Why did my automatic Hyundai i10 suddenly accelerate for no reason?

Last week, when preparing to leave my parking space in a car park, on putting my automatic Hyundai i10 into ‘drive’ it shot forward at alarmingly great speed, completely out of control. By great good fortune,...

Does the new KIA Rio CRDi achieve Euro 5 emissions without a DPF?

I read that the new KIA Rio 1.1 CRDi ecodynamics (85 g/km CO2) does not have a DPF, despite achieving Euro 5 emissions. If that is true then it can only prove more popular for short journey motorists who...

Can you recommend a safe, cheap to insure car for an 18-year-old?

Please could you advise me regarding a car for an 18-year old man who has recently passed his test. His parents require a safe car (good crash test results) and a car with a reasonable insurance premium...

Can you recommend a safe, economical automatic car with high seats and easy access?

My wife and I are looking to change our Subaru Forester for a smaller car. We are both in our 70's so our criteria are: Safety and economy; comfortable high seats and ease of getting in and out; automatic...

Thanks for recommending Sure-Sell to sell a car.

We live in Spain but have a holiday home near Brighton, where we had a small car we no longer required and wished to sell. Following recommendations of Sure-Sell from your column I contacted them. Everything...

I have written to the Transport Secretary to ask about the release of data by the DVLA.

Letter from Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge to reader PT of Cambridge): "Thank you for writing to me and drawing my attention to the loophole which exists as a result of the Data Protection Act and...

Can I change my insurance company every year to obtain the best quote?

Are there any drawbacks in changing your car insurer every year to get the cheapest quote?

Thanks for your column in the newspaper, I now know where to come if my Rover 75 goes wrong.

I usually throw away the motoring section, being more than content with my previous and present Rover 75 estates. But in a bored moment I read your column and was impressed by your friendly knowledgeable...

Can you recommend quiet, economical tyres for my Rover 75 diesel on 15-inch wheels?

I’m looking for a quiet-running tyre for a recently acquired Rover 75 diesel with the (sensible) 15-inch alloys and 195/65 R15 tyres. It came on unidirectional Goodrich Profilers, which are wearing well...

Is my 2006 Toyota Prius likely to develop problems as the mileage passes 100,000?

I have owned from new a 2006/56 Toyota Prius for five years. At 15,000 miles per year, the current mileage stands at 75,000. It has been maintained by Toyota throughout, and apart from the failure of the...

Can you recommend an automatic with high seats, comfortable suspension and lots of boot space?

I am eighty, and have a fourteen-year-old Toyota Corolla automatic that has given me no trouble at all, and continues to do so. I am thinking of changing, and require a car the same size as the Corolla,...

Recommend an automatic MPV to replace our Mazda Premacy?

My wife and I, both in our 70's, are looking to replace our ten-year old Mazda Premacy 2.0-litre petrol automatic with a similar MPV. Its successor, the Mazda 5, would fit the bill perfectly but apparently...

I've been happily insured with Liverpool Victoria for nearly fifty years.

I first went to Liverpool Victoria via Frizzels in April 1966 and have been with them ever since. Back in the 1980s I had ‘any driver’ fully comp, when my second daughter was driving and the car was written...

Should I restore my 1936 MG sports car or sell it as a 'barn find'?

A modest insurance policy has just matured and sitting in my garage for the last 20 years, or more, has been a 1936 MG sports car. Do these cars represent a good investment? Or would I get more mileage...

Are there any alternative 4-5 door petrol cars to the Fiat Panda?

My wife has driven Fiat Pandas since their re-launch in 2004. She likes the high driving position and manoeuvrability, but dislikes the harsh and noisy ride over uneven surfaces. Notwithstanding the shortcomings...

Why was my Skoda Yeti Elegance 4x4 not fitted with folding mirrors as described?

I recently acquired an excellent Yeti Elegance 4x4 from SMC Exeter who provided me with superlative service. The car replaced my Volvo V70 which, with its very poor turning circle, proved incapable of...

