automatic Volvo 740 Estate to investigate a fairly severe vibration in the engine, even when simply idling. I never found a fault but on re-assembly...

Should I expect potential cylinder head gasket problems on my Rover 75?

I was interested in your advice to the owner of a 2003 turbocharged Rover 75 1.8T. I have a Rover 25 1.6 GXi, bought 'as new' July 2007. To date it does not loose coolant, which I check regularly. Do you...

What has caused my Volkswagen Polo's cam belt and tensioner to fail after just three years?

I have a 1997 Polo 16v 100bhp (the one with the ridiculously low gearing). I love it and, since I’ve owned it, Volkswagen has serviced it once a year. In June/July 2008, as per schedule, the cambelt and...

I found that frozen moisture in the doors of my 1997 Golf was causing the battery to discharge.

Last winter I experienced flat batteries with identical symptoms to those experienced by ST, Eltham. I have a '97 Golf TDI, which I have had for nearly six years. During the very cold spell last year I...

Are insurance companies taking advantage of the elderly and increasing their premiums?

There must be something seriously wrong in the motor insurance business when the following can be allowed to happen. My mother-in-law lives with us and is 85 years old. She has driven since 1968 without...

What should I look for when buying a W124 Mercedes-Benz?

My mechanic says that all modern cars are trouble, so I now long for an older and really well-made car with a dash clock that I can look at anytime I like. I'm now considering a diesel W124 - maybe from...

Why has my insurance premium increased by 40 per cent despite having protected no-claims discount?

I have just had my renewal notice from my insurance company who to date I have highly regarded. I am 64 years of age and up until last year had 46 years without a claim, but last year made a claim for...

Will you investigate the reasons for my friend's Jaguar XF's engine developing a dangerous fault?

I am an ex-consumer adviser and am appalled by the way a friend has been treated by Jaguar Motors, and a Jaguar main dealer. Although there has been a short piece in the Evening Standard about his case...

Should I plug my Honda Accord's battery into a charger on a time switch to give it a two-hour daily charge?

I recently had to change the battery on my five-year-old Honda Accord because I only use the car for holidays and long journeys. We use a Jazz day-to-day. It was marginal whether the battery needed changing...

Do I need to SORN my old vehicles which are all in long-term storage?

I am the owner and registered keeper of various old vehicles in storage: two old Lancias in lock-ups, one being 1973 and free of VED, a 1936 Ariel Red Hunter motorbike in bits in my office basement and...

When should I think about changing my 2008 Audi Q5 for a Range Rover Evoque?

I own an Audi Q5 2008 bought as soon as the vehicle was released into the UK market. I managed to persuade the dealer to sell me their demo model at 1,200 miles. As it was the launch vehicle, it is full...

Noisy tyres

At speeds below 50mph I get a "rotational" noise, which I am told by Carr's of Bury St Edmunds is down to the run flats (It sounds like a wheel bearing going u/s on a 1960's car). I drive regularly on...

Which car i will keep, Nissian Almera 2.2 or Vauxhall astra 1.6

I have Nissan Almera 2.2D sport (52 reg 84,000 miles). But it failed its MOT and I had to spend £900 to fix it. It took 3 months to fix. I bought it for £1,200 and after that I changed the cam chain (used)...

Speed Idiots

I get really fed up and irate when prats (usually but not always driving BMWs or Audis) speed past me or generally drive inappropriately for the road conditions. Speed limits and so on are there for a...

Driving on damaged tyres

Stupidly reversed into the sharp corner of a kerb that has resulted in a piece of rubber coming off the side wall of rear passenger run flat tyre. Tyre is not bulging or deflated and I have successfully...