Questions from July 2012
Recently my sister was driving her nearly-new Volkswagen Passat on a motorway and was terrified when the wipers failed. It has automatic wipers. It was repaired for £300 but has now failed again and, when...
My wife has just taken her 2008 Nissan Micra to the local Nissan dealer because the ABS light was on and has been told that the ABS system needs replacing, due to corrosion, and has been quoted £2771 for...
We went on holiday in Italy in September 2010 and, on 24 December 2011, we received a speeding fine from the Polizia Municipal in Florence demanding a 150 Euro fine, plus 43 Euros admin charge, for a speeding...
Having just returned from America after visiting the west coast and Hawaii I report on the following: The main street garages do not sell diesel. I saw or heard no diesel cars. The Nissan Micra K13 is...
I ate dinner at the Swan Hotel, Bedford on 19 December 2011. I arrived in darkness and left in darkness. The hotel charged me a £5 fee for the service of car parking (I have the invoice), thus a contract...
I am a happy owner of a Ford S-Max diesel. I have my servicing done by an independent Ford dealership (Perkins of Rayne). A month after my latest service I called in with a bulb blown in the tailgate....
I will be 70 this year and obtained my driving licence in New Zealand at the age of 15 (driving age is still 15 today). I hold a normal car licence at the moment but have also held an HGV and a bus licence...
I recently privately purchased a 2006 Volkswagen Polo 1.4 SE 80bhp. How can I independently check the CO2 rating? The V5 states 156 grams per kilometre, whereas the original supplying dealer to the first...
Other than advertising it and having all sorts of people on the doorstep, which I really do not wish to contemplate, what is the safest way to sell my 2005 Audi A3 Sportback quattro DSG with 47,472 miles...
I was looking for the same thing as MH and was considering Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but I saw a nice Lexus IS 250 Multimedia going through unsold at BCA in November and took a closer look. So I decided...
I own a 2006 Mondeo 2.0 diesel estate, and so far am very pleased with its performance. I have done in excess of 200,000 miles with a lot of motorway usage and have, so far, only replaced the water pump,...
On 21 December 2010 my wife was shopping at a local retail outlet and unknowingly exceeded the allowed parking time by 32 minutes. She was Christmas shopping in the stores on site during this time with...
I suspect I cannot be alone in wondering at the state of car insurance companies? As an example, I quote my own extraordinary dealings with Toyota Insurance. I've owned over ten Toyota cars and have always...
I have just had my Audi A4 serviced and the mechanic tells me that the diesel tank is curved inwards on the bottom underside as if it has been sucked in. Is this a common fault? What could have caused...
My wife currently runs a 2007 SAAB 9-3 SW diesel autobox which has done 55,000 miles. If we replace this we are trying to build a shortlist. She has had five back operations and the SAAB seats are superb,...
Can you advise me please? I am thinking of getting a bigger car and have my eye on a Skoda Octavia. If I go for a model with the 1.4 TSI 122 BHP engine will I have to let the turbo 'spool' down before...
I'm unclear if I should tell insurers that I have fitted winter tyres to my Skoda. The tyres are exactly the same size as the summer tyres and were supplied and fitted to new wheels by our local Skoda...
I noted your reply to JA, Peacehaven and was a bit concerned that your readers may not have understood your point. The Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act are quite clear and that is that passing on...
Can you recommend a group 3 insurance car for young drivers other than 206 please?
I pulled up at Doncaster Airport when my satnav fell from my windscreen. I literally stopped long enough to refix it and now I've recd a Parking Charge Notice from Vehicle Control Systems Ltd with a charge...
I drive a Ford Focus 1.8, petrol, April 2004 registration.
Does this car have a chain-cam engine?
My much loved '98 MX5 was involved in a shunt from the rear in May. The driver admitted responsibility and his insurance company were very helpful and paid me the write off value for the car (which I...
