Can you recommend an auction house?

Hi John how are you? Been a while, mate. I need to buy a new car, wondered if that action buyer you put me in touch with before might still be operating? I think it was an old Irish boy called Jo?

Can you recommend a suitable car for a young family with three children?

Sometime during 2012 our family will have an addition and we will then have three children under the age of two years old. The current car will need to be changed for something considerably larger to accommodate...

Can you answer my questions about the Porsche Boxster?

I’m confused about getting a Boxster. Mid life crisis, want a car with a bit of vroom, always fancied a Porsche. Test-drove a new Boxster, very nice. Lovely engine, great handling. Unsure about a number...

I won against Mercedes-Benz regarding their 30-year warranty in respect of rust on my E-Class.

I had a long running saga with rust on a year 2000 Mercedes-Benz E320CDI. In July 2007 all four doors and the boot lid were repaired/replaced under the bodywork corrosion 30-year warranty. The boot lid...

What was the experiment car you showed a year ago with a hinged front frame?

I'm in my 80s and have left behind those long drives both here in the UK and the continent and have settled down to using the car you recommended, Hyundai's i10. It suits well my 3-4000 miles a year. Some...

Can you recommend a hatchback with air conditioning to replace my Ford Ka?

I have been very happy with my Ford Ka basic model (manual gear change, with air conditioning) since buying it new in 2003. I am 77 and only do about 2000 miles a year, but for family reasons I now wish...

Can you recommend an equivalent to the Peugeot 3008, which we were disappointed with?

Following plenty of good reports, 'What Car Car of the Year', Honest John, etc we booked a test drive in a Peugeot 3008 1.6 VTi (the only one available) with a very positive attitude. We wanted this car....

Can you recommend a vehicle that will tow our 2680kg caravan?

I’m looking to buy a vehicle to tow a large Airstream caravan. My wife's Bentley GTC is too light apparently and we worry about long-term body distortion. Given the weight involved, 2680kg, I can only...

Someone bumped my car now claiming damage not their fault

My car was parked in car park at work. A colleague came in and admitted she'd reversed into my car. On first inspection when she was there I didnt see damage. She had managed to bump my car up onto the...

Telfords Skoda Carlisle

I just wish to pass on my recommendation of Telfords Skoda Garage in Carlisle, having bought a new Superb Estate from them, after a short time the Sat Nav had me in Germany most of the time instead of...

More praise for LV insurance

Sixteen days ago I took delivery of a new car. I traded in my previous car with a personal number plate that I wanted to transfer to the new vehicle. Now, I have my personal number plate on the car, have...

Should I buy a Golf 1.2 TSI 85?

What do you think about the Golf 1.2 TSI 85 hp for a guy who doesent travel a lot( 6300 miles per year). Is it good enough for the motorway travelling at 80 mph with four adults and luggage? In those situations...

Premature brake wear on a Polo

I purchased a Volkswagen Polo in December 2010. The car was serviced in December 2011 with no concerns. The car is now making a noise when brakes applied. VW advise that disc's are pitted and part worn...

Juddering clutch on 2003 Polo

On my 2003 Polo 1.9TDI, with 110k on clock I've noticed a judder when moving slowly (using the clutch to reverse/drive into parking space) plus a low - mid level whining noise when releasing the clutch.

How much will my S Max be worth is 3 years time?

I've got a 2008 1.8 TDI S-MAX Edge in dark grey with 45,000 miles at nearly 4 years old. I think its worth about £8K now private sale. If I keep the car another three years and do 12,000 miles per year...

My engine overheats if my fans are off.

I've had my car for 2 months and something is bothering me. I put the heating down to cold and turned the fans off, and the engine heat was going up to red. As soon as I put the heating to hot and turned...

Road traffic alert systems

I have used a Trafficmaster Freeway unit for many years, it is a low cost, efficient way of receiving traffic alerts. I have been informed that this unit will not be supported after June 2012. Two alternatives...

Diesel injector problems

I've had diesel injector problems with my 2004 Mondeo TDCI 130 and hope never to again. Are there any makes/models, 3-5 year old, on the used market that do not suffer from injector problems that I should...

Need a car with good visibility

I have a stiff neck due to a recent sports injury on top of ageing, and although I have a rear camera, which helps with parking, I find I can no longer safely see the nearside rear quarter of my 2006 Honda...

What injectors does my Passat have?

I currently own a Volkswagen 1.9TDI Passat, 2004 model, which has been in a Volkswagen garage with problems with the engine management light being on. Have been told by the garage that the fuel injectors...

Winter tyres - is it reasonable for a insurer to increase premium costs?

I am reviewing the insurance on my C4 Picasso HDI VSX + as its due for renewal and the subject of winter tyres has arisen. Speaking to LV, their attitude is that although winter tyres are OK, if they are...

4x4 or MPV?

I am looking to buy a 2008 or 2009 Honda CRV auto or Ford Galaxy diesel automatic. 4 large adults, occasional 5th passenger and a very large dog! Have always had japanese cars and found them very reliable,...

Use of Morrisons diesel in a Ford

"Morrisons are reducing fuel prices" according to many subscribers on a Ford Forum ther has been much discussion on NOT using diesel form Morrisons due to the higher bio diesel content. Ford also advises...

Do I have to re-apply for both parts of my driving licence?

