Questions from May 2011
You have expressed your worries recently that manufacturer-recommended accident aftercare might be tarred with the same brush as accident management companies and credit hire operators. But the Suzuki...
I ordered a new C-Class Mercedes and one option strongly recommended by the salesman is DAB radio. I keep my cars for five years. Should I order DAB radio to avoid requiring a retro upgrade or impacting...
When a fatal accident occurs the police close the road for up to ten hours to investigate a possible 'crime scene’, but a serious crime, if any, is seldom detected. This may be all right where there are...
I have recently bought a Skoda Fabia Greenline II estate, having run a Greenline I estate for nearly three years and easily achieved the stated combined mpg of 68.9. It was therefore with confidence that...
I have been having problems with the airbag warning light since last September on my 50,000 mile 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK 350. The light has been on for the majority of the time and four repairs have so...
I am about to change the complete set of tyres for my Porsche 911 993. I currently have Contisport Contact N1. Assuming all the N-rated tyres from all the big manufacturers are of roughly equal performance...
I had to hire a car this week. The firm asked to see my licence and the paper part, both of which they photocopied. That’s ok, but am I entitled to ask for this copy to be returned to me when I finish...
What is this latest nonsense of classifying passing on the nearside as careless driving? On a journey from Inverness to Birmingham at the beginning of this week, I must have undertaken 30 - 40 vehicles...
I am trying to obtain an explanation for the following. I recently sold my S-Type Jaguar, which was listed as having a CO2 emission of CO2 g/km of 274 and paid £245 for the tax renewal in 09/2010. I then...
I have been to view a second hand Kia Picanto 2006 (06) and the engine kept cutting out whilst it was stood on the forecourt. The dealer has since rang me back to say that the problem was due to both keys...
Late in 2010 we asked HJ on advice for a 7 seater 4 x 4,which you highly recommended. My wife purchased the new Santa Fe in November & we have been very pleased with the car. It has performed everything...
I have been looking at a Mercedes Cabriolet CLK 200K Avangarde Auto. It is an 09 plate with 10k on the clock and is priced at £18,999. I like the style and ambience of the car, but is it a good buy at...
A reflection on the damage that may be caused by bad road surfaces. In Ottawa, Canada, we lived in a seven-storey apartment building in a residential area. The road was not especially busy but single-decker...
I was surprised last week when my 2006 CLK Mercedes-Benz, with fewer than 15,000 miles, failed its MOT because both of the front seatbelts had some fraying (seven inches). The local dealership does not...
My daughter has just bought a secondhand car and has had two or three failures that she only discovered soon after buying the car. The car is an 8-year old MINI Cooper. The vendor is refusing to reimburse...
I own a 2007 Volkswagen Golf 170 diesel with 50,000 miles on the clock, owned from new. The ESP warning lamp has just come on, it is nearly due for a cambelt change, probably needs a new set of brake discs,...
I usually agree with your advice, but on the subject of BMW runflats my own experience leads me to disagree. Just over a year ago I bought a 335i SE with 18-inch rims and second generation Bridgestone...
You may remember that I wrote to you some time ago about the difficulties my invalid partner and I experience locally with speed humps. I write to inform you that all is not lost. After months of complaining...
We have a mixed bag of needs for a replacement of our 11-year-old Renault Laguna, which is a bit of a workhorse. We're thinking along the lines of a medium-sized estate, something we can throw skis, boots,...
I bought a new Volkswagen Polo SEL 1.6 CR/DPF 90PS 5-speed manual in November 2010. It now has 1,500 miles on the clock. It stalled at a junction soon after I bought it, then a few months later the engine...
I have a 2005 Audi Avant A4 2.0T petrol, having on your advice changed from diesels as I now do much less mileage. I have owned it for two and a half years and the service handbook indicates a cam belt...
My Saab 9-3 1.9TiD was due for a new cam belt at 72,000 so it went to our local garage at 71,000 two weeks ago. Service as well. I duly paid £405 and collected it when ready. Last Tuesday I was driving...
Which has the highest payload out of the VW Sharan, Seat Alhambra & Ford Galaxy diesel models? Are there any other diesel passenger cars out there with higher payloads than the vehicles above?
Dear Sir, I will be working in the UK for a year from Jan 2012. I want to buy a LHD small hatchback to use while I'm in the UK and then take back home to Hungary. Can I order the car from UK dealers and...
My daughter has had a 2009 1.6 Zetec Ford Focus for about 16 months, purchased from a Ford dealer with about 3,500 miles recorded when acquired. Soon after she took possession, she complained that the...
Your reply in the Telegraph suggests that people joining the motorway should expect drivers already on the carriageway to give way when it is very clear that the responsibility for merging safely is firmly...
I refer specifically to an item under the heading 'Suffolk Punch' on Saturday 23 April 2011. Please advise the title of the legislation said to be launched recently to come into force this Spring. I have...
My 19-year-old daughter phoned me at 9pm from the side of the A1 where she was broken down on her way to university. Whilst I was talking to her (she did not have breakdown cover) an AA patrolman on his...
What is the maximum permitted trailer weight when towing with a Category B licence? How does this change when the licence holder has categories B and E? I have been unable to find anyone who can supply...
I need to sell my beloved Audi A2 quickly. Is there a special following for this car? Where could I advertise it? It’s a 2005 1.4 SE TDI with low mileage and full service history.
We are thinking of replacing my wife's car, which is a 2003 Peugeot 206 Verve, 1,124cc. We would welcome your recommendation to meet the following requirements:- 1. 4 door with hatchback. 2. Slightly larger...
Earlier this year I was given a 1993 Volkswagen Polo 1.0 to use as a second car and for my partner’s son who has just turned 17 to get extra learning time in. Unfortunately, within three weeks it was stolen....
I have had Skoda Octavia TDI 1.9 Ambiente hatchback for almost eleven years and now I am going to buy a Skoda Octavia TDI 1.6. Ambiente hatchback. What is the difference between these two cars? I have...
 

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