Questions from August 2011
According to your website, my annual road tax is £260 for my 2007 KIA Sedona 2.9 CRDi TS Auto but the DVLA charges me £445. I guess I'm not going to be lucky and the DVLA has got it wrong so I think there...
I wrote to you last year about driving 100 miles a day, 30 across hills on poor roads and 70 on the motorway. I wanted some 4x4 capability, excellent fuel consumption for motorway driving (I am filling...
You recently commented on driving your Father's Auris hybrid, and I think I remember your remarking on the smoothness of the autobox. We currently run a BMW 3 Series and a V5 Golf, which is getting a little...
A dealer 25 miles from me has a 2004 Micra 1.2 SE in what looks to be good condition and at a very tempting price. We need to replace an aged Polo and have very little cash to spend, so this looks promising....
I own a 09 plate Scirocco GT TDi 140, but fancy a fun cabrio that can be used as an everyday vehicle. I've £20,000 to spend, in addition to trade-in. Any suggestions?
Concerning Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms Bill, this is the letter I have written to my MP: I understand that Parliament is shortly to pass the Protection of Freedoms Bill. Under the Bill it seems...
Recent interest in the Highway Code raises the question of the clauses that begin with the words DO NOT, which are only advisory, and can be ignored without penalty, especially parking situations. One...
Several weeks ago my daughter skidded into the side of a lorry on a bend. She had to be cut out of her car (which was a write off) by the Fire Service and was treated at the scene by paramedics before...
I recently bought a 2009 BMW X5 from an independent dealer. The car still has 16 months left of warranty. I noticed I was losing air in one of the front tyres, so went to a local garage. He diagnosed a...
We are looking for a small 'starter' car for my daughter, 18 years old, but to be used by us occasionally as well, so we want something in good nick. My wife and two daughters are smitten with the 'trendy'...
I am exploring the possibility of replacing my son's current VW Golf 1800 (purchased April 2001) with either a VW Polo or Skoda Fabia. My son who lives in Islington at the side of the Congestion Zone is...
We need to replace our 16-year-old Mercedes C180. Can you suggest a replacement saloon car that would have a decent amount of legroom as my son is 6' 10” and I am 6' 6” and we would also need room in the...
I have been given the chance to buy, from an elderly lady neighbour who is giving up driving, a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 115 Elite and I should like to know whether it would be a good buy, and, if so, what would...
The GPS units (e.g. Garmin) which are fitted in private light aircraft are required to record their journey details so that, like the Black Box in commercial aircraft, they can be interrogated after an...
I recently went to a local branch of a national tyre chain to have two front tyres replaced and the front alignment checked. After a time the fitter came to me and said they could not do the work as “your...
Does this win the prize for the most optimistic claim for product failure? Last week my dealer-maintained Rover 75's original manufacturer-fitted battery failed after barely nine and a half years. Is Rover...
My wife received notification from claims handlers Transcare Solutions Ltd that her vehicle was responsible for damage to an Arriva North West bus. They operate in N.W. England. On this date she drove...
I booked a hire car in Majorca in June though a broker paying in full in advance. The terms and conditions on the voucher (there are also terms and conditions on the broker’s web site so plenty to wade...
I contacted my Conservative MP about Clause 56 in the Protection of Freedoms Bill as you suggested. His reply states they are aware of the problem and he claims safeguards will be in place to protect us...
My wife is about to start a new job that involves a 36 mile round commute mostly on very narrow country lanes. She is very concerned over the winter driving due to icy conditions - very few of the roads...
I have an Audi A4 estate 2.0l diesel, 2006, 57000mls, Audi FSH. Bought from Lister Audi in 2009.
After a short easy motorway journey at approx 60mph the engine became incredibilly noisey.
The oil pump...
I have been offered a Mini Cooper 06 plate, registered in Republic of Ireland. I am in GB. What are the implications of transferring the registration of the car to the UK. Are there any charges I should...
On start up after sitting idle for a day or so the auto gear box "clunks" into gear no matter how gently I move the gear change into drive. It is ok for the rest of the day. Car is still under warranty...
I thought I'd found the perfect van with the Nissan NV200 until I discovered it only had the 2 seats up front. Will they introduce a 3 seat version or is there something similar/can it be modified? The...
Our Audi A4 Avant 2.0TDI is unfortunately too small for us. We are considerg replacing it with a BMW 520d SE Touring.
I have seen an April 2009 model in Deep Sea Blue with Black Leather and Business...
