I improved my Nissan Murano's fuel economy by 4mpg by using Shell V Power fuel.

I own 2009 Nissan Murano, purchased new, where prior to running in I averaged 24 mpg. However, now that it has covered 9000 miles my consumption has improved to 28mpg running on Shell V Power exclusively....

Should I use the free Hyundai Accident Aftercare service in the event of an accident?

I recently bought a new Hyundai and have received documentation for the free service Hyundai Accident Aftercare, administered by Retention UK Ltd. In the event of accident or theft, I contact them first,...

Can you recommend a reliable, safe and economical vehicle for a regular 45-mile drive?

For medical reasons I have to drive my wife to hospital three times a week, each time a round trip of about 45 miles. I need a vehicle, preferably used, that is comfortable, dependable and safe in all...

Why are accident management companies able to charge huge rental charges to accident victims?

I read with interest last week about insurance scams. I had an accident and was supplied with a BMW for five days during repairs by HelpHire, a management company provided by insurer. I signed a form to...

Are insurers exploiting policyholders when minor 'material facts' are not disclosed?

I quote from my renewal notice: "MATERIAL FACTS - DUTY OF DISCLOSURE: All material facts must be disclosed. Failure to do so could invalidate the policy. A material fact is one which is likely to influence...

Recommend winter tyres for our Toyota Corolla?

What winter tyres would you recommend for our Corolla D4D diesel 2.0-litre?

Why are insurance companies now asking brokers not to contact third party accident management companies?

You may be interested to know that some insurers have started asking brokers to sign new terms of business agreements agreeing not to contact any claims management company or solicitor first (even if the...

What do you think of the Renault Scenic automatic diesel?

I am 70 and enjoy the high seats of my Renault Scenic to get in and out. I drive a diesel 1.9 Scenic manual, but would like your thoughts on their automatic diesel.

Why are road signs painted on road surfaces being allowed to fade?

I was cut up on a roundabout by a car that was supposed to turn right. Sure enough, when I checked, the right-hand arrow on the road had been almost obliterated due to wear and tear. I have certainly noticed...

I've got over 60mpg out of my Honda Insight hybrid.

You asked readers to let you know what the true fuel consumption they have experienced. Last December I purchased a Honda Insight hybrid having read about them in one of your articles. The car was nearly...

Have you seen this video of Daniel Hannan MEP addressing the problem of powerful lobby groups?

You are completely correct about EU regulations being driven by powerful lobby groups. May I respectfully refer you to this very short clip by Daniel Hannan MEP when he confirms your very point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q96H1FqDTbQ...

What do you think of the Peugeot 1007 Sport automatic?

I spotted a 2006 Peugeot 1007 1.6 Sport automatic with 15,000 miles at a local dealer's for £2,500. I'm attracted to its electric sliding doors and internal versatility with sliding rear seats, and we...

Thanks for recommending I take an IAM driving test.

I changed my car last year from a Zafira to a Peugeot Partner. The Partner is wider than the Zafira and as such I had a couple of incidents. To this effect I emailed you just before Christmas regarding...

How can I reduce insurance premiums for my 18-year-old son?

I am at a loss at how to proceed. My 18 year-old son has just passed his driving test and no matter which approach I take, quotes are starting at around £4,000pa. I have tried multi-car policies (three...

Can you recommend an English company that makes milk floats or small electric vehicles?

Maybe you can point me in the right direction with this one, please. I drive a buggy at my local National Trust property, taking people to and from The House & Ticket Office. We use a standard 6-seater...

These are the parties who are to blame for pushing up motor insurance premiums.

There are many parties to blame for motor insurance premium increases. In no particular order: A) Insurers, vehicle repairers, police, franchised dealers and breakdown companies who sell details of non...

Why did a Skoda dealer undertake such substandard work on my Octavia vRS?

Last week my July 2006 Skoda Octavia vRS had to go into the Skoda dealer for a recall to replace the ignition coils. On getting into the car after the work had been done I was immediately annoyed to find...

Could I use winter tyres all year round on my BMW X3 M Sport?

Unfortunately my BMW X3 M Sport came with 234/45 R19 (front) and 255/40 R19 (rear) tyres as standard. It was an ex BMW registered car (1500 miles on clock) loaded with extras and seemed tempting at the...

Is there anything to look for when buying a used Mercedes-Benz SL350?

As a public servant shortly to retire after 40 years service, I quite fancied treating myself to a used convertible to go alongside the family car (a Ford Kuga). My best friend has a soft-topped Alfa Spider...

Can you recommend a car with extremely good ride comfort for under £20,000?

I wish to buy a car that will give me the maximum ride comfort for a budget of up to £20,000. I am retired and do only 2,500 miles per annum, and would prefer to buy secondhand to avoid the initial high...

Did you know that there are speed cameras that will cause a Garmin satnav to stop working?

On three occasions over the last year I have used the M1 between Junctions 15A and 32. On each occasion my Garmin satnav has stopped functioning in the vicinity of Nottingham and did not resume until it...

Why must I complete a 'statement of financial circumstances' for court after having been caught speeding?

I have recently been caught for speeding at 108 mph on a motorway and am due to attend court on 1 August 2011. I have pleaded guilty by post already as I was stopped and spoke with the police officer on...

My neighbour has reported a minor accident involving us both to her insurance company - how should I proceed?

About 1 month ago my neighbour, living opposite, reversed her car into mine as she negotiated joining the road from her drive. The damage appeared to be slight. We agreed that I would get a couple of estimates...

Are insurers exploiting policyholders when minor 'material facts' are not disclosed?

Although it is entirely sensible to go after the other driver directly to recover losses arising from an accident for which you can prove you were not to blame, failure to report the fact of an accident...