Recently I mislaid the Counterpart Driving license but still have my plastic card. I wrote to DVLA who have come back with forms for a completely new driving license plus request for £20. Is it not possible...

Do diesel engines use more fuel in Winter?

Can you tell me if diesel engines use more fuel in winter?

Cruise control failure

I have an E46 with cruise control that's not working. I have the little light on the dash but it will not cock the speed. Any ideas?

Cam follower/ tappet noise on a SEAT

The car was an elderly lady's car with 27,000 miles but has a tappet noise, it has had several oil changes and done about 1500 miles since with no reduction in the noise level. Does this model have a...

Vauxhall Zafira does not start after front end crash

I've got a 2005 1.6 petrol Zafira. It was in a front end smash and since then it has not run properly and now does not start at all. After I had the front end repaired it ran for a bit then it stuttered...

Vauxhall Corsa won't start

I have a Vauxhall Corsa SXI 1.3CDTI on a 57 plate that is not starting. It's been to Vauxhall who said there is low compression and the valves are damaged. I have had these replaced at my local garage....

A car for towing, dirt roads and regular driving

I'm starting up an adventure sport business and looking to to buy a car for dirt tracks, towing, and normal driving. Looking to spend £5000-7000 2nd hand. Want something not to expensive to insure (I'm...

Has my remap caused problems?

I have a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS 320 diesel which I had mapped 4 months ago to improve fuel consumption. Recently my turbo failed and I booked it into MB Edinburgh. Having examined the car they stated...

A seven seater for towing a caravan

Currently we have a 1.6-litre petrol 54 plate Zafira which is ideal sized as we occaisionally fill 6 - 7 seats with adults in the back row or load up the boot to the gills for a weeked away. We don't...

Is my car an imposter?

I am in the process of buying a type r 53plate. It was imported from the Isle of Man in 2010 with low miles. I have spoken today to the seller and he has informed me that the logbook states it is a Civic...

Vectra using oil

My car has gone through five litres of 5w 30 oil as recommended by Castrol website. What could be the problem?

Sat nav doesn't recognise UK post codes

I bought a new Skoda Superb estate in July 2000. I very soon learned that the sat nav would not accept a full six digit post code. I have been told by the dealer that there is no free software update...

Peugeot 607 fuel economy drop

I drive a Peugeot 607 2.2HDI auto (this is my second one in a row). I was averaging 38 - 40 mpg but I notice in the last couple of months this has dropped to 30 -32 mpg. My driving style has not changed,...

A car with lots of leg room

I am looking to spend £6000 - £7000 on a 2007/2008 plate car. I am 6 foot 4 tall and have two children (ages 2 and 5) so interior legroom space a main consideration. I want a car that is also fairly...

Downsizing from an S-Type Jaguar

I would like to replace my Jaguar for a small car. Where will I get the best deal? I am a lady owner, retired, and had the car since new. What reliable car would you recommend for short runs?

Elderly drivers and cars

Re. the news of late concerning elderly drivers and cars - I thought you would like this - sent to me by a friend in the US: 101 year old driving an 81 year old car! Notice at the very end when she steps...

Absent spare wheels

I am contemplating my next, and possibly last car. Increasingly new cars are being introduced without spare wheels, the sales tag is "when did you last have a blowout?" The answer is a couple of years...

Dispute with a finance company

I bought the above MINI in 2009. I 'scrapped' a perfectly good 16 yr old Volvo for this car and wish I hadn't! I've had nothing but problems with it since new. New steering. New heat inverters. New Gearbox....

Problems with new Jaguar XF

I picked up a brand new Jaguar XF 2.2d SE on 17" wheels in November 2011 and immediately noticed that the whole car was vibrating at anything above 50mph. I did about 10miles and took the car back to the...

Gap insurance for a sports car

My son is leasing quite an expensive sports car for 12 months. Should he consider what I believe is called Gap Insurance in the event of a serious accident or write off, bearing in mind he doesn't actually...

Are DSG automatics ok?

I want a small automatic and was wondering about the Skoda Fabia. Have been told by friends that DSG autos are not a good choice. Is this so? Otherwise what else would you recommend? It needs to fit in...

Volvo are offering 20% off V70s - is it as good as it sounds?

A Volvo dealer tells me that the V70 is being discounted by Volvo by 20% until end of March - is that as good as it sounds or have serious discounts been available all along? If the model is being replaced...

Selling a car with known faults

I am selling a used car privately. I have been honest about the suspected and known faults in the advert. Is this sufficient to cover myself and if not what else should I do?

Which Skoda Superb Estate is reliable?

I would love to buy a Superb Estate as a family car to keep it for a long time. Resources are not limitless, so I have to keep overall cost over 10 years and roughly 170,000 miles in mind. I read of...

EC MPG figures

Hi Honest John, I'm one of the growing number of disollusioned people who bought a car in good faith, based upon MPG stats in manufacturers literature. (Mercedes 250 SE Cabrioliet Diesel auto) Literature...

How can a 1.8 be quicker than a 1.6?

I own a 2007 Ford Focus 1.8TDCI Titanium, best car I have ever driven (thanks for the recommendation 3 years ago John). Looking at getting a nearly new model (new shape) but they don't make the 1.8 engine...

I put petrol in my diesel car - what do I do?

I put 25 litres of petrol on top of two gallons of diesel in my wife's diesel engined car, then drove five miles before the engine juddered and I realised my mistake. Pulled up immediately and called...