Questions from July 2012
I am very pleased with my S Type but suspect a whine is developing at the rear, have they any known problems and is there a solution?
Could you please make suggestions for cars which can carry a wheelchair with patient? I am 88 and my wife is 87 with Alzheimer’s. My son Chris, living with us, is the driver. The car should offer a comfortable...
I am thinking of buying a Volvo XC60 because it’s the only vehicle that I can fit a set of golf clubs and an electric trolley into with the seats up. I have seen a 58 plate D5 manual with only 22,000 on...
It's time to downsize from my Passat 1.8T, but what should I buy? The Golf GT is too big and the Polo GTI only comes as an automatic. So I'm looking at non-Volkswagen cars such as a nearly-new Citroen...
Last week I was on the M25 at the M3 section. I was driving in the inside lane, the next two lanes were empty and there was a car in lane four. The only way to pass was to "under pass", for which I believe...
I am of the opinion that 4-to-6 year-old luxury cars, well looked after, can offer years of high quality, low cost motoring. From a reliability point of view what model might you recommend? I have a budget...
I have a three-year old Prius and, on several occasions, the small auxiliary battery has gone flat when the car has been left unattended for two to three weeks. The Toyota service centre has suggested...
I have owned a 2003 Honda Jazz since new. Like my 1992 Honda Civic before, it has proved to be a fantastic car and very reliable. I wanted to ask for your advice following receipt of a letter from my local...
I own a 2004 Land Rover Defender and am having problems with the clutch master cylinder. A leaking unit was changed a year ago and lasted only four months, so it was changed again and lasted six months....
I have just read your comments on diesel particulate filters and am a little concerned as I have a 2010 Jaguar 3.0d XF Premium Lux which I bought new, and I was never advised that the DPF could cause problems....
After driving conservative cars for many years, I think it’s time for something different. My local Nissan dealer has a 2006 Cube Kaisen priced at £10,995. In part exchange they have offered me £13,500...
I have been asked to suggest a suitable car to replace a recently-widowed friend's Peugeot 3008, which was purchased new in October 2010. The car is now too big for her needs and she has great difficulty...
I recently bought a BMW 325 with such wheels (50cm diameter) and within a few days I had to get a new tyre, because one had jumped off the rim and become ruined when going over a pothole. I was told this...
I own a BMW 320 ED and I want to purchase winter tyres. I don't know what type and how to store the tyres in my garage, or should I purchase a new set of rims and if so what type?
I get the impression that you think it best to avoid supermarket petrol. Why?
I own and drive a 2003 Aixam 500 Super Luxe microcar which I drive on a class B1 licence, as I have a full motorcycle licence and entitlement to drive the class of car stipulated. I passed my bike test...
Does using cruise control increase fuel consumption? I have been a keen user of cruise control for many years and it is the only extra I ever have installed on any new car.
My wife and I have retired and are intending to cut down from two cars, a 2004 Volkswagen Passat TDi and a 2000 Ford Focus 1.6, to one. We will be doing 8000-10,000 miles a year and hope to drive on holidays...
Last year I purchased a brand new Volkswagen Polo under the scrappage scheme. In the first 18 months a distance of about 8500 miles was driven, mostly school runs, around town and the occasional 100-mile...
I have been following the debate on Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms bill through your column and have written to my MP (twice) to raise my objections. I finally received a reply from Norman Baker...
As we are moving rapidly towards the initiation of the LEZ on 3 January I would appreciate any help you can offer as to where I can get a new filter fitted to my 2.4-litre 1999 Toyota Hiace to enable me...
I am shortly to change jobs and will have to choose a company car, list price up to £28,000. I am 6-feet 4-inches tall, will drive approximately 60,000 miles per annum and will be in the 40 per cent tax...
We started a thread in the Backroom (/www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/posts/?t=93339) complaining about VAG excluding shock absorbers from its warranty and giving only six months (as with brake pads etc). Can...
I have the stop/start system on my Honda and am reasonably satisfied. But why does it only work on the foot brake? At traffic lights, etc, I want to engage neutral and apply the hand brake.
Please help. I want to buy a cheap 5-door car for my daughter who bought a rubbish car that I want her to get out of. I have a budget of £1000 and she lives in Chiswick. Do you know a good dealer in the...
I have owned my Citroen Picasso for two and a half years from new. I have just had a 50,000-mile service and the garage phoned to tell me that I might have to have a new sump, as the threads in the oil...
I was recently caught in a speed trap where the camera is hidden in the back of a van, which was being run by a so-called “safety partnership”. Do I have the right to ask for a copy of the photograph which...
I have not once had a diesel engine related problem despite having diesels since 1985. In an attempt to preserve this record, the replacement for my 2007 Citroen Berlingo must not have either a DPF or...
I am hoping to purchase a Porsche Boxster from auction in the hope of saving some money. Can you test-drive a car at auction, and do they come with any guarantee or warranty? Also which auctions would...
I have recently changed my car from a BMW 3 Series to a 1 Series 1.6 model and I have Michelin tyres 205/55 R16 91H runflats and I find the ride to be very hard compared to the 3 Series. I have been told...
I bought a Volkswagen Transporter T30 130 TDI SWB automatic, registered 29 March 2006, and had it converted to a camper van. The yearly tax has gone from £215 to £400 to £405 and, this year, £425. This...
Regarding Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms Bill which allows Parking Enforcement outfits to pursue Registered Keepers of cars for parking penalties, a change to the bill will allow the rental and...
I have not once had a diesel engine-related problem despite being a diesel driver since 1985. In an attempt to preserve this record, I want to replace my 2007 Berlingo with a diesel which doesn't have...
I have friends who own a Vauxhall Insignia and they have already had the DMF and clutch replaced once. You have indicated that there are other cars likely to be affected with this problem. Can you please...
I am about to fit winter tyres to my wife's 1.4-litre diesel 2008 Fiesta. I have got hold of four 14-inch steel rims but the car presently runs on 15-inch rims. Can I use the smaller profile wheels and...
I have insured my Volvo through M&S Money. It's an XC60 SE Lux D5 AWD which is now one year old and at the annual service I was proposing to have Polestar installed, which is a Volvo accessory that does...
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