Why does my MG ZT's clutch feel so heavy?

I own a 2004 MG ZT 2.0 CDTI (BMW 47 engine) with 117,000 miles. The clutch has always been heavy but seems to have become worse. My friend with a 320d BMW Compact, which I believe has the same engine,...

Thanks for recommending that I try the Mazda 2 TS2.

After many years of high-mileage commuting, mostly in Audis and Subaru Legacys, the time came for a smaller car. I narrowed the choice down to five and after your positive remarks I tried an ex-demo Mazda2...

Can I fit different wheels and tyres to my Honda Civic 2.2 to improve the ride comfort?

I have Honda Civic 2.2 and it is getting near the time for new tyres. The wheels I have fitted at the moment are 18-inch with low profile tyres, and with the roads as they are, are rattling my old bones....

Which manual car could we buy to replace our 2000-registered Lexus IS 200SE?

Your reply about the new MoT made me think that perhaps I should consider changing my 2000-registered Lexus IS 200SE. As an 80-year-old we do around 5000 miles a year, with a high percentage of short journeys....

What happens to ex-Motability cars after they're given back?

What happens to all the ex-Motabilty cars after the time comes when they have to be handed back? I am looking to replace our currant car and need a medium sized car that must be an automatic, make and...

Do drivers close their eyes momentarily when turning their heads?

My rudimentary experiment proves to me that when a driver turns his head quickly from side to side, his eyes close during that head turn. The quicker the turn of head, the longer the eyes are closed. I...

Will a brief lack of lead substitute damage the engine of my Series III Land Rover?

I normally add some lead substitute to the tank of our 1980's Series III Land Rover. The other day I didn't (because the garage didn't have any on its shelves and I then forgot about it). So with a full...

Why am I being quoted so much to repair an ESP fault on my Volkswagen Touran?

I am the owner of a 2006 Volkswagen Touran 1.9 litre MPV. I have had an ESP traction warning light on my dashboard for some time. To date I have had two mechanics have a look at the issue, but after trying...

Why do my satnav units keep sending me down bus lanes?

There has been lots of flack recently about satnav and I can add to it. Despite recent updates, I was misdirected and going around in circles many times last week in Loughborough by my TomTom. It has the...

Which automatic car would you recommend for 6000 miles per year?

I am looking for a suitable new car with automatic transmission for my wife. Annual mileage will be about 6000. Current models being considered are Astra 1.6 auto, Corsa 1.4 auto, and Fiesta 1.4 auto....

Does the new BMW 118SE's turbo need to be cooled at the end of a drive?

I am considering the purchase of a new 4-door BMW 118 SE. The spec includes a turbo petrol engine. I am wondering if the turbo is likely to encounter the same overheating of bearings as bedevilled earlier...

Is my partner's parking charge notice legally enforceable despite her Blue Badge status?

My pensioner partner has recently been issued with a PCN by Civil Enforcement Ltd. by post, for failing to display her Blue Badge whilst parking in a disabled bay on a Tesco car park in Leigh Lancs. No...

Did your correspondent really get caught driving at 54mph in a 50mph limit?

I find it hard to believe that your correspondent ES was caught doing 54mph in a 50mph zone, as the leeway guidelines are 10 per cent plus 2mph, i.e. 57mph. I have been driving past a 50mph speed camera...

Your correspondent AF could have his PCN withdrawn on the following defence.

Going back to AF and his Hammersmith & Fulham PCN for his motorbike being driven by an unidentified garage worker on the wrong side of a 'keep left' sign, H&F parking dept has told me the PCN was issued...

Do you have to tell your insurer that you've attended a Speed Awareness Course?

After reading of ES of Newton Abbot’s speeding and subsequent Speed Awareness Course, I thought I would add my thoughts after attending a course earlier in the month (56mph in a 50mph). The course is run...

What's causing water to collect in my wife's Vauxhall Astra door and cause interior humidity?

