Trending topics in January 2012
Questions from January 2012
It recently came as a shock to find that my four-year-old A6 2.0 TDI Avant failed its MOT and that the cost of the recommended remedial work was almost £1000. I consider myself both thoughtful and careful...
My wife has agreed to buy a Skoda Citigo Elegance ex-demo and has paid a deposit of £500. The car was advertised on an official Volkswagen / Skoda site as available on 11 October, but the dealer says this...
My 31-year-old son (who currently drives a Fiesta) has been told that his company car for his new job starting next month will be an Aston Martin Vantage. Lucky sod. Can you recommend a suitable course...
My wife and I are looking after elderly relatives and now have to provide transport for them. They struggle to get into our cars so my much loved 2007 Subaru Legacy looks like it will have to be replaced...
BJW originally wrote: Just received a letter from Shoal Enforcement dated 11 Oct stating I have to pay the fine, bearing in mind that my car was parked for just three minutes on the slip road to rear of...
If the 2.0-litre(210 bhp) engine is the same in the Audi TT, Golf GTi and Volkswagen Scirroco, why is there such a big difference in quoted torque figures?
The TT has 258ft/lbs compared to the 207 nad...
We had a massive response to the challenge to beat TR of Saffron Waldon’s £97pa insurance premium for his 1994 Volvo 440 GLT. The winner is MP of Horley, who pays just £52 a year each via RH Specialist...
32 months after a minor accident with no damage to my vehicle and scratched bumper on the other car, the other driver has made a personal injury claim. My insurance company says these cases are difficult...
Having read the interview in last weekend's Daily Telegraph I was surprised to read you have already spent 18 years offering your services to readers of the Daily Telegraph, and I hope you will continue...
I bought a Meriva from a Vauxhall dealer two years ago. It came with a lifetime warranty and has 12,000 miles on the clock. It has just had its second annual service at my local garage. Vauxhall said it...
Even my son who is 14 and shoots for his army cadets (and so has good young eyesight) says he doesn't like the glare of modern Xenon headlights. Nor do I. I used to like driving at night but now it seems...
Of these cars having 3 ISOFIX seats in the second row, how would you rate the reliability of one against the other? Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, Peugeot 5008, Volkswagen Sharan, Ford Galaxy, Seat Alhambra...
I bought a Ford C-Max 1.6DCI Titanium in April 2011 and since its first service in December 2011 I have had acceleration problems. The main issue is when I am accelerating, when there is a flat spot with...
My husband will shortly be having a Nissan Leaf for a 24-hour test drive. Have you driven one? If so, what is your considered opinion as to its merit against normally-engined cars.
On your website it says that the new model Santa Fe can come with a petrol engine. However there is no mention of one on the Hyundai website? I fancy having a 4x4 but am avoiding looking at any diesels...
Four of us are flying to Spain for a cycling weekend and are taking our bikes in rigid bike boxes measuring 105cm x 90cm x 30cm (see: www.bikeboxalan.co.uk). I've looked into hiring a Mercedes-Benz Vito...
A cautionary note to visitors to Cornwall and in particular to those using car parks controlled by Cornwall Council parking services. If the ticket machine issues you with a ticket perforated down the...
For the first time in 40 years I simply do not know which car I should go for. Two years ago my third Berlingo blew two turbos in quick succession (Iatterly I discovered it was a fault with the model)....
My daughter is changing her 12-year-old Corsa and wants a similar 5-door manual hatchback, petrol, for mainly short journeys. Reliability is the key thing. She has about £4,000 to spend. What would...
I recently negotiated a deal for a recent, used (17000 miles) 2011 Corsa. The car is in good condition.
However I just found the exact same car but brand new for a little over a £1000 more. Do you think...
I am about to change from a 30 mile per week commute to a 400 mile per week commute and am looking to change my Honda Jazz (2004) for a newer and more comfortable car for the journey. My budget is £15,000.00....
I reverse my CR-V to the top of a 25 yard 1 in 8 slope at least once a day. On most occasions I am on the verge of juddering.
If I use higher revs I get the smell of burning clutch. I have to reverse...
I am retired, 70yrs old, and drive a Berlingo van.
I have bad knee joints and keep a fold up cycle in the back of the van. I rely on this to get around - it is essential kit.
I now want to do a 'Grand...
I'm considering an X-Type Jaguar estate diesel. It's an 04 plate and costs around£4000. Is it a sensible buy as a family car?
It does appeal as spec is very high - ie leather etc. Or am i likely to encounter...
We purchased a brand new Vauxhall Astra at the end of last year (2011).