Should the Association of British Insurers comment on the lack of 'good faith' in the industry these days?

An increasing number of letters featured in your column concern the practices of insurance companies. The problem it seems to me is that the insurance industry is now run by bean counters who have forgotten...

Is there an inherent problem with the fitting of towbars to ESP-equipped cars like our Skoda Yeti?

Is this an accident waiting to happen? I recently took delivery of a Skoda Yeti with which I am delighted. I had opted for factory tow bar preparation and my local Skoda garage recommended a company to...

Cooling fan not working

My Grand Voyager was overheating, the RAC said that the 2 two cooling fans were not working. Is it likely that it is a switch problem or the whole fan units. would any garage do or a specialist auto electrician?

Peugeot 206 fault

I own a 2002 Peugeot 206 1.6i GLX and a anti pollution fault has come up on the dash, i have change the lambda sensor as indicated on the diagnostic test but after 3 weeks it has come on again. What do...

Best route from Longleat near Bath to Glasgow at Friday teatime

Can anyone advise the best route from Longleat to Glasgow leaving at Friday teatime. I will have a 3 year old in the car so don't want to end up sitting in traffic for hours. Would it be better to head...

Buying a narrow width 4x4

I wish to buy a 4x4 less than 155cm wide (to replace a 'classic' Fiat Panda). Any suggestions?

Buying a used MPV,Crossover,4x4. What would you recommend?

Can you please point me in the right direction? Looking to buy a 2-3 year old MPV, Crossover or 4x4. Preferably automatic and preferably disesel (chain drive?), but petrol considered. Reliability is important...

Insurance question

I have a second car which I'm not using at the moment (I have a company car) and I want to lend to my brother for a indefinite period. Quite rightly he wants to insure it under his own name as he'll be...

Focus 1.6 TDCI running problems

I bought a 1.6 TDCI Ford Focus (Zetec) 110 Climate about 3 months ago it is a 2006 Plate and has 67k on the clock. I have notice that on starting when engine is idle it stutters a little (a bit like when...

Towbar Electrics

I'm fitting a towbar & electrics to my Ford C-MAX 1.6 zetec petrol 2008 reg. Very confused on electrics! Is by-pass relay good enough or should I fit car specific wiring kit? Quite a price difference &...

Daylight running lights

Should my new Skoda Octavia, first registered in June 2011, have the daylight running lights operating or does it meet the legal requirements by just having them fitted?

Buying a (fairly) new car

My two tall daughters and I need a new(ish) car. I would like a hatchback with a good safety record (crash test) that is cheap to run where fuel consumption and repairs are concerned, is reliable, has...

Bought car with faulty LPG system, dealer says sold as seen.

3 weeks ago I bought an R reg Mercedes S500 from a second hand car dealer. I bought the car as it was fitted with LPG. The car stalls randomly on gas and has since I bought it. I now only run the car on...

Tyre speed ratings

My daughter needed a new tyre on her Hyundai i30 because of a puncture. All the tyres are speed rated as H (upto 130 mph).The tyre fitter at Costco when checking on his computer said that it told him it...

Buying a suitable car for a young female graduate, what would you recommend?

I am a recently graduated girl of 21 looking for a first car. I have previously driven a citroen C2 but am now looking for something slightly bigger, with a budget of around £4,000. The safety of the car...

Ford S-MAX air con pump failed after 4 years and 35000 miles

The climate control on my 4 year old S- MAX does not emit cooling air. My local Ford dealer has done a standard air con service and re gassed the system and has now told me that the climate control pump...

EGR Valve

I bought a Mazda 6 TS2 Diesel. Drives beautifully and quiet for a diesel engine. Engine light showed and I rushed for diagnostics and I was told by Kwik Fit that it is EGR valve that needs to be replaced....

Mondeo 1.8 TDCi purchase

I'm looking at used Mondeos, around 2008. Occasionally 100bhp, 1.8 diesels pop up, are these vastly different to drive from the more common 125?

Best Ford 7 seater to drive - Grand C-Max or S-Max?

I have 5 year old twins and am looking for a decent to drive mid size mpv that i will use mainly as a 4/5 seater with a decent boot and occasionally as a 7 seater. Looking to spend around £25k and get...

Car written off while in care of AA

My car was being recovered by the AA (suspected water pump failure) when the AA truck and trailer, which my car was on, were struck by a 24 tonne lorry. It was, I understand the lorry driver's fault. He...

Mondeo Estate v Peugeot 407 SW

I have narrowed my search for a Diesel Estate to either a 08 plate Mondeo Estate Zetec 2.0L TDCi 6 speed manual with 108K miles on the clock, or a 56 plate Peugeot 407 sw 2.0L HDi Automatic with 73k on...

Slow Vauxhall Combo

My Vauxhall Combo 51 plate will not go faster than 65mph on the motorway it takes a long time to pick up speed through all the gears any suggestions thank you

Oil for a Polo 2001?

I noticed my oil light go on so i bought castrol 10w40 part synth. Soon after my service warning sign comes on. Have i put the wrong oil in also if yes will this create problems or do i simply get a full...

Door lock noise good or bad?

When remote locking the doors on our 2007 Nissan Note 1.4 SE there is a loud buzzing/rasping noise which seems to come from the drivers door. Is this an intentional audible confirmation of locking or is...

Dealer backing out

I agreed a good deal for a well - specced Volvo XC90 with a main dealer. We agreed the spec and the price by email. They took a large deposit over the phone. The next day they phoned to say that they had...

Audi TT purchase

I am looking to purchase a 2009 or 2010 Audi TT 2.0 coupe but do i go for the petrol or diesel version, I do approx 15k miles per year and do i go for the full leather or half leather seats.