Which tyres do you recommend for a Forester? I had to have my wheels aligned after 8500 miles (my fault, said Subaru, as they would have checked before leaving the factory) So the wear on the outside will...
After a few months reading about whiplash fraud and after witnessing two accidents of cars I was following in the last 6 months and in the same period having had two near misses (not my fault), I have...
I'm looking to sell my Alfa Romeo 147 1.6 Lusso (2006, 3dr, 25,000) in the next couple of months and would appreciate your advice on whether its worth forking out on paint/body work repair? Although the...
My wife and I have recently had our first child, and as such now have significantly more stuff to lug around. We also need better access to the back of the car than our '03 plate Honda Civic Type R can...
How long should a rear door lock last with very little use on a 7 year old Lexus LS430? I believe it should be a lot longer than 7 years. Who can I get as an "expert witness" to state that in my claim...
A local dealer is offering new Suzuki Swft SZ3 5 door models at £9275. Does this seem like a good deal and what do you think of this car? Also is the boot large enough to carry a folded wheelchair, and...
I've seen a car that I’m interested in at a branch of Evans Halshaw. When I phoned to inquire about the car and the best deal they could offer, they replied that they price their cars competitively and...
My baby seat requires the seatbelt to go round it to hold it in place, but the seatbelts in both front and rear of my Ford KA isn't long enough to go round. Can a seatbelt extender be used? Is there a...
I'd like to buy a new Land Rover Discovery - which model would you recommend and why. I've been baffling myself with data & loads of other facts! Hope you can help.
My timing chain has snapped on my BMW 118d. It has done 86k and recieved a full service just over a month ago, since the service it was involved in a collision from the rear which needed a new rear bumper....
I own around 15 cars which are a mixture of prewar, classic Mercedes, and modern cars. I have to deal with at least 3 seperate insurance company's to get cover. Is there any Insurers that would be able...
I currently own an 07 Discovery 3 with 55k on the clock, which I'm really pleased with. Recently there have been a few electronic gremlins with the gearbox and I'm worried I could be in for some big bills....
I have noted in your Yaris article that the manual gearbox suffers from a whine. Is this whine something that is to be accepted or is it best to repair? Do you know what causes the whine?
I have had several calls today purporting to be from a company called 'Accident Helpline'.
Their operative has informed me that I, or someone else at my address has been involved in an accident and may...
I brought a SEAT LEON nearly 3 years ago. In March my car had done 80,000 so the warranty had expired. I then had major problems with the car shaking - turned out the conrod was bent in the engine so had...
My son is selling his 08 plate Seat Leon Cupra. I remember seeing a specific site for selling Cupras mentioned some time ago. Failing that which is the best way to sell, you have also recommended other...
I bought a new Focus hatchback 1.0 eco boost 125 last week, lured by the 55+ mpg advertised by Ford and enthusiastically endorsed and claimed by the salesman. I can't get more than 43mpg, and that's on...
I'm very tempted by the new Duster (I saw one in Renault Cardiff yesterday). I don't really do enough miles to warrant a diesel, but I would want the highest trim and diesel is the only engine available....
The 4 year old Audi A6 I bought in Sept 2010 ago was fitted with Barum Bravuris tyres, two of which were well worn. I was obliged to replace them just a few weeks later, and whilst Barum are perhaps not...
I'm getting mixed advice about my old paper license, to which 3 points were added in 2006 for a local GATSO trap. These points have long now expired, but it's been suggested that this is no longer a valid...
With the new regulations for passing an MoT - I have an 04 Pug 406 and the airbag warning light has always been on (a known fault on 406s) - will this result in a fail?
I am considering buying a folding caravan that weighs 1100kg but I am finding it difficult to find out whether my 2005 Honda Accord 2.0 Executive Automatic will be able to tow it safely. How can I find...
As you don't recommend small automated manuals, what small/medium automatics would you recommend please?
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...
Elsewhere on 