The combined economy figure quoted was 51mpg. Upon driving the car the average has been around 25mpg. Comparing this to other cars...
Recently, a crack appeared in the glass panaramic roof of my 2009 Honda. I booked the car in at the local Honda dealer who took pictures and agreed there was no sign of impact near the crack. I rang them...
I am restoring a 1965 Morris Minor. All brake cylinders have been replaced due to corrosion. Should I use this opportunity to change to silicone based DOT 5? The car won't be used much and will be garaged.
I am writing to ask for advice and suggestions regarding a challenge that my team and I are taking part in this year. The event is the 2012 Banger Run, which is in support of Help for Heroes.
It is essentially...
I am looking at buying a Mondeo Titanium X 2.0 TDCI 130bhp on a 58 plate - but it has 90000 miles on the clock.
The car looks mint and in very good condition, and has a full Ford service history. Is the...
I am looking to change my car and have one main criteria! It needs to have 3 distinct rear seats. I currently have a Ford S-Max which has this feature, and the only alternative that I have found so far...
I have a 2002 Volvo V70 T5 Automatic. I bought it in 2005 for over £10,000 with 60,000 miles. It now has done 187,000 miles.
Lots of history, but for the last year I have changed the oil, filters & plugs...
My wife has just had an articulated lorry rip the side off her car on a roundabout and, of course, we are now in the usual insurance tangle.
The car is a Citreon Berlingo Multispace HDi VTR 1.6 Diesel,...
Owners of classic and vintage cars are being advised that new fuels with ethanol are incompatible with some materials used pre-1960. We are informed that Esso 97 unleaded does not contain ethanol. Is this...
The accelerator was no longer responding on our Espace and it was still picking up speed. I switched the engine off and then on again, and the car started revving itself.
I need a spare key cut for my Fiat 500. I currently have the electronic fob and key so just need an extra key cut.
I have been told that only the Fiat dealerships themselves can do this because the key...
I have bought a 2009 Hyundai i10 auto 1.2-litre
I am 72 years old drive very carefully (advanced driver) no mater how careful I am the range of the i10 is in the region of 260 - 290miles on 35L of petrol.
What...
I do about 4000miles in short trips around town and 4000 in France on two holidays a year.I need some pointers for another car to do the following--automatic,boot large enough for golf gear and trips to...
Happy New Year and good health to you all at HJ
Do you know if there are any reliability issues with the 2.0dci engines fitted to the Renault Koleos and whether they suffer badly with their DPFs?
I'm...
My 6 year old Golf started to lose power going uphill on a long drive today, that is to say I was pressing the pedal but no acceleration was forthcoming.
Thereafter, it became a problem on the flat as...
The windows on our Octavia open when the car is locked and left. This has happened several times and we have had a sat nav stolen as a result. Is this a common intermittent problem with Octavias?
I would like some advice about the 2.7 HDI Peugeot 407 SW. I'm looking to buy one and would like to be advised about any faults or problems I may find.
I've had two Peugeot cars before - the 405 GLX...
We are considering buying a new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer estate but the only diesel is currently 2.0 litres. Due to price differences between petrol and diesel, would it be better to look at another...
I was tickled pink to learn that Volvo 940s are "deeply unfashionable", “but have a following.” My 940 2.3 Turbo Estate has served very well. I think this type of car was one of the last of the real Volvo...
My car is a Toyota Auris hybrid T Spirit and comes on 17-inch wheels with 215/45R17 tyres. Is there any reason I can't have the 15-inch wheels with 195/65R15 tyres fitted, which should give me a softer...
The Engine Management Light has illuminated on my early 2000 Volvo V70 petrol estate. My local garage, which I think is reliable, says it is the heating element that brings the Lambda sensor up to scratch...
In a recent reply you wrote that cars will now fail their MoT tests if certain warning lights, including airbag warning lights, indicate anything wrong. For the last three years I've been driving a 2003...
Among the myriad of gadgets in modern vehicles, I wonder why there is no "Speed Limit Reminder". As you enter the speed limit you would press the appropriate one of a row of buttons on the steering wheel,...
I saw advertised a Honda CR-V offer which was worth about £2500 off the asking price. I went to my local dealership and had a test drive. I liked it. They informed me that they had one in stock in the...
I have a middle age hankering after a Jaguar XF. I have seen a 2010 3-litre petrol model that I may be able to get for £15,000. It has had two owners and covered 25,000 miles. I do around 5000 miles a...
Nitrogen, the main constituent of air, has the same basic physical properties as air and responds in exactly the same way as air when the temperature and pressure vary (over the ranges that would be found...
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