My wife has a 2006 Vauxhall Astra Design Twinport 5-door hatchback. It has become progressively more humid inside over the last two years. I have noticed water on the inside of the LH and RH front door...

Can I import a car to Thailand when I move there next year?

You have a lot of experience of motoring in Thailand (I have often hired cars there, but driving is the limit of my experience). Is there any way of importing a car there to avoid the massive import duty,...

Is there anything I can do about this fraudulent claim on my record from 2009?

In June 2009 I parked my wife's Saab convertible between two empty spaces in a shop car park. When I returned, the space on the Saab's driving side had been taken by a large SUV type vehicle. It was parked...

Thanks to Robins & Day for eventually repairing our Peugeot 107's clutch.

I purchased a new Peugeot 107 in late September 2008 for my wife. It has always been serviced where it was purchased: Robins & Day in Morden London. It has completed 16,000 miles. Recently it developed...

My Vectra won't start

I have had my Vectra 1.8 2001 model for around a year and I have had no problems at all until just after Chistmas. About 3 weeks ago I started my journey and about 4 miles down the road I was stopped at...

Changing doors

Can I fit a front nearside door from a Mk1 focus estate to my Mk1 hatchback?

Diagnosing poor fuel consumption

I am experiencing very low fuel returns on my 2006 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi Ghia of around 28 miles per gallon. The large rubber hose that connects to rear of engine was replaced due to a 1 inch split in...

Small executive cars with low BIK

I wish to buy a small executive car. Budget is about £30k. I want a car with low BIK. Can you recommend the new Citreon DS5, and if not what should I look at?

A large saloon for the motorway

I drive 20k miles a year and have between £7000 and £9000. I would like something that has reasonable lane changing pace. Have run a 54 plate Mazda 6 2.0 diesel for 4 years but clutch/DMF now gone at 140000...

Problems with an Almera

My Almera 1.8 has done 60k easy miles 'never driven hard' and is regularly maintained. I recently had to replace a coil pack on No1 piston, which resolved the misfire problem and the car drove lovely...

Problems with my SX4 in snow

I have a new 4WD Suzuki SX4. My first attempt to use it in the snow and it failed to get up my drive with a shallow gradient (about 7 degrees) in 4 inches of fresh uncompacted snow. 4WD was locked...

Warning lights after a repair

I have just changed the indicator stalk on my Mercedes-Benz A-Class and the ESP and BAS lights have come on. Does this normally happen? Or have I put the connector on the wrong way around? Indicators...

E-Class or 5 Series?

I need to buy a smarter second hand car for work to look more successful. I am considering an E-Class and a 5 Series - both diesel. I am tall and need a big boot but do not want an estate and fear the...

I want smaller wheels on my Volvo

I have just ordered a Volvo V60 SE Lux which comes on 17”wheels with 215/50 R 17 tyres. Bearing in mind your mantra about the disadvantages of large wheels with low profile tyres I requested 16” wheels...

DSG gearbox problems

I refer to the problem of the hesitancy associated with the VW DSG gearbox and the danger this causes when pulling out of road junctions and entering islands. I know you have covered this subject before...

Which used Range Rover?

Which model should I buy - i have a budget of c£25k and hope to pick one up with about 50k on the clock. Is there any truth in the rumour that they "start to go wrong" at 80k miles? I'm looking at TDV8...

Where's the engine number on a Fiesta?

Can you advise me where to find the engine identification number on a Ford Fiesta 1.2 R-reg?

Which old car?

I want to keep a car at my parents, it will be used once a month and kept off road but not garaged. I have a Golf mk2 1988 1.6 cl 32k miles which is a brilliant car and a 1990 Mazda MX-5 also excellent....

Reducing engine speed to keep an engine working

I drive a petrol Ford Focus mk1 which is 8 years old. When overtaking cars on I get to about 6,000 and then change gear. Would revving the engine to these revs damage the engine especially at the age...