Comfortable high ride, good fuel economy, manual or automatic (not too used to automatics but keep getting advised that the new ones are more fuel efficient?)
At the moment we seem to be looking at Scenics,...
I have a faulty SL55 that has cost me £76k, the garage in Brentford have had it for 8 months and are not giving any repair date or replacement. I have written numerous letters and explained that we have...
I am approaching 50k on the clock and want to sell my Rover 75 which has been a reliable old friend. The car is in good working condition and been serviced and reapaired when required. What should I do...
A very good friend has a 3 year old Honda Jazz for sale. It has only a few thosand miles on the clock and has remained virtually undriven since he had a stroke two years ago. What are the pitfalls of...
Do you subscribe to the generally accepted advice that you should not apply polish (not even wax) to a new car until it is 3 months old, to allow the paint to harden ?
My 17-yr old son (recently passed) was driving my Seat Ibiza 1.2 and was hit from behind at approx 35mph. Damage is to the rear bumper and the other driver has admitted liability.
My son has no whiplash...
I Parked on car park which serves a number of shops and is free for 2 hrs,I walked off the car park to a shop round the corner and after 30min returned and visited two of the shops on sight. On returning...
I have a 2001 Toyota Yaris. When I bought it it only had 1 key (the previous owner lost the others). When I went to my local Toyota dealership they told me that I didn't have the master key so there was...
You may remember an exchange about my Mercedes Vito that lost traction on one wheel when reversing into my drive. This was because of the twisting action caused by a significant camber change raising one...
Rather late in the day I am writing to ask you for advice regarding the loan of a Bentley following a motorway shunt 20 months ago. We were part of a multiple collision on the motorway coming home from...
I have a BMW 3 Series and would appreciate your recommendation for winter tyres and wheels. Is this likely to transform this car in the snow?
I am thinking of buying a Toyota Verso petrol model. The 1.8 however is only available as a semi-automatic and is called a Multidrive and has CVT technology. Could you tell me what this means? Is this...
Following your email of 5 Aug I received one from Warranty Direct advising they would re-assess my claim if I sent them copies of the MoT in force at time of repair, the last service bill and the repair...
A Mazda dealer has offered me the following that I will view next week: Ex-demonstrator Mazda 5 1.6 Diesel, TS2 on 16” wheels, 3,500 miles on the clock, for £16,995. Is it worth considering, as a new...
I have recently acquired a new KIA Picanto 1 and a very accomplished little car it is too. Naturally, the engine will need to go through it's ‘break in’ (as the manual puts it). Also, I would not expect...
Please assume that I know absolutely nothing about winter driving and tell me what I can do now to prepare for the possibility of snow and ice on the road. Last winter I was marooned in my house because...
It took me six months to find a Mercedes SLK in good condition with AMG bodykit and wheels. On June 9th 2011 I bought locally a SLK 320 73,000 miles 3 previous owners, full AMG kit which had been fitted...
On 1st June this year, I purchased a brand new Audi A6 Avant S line Special Edition. 5 weeks later it was stolen from my drive following a night-time burglary while my family and I were asleep to get my...
I am a Scenic auto driver looking to exchange a 2-litre petrol for a new Scenic. My Renault dealer is strongly advocating I go for the EDC 1.5 auto diesel, for which he says there is no particulate problem...
My 17-year-old son passed his test very quickly and has saved up for a car. His maximum budget is £2,500. We have scoured local papers and local dealers but are a bit nervous about taking the plunge. Some...
I recently took my Octavia 1.9TDI into my local Skoda dealership (Progress of Letchworth) for a service prior to its first MoT and asked for a couple of areas on one alloy wheel to be repainted/re-lacquered,...
I drive a 2006 BMW 320d that I have had for a year and I understand it has a diesel particulate filter. The car has covered 60,000 but I only drive about 5,000 miles a year. From reading your column I...
I would like your opinion on the rear discs replaced on my car at a main dealership. The car has covered 33,560 miles. I have measured the disc and the total wear on the thickness is 0.75mm. The reason...
Just a brief line to thank you for the advice you gave me to have my steering checked by going to www.alignmycar.co.uk. I took my car to QR Sport in Cheshire who sorted out the problem in less than an...
We currently own one of the first 2004 diesel Discovery 3s (on off road tyres) and a 2003 5-door petrol VW Golf Match. The Discovery is averaging 21mpg, which makes frequent weekend trips from London to...
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