Which 5008?

Finally taking your advice (after a while) and downsizing from Caravelle and multiple cars to a Peugeot 5008 for family and small cheap car for kids. Which 5008? Choice = Allure, diesel manual, Active,...

Are Audi estates good?

Are Audi diesel estates good, reliable and inexpensive cars?

Clutch failure after two years and 17,000 miles

My Hyundai i20 suffered a clutch failure after two years and 17,000 miles. The dealer and Hyundai have said this is not covered under warranty, as there was no fault with the mechanism. Instead, the dealer...

Buying a small 4x4 and my sons looking for a 7 seater

1. What would you recommend as a small 4x4 which needs to tow as well? approx £3000 so make and model and year? How do you rate a Toyota Rav and if so, year, model etc pse 2. son looking for a 7 seater...

Timing chain failure on BMW 120d, is this common?

I have a 2007 plate BMW 120d SE, which I bought from a dealership 15 months ago. It has 67,000 on the clock and always been in the dealer network for work and servicing. However, the timing chain has snapped....

Starting problems with a 2004 Nissan Micra?

My 2004 Micra wont turn over in very hot weather. I turn the ignition and nothing happens. This only happens when the car has been sat in very hot sunshine. It's as if the immobiliser is stopping the car...

Buying second hand - do I have to pay for a fix?

Recently I purchased Fiat 500 second hand from a Toyota dealership that was a part ex. It was advertised as having excellent bodywork. Had a look round the car and thought was all OK then went away to...

DACIA looks very economical - any downside and risk?

DACIA looks very economical, even go for the Laureate because of wanting a Air Conditioning. Worry about the saying that if it looks too much like a good deal, it probably isn't. What would you recommend?

Misfueling petrol into a diesel

I recently filled the tank of my diesel Mercedes-Benz E-Class with petrol. Although there are no legal requirements, I feel Sainsbury's garage owe me some duty of care, as the pump dispensing the petrol...

Why is my air-con blowing hot?

I noticed my air con was blowing hot air so yesterday I took it to a "specialist" who pressure tested and re-gassed it but it was still not getting cold. He then plugged it into his computer which I got...

Cheap, reliable transport for a 25-year-old?

Could you recommend some reliable, economical cars £1000 to £1500 for a 25 yo man? Future mileage will be less than 12,000 a year, reasonable size boot would be a bonus.

Do I need exotic oil?

I'm now a vintage motorist. When I used to do an oil change a gallon of GTX cost me £8. Now I'm told my new Seat Leon needs Castrol Edge Professional, which costs a staggering £46 a gallon. My wife had...

Illegal parking - how do I stop cars parking on my land without permission?

We have space outside our church for about four cars; however, locals are parking there without any intention of using the church. This leaves people using the building for legitimate events having to...

Which MPV to replace a Honda Stream?

We've done over 100,000 miles in seven years in our 2005 Honda Stream and we will need to spend some money on it in the near future. However, rather than spend it, we are looking for a replacement. Diesel...

Please can you give details of how to attend London based auctions of used police dog patrol vans? vans

Dear John, my friend, who doesn't have a computer, is a professional dog walker and business is good. He wonders if it's possible to buy, at auction or otherwise, an ex-police dog patrol van or similar,...

Reliability

I'm tempted to buy a Seat Leon 1.4 turbo, but I'm wondering if small engines whirling like Dervishes to produce what a 1.6 or 1.8 normally aspirated petrol engines would deliver without the least stress...

Best tyres for an A-Class?

I need to replace the front tyres on my Mercedes-Benz A-class. Current tyres fitted all round are Pirelli 195/16 87T MO. Only fronts need replacing. What best tyre make you recommend for this car?

Differences in fuel (diesel) quality and so impact on fuel consumption

HI. I have been running a Mini Cooper SD Coupe (2102 with 2k to 7k miles) for the past 5 months. I have alternated the use of 6 fuels to see if any brand makes a difference to fuel consumption - it does!...

Breakdown cover for Europe?

I am taking my 2004 E-Class to Verona via France and Switzerland. Can you give any advise on what the best breakdown cover would be? In the UK it is relatively easy to find non main dealer garages but...

Which Motability car for camping trips?

I'm almost due to start looking for a new Motability car and could use some recommendations. I have a Peugeot 207 1.4 Diesel that does 55mpg combined and 63mpg on long motorway runs, but it's too small...

Are we entitled to a refund?

My father recently bought a used car from Evans Halshaw. His own car broke down and he needed a car urgently as my mother is in hospital 20 miles away and my father likes to visit daily. His own car...

Buying a new car for a young professional - what would you recommend?

Hi Honest John, I recently started a graduate level job after leaving university and I am looking to get a new (or used but within the last 5 years if possible) car to upgrade from my current Y-reg Vauxhall...

Looking for a good towing vehicle for horse-box or caravan?

We currently have a Touran 2.0 diesel and an old Sharan 2.0 petrol. The Sharan is due to be replaced, and I'd like to find a replacement that would be suitable for towing a horse box or caravan. As we...

Can you recommend an economical used car?

I want to buy an economical small car. Ideally, it will be second hand and offer good mpg, as I drive 66 miles every day. It will need to have good legroom and be able to carry three adults comfortably....

Crankshaft failure on BMW 3 Series - who should pay?

I have a 2006 BMW 3 Series with 61,000 miles on the clock and a full service history (not all by BMW). The car has been diagnosed with a snapped crankshaft and BMW have said they will look at it at my...

Used car warranty

I have recently purchased a 2nd hand Golf GTI. It came with 6 months auto trust formula 2 warranty. I have been given the option of extending this to a 1 year warranty for £250. Is this worth considering? The...

Can you recommend a medium sized car?

I am replacing my 14 year old Toyota Corolla due to the fact the car is becoming uneconomical to keep on the road. I'm looking for a used medium sized car that will be reliable, safe and large enough to...

Bought privately, but car has £2000 fault - where do I stand?

I bought a 2010 Volkswagen Fox last week, privately. I have since had a diagnostic test done by Volkswagen and the results show that cylinder three has excessive low compression resulting in £2000+ of...

Dealer trying to avoid warranty claim - what can I do?

I recently purchased a 2003 Audi A4 from a local garage. After driving the car for just a few days I noticed a clicking noise in first gear - I think it’s a chipped transmission tooth, which could be very...

Grinding noise on Ford Focus - what should I do?

I own a 2012 Ford Focus Titanium 1.6 PowerShift. The car has an intermittent noise that occurs from the front nearside wheel of the car. It is a scraping or grinding noise and happens at 40mph. I have...

Vibration nose from exhaust - what could it be?

I own a 2008 Toyota Avensis that has covered 30,000 miles. On tick over I get a vibrating noise from the exhaust; if I touch tailpipe with my foot or increase revs a little bit it goes away. I have replaced...

Had accident, but guilty party won’t pay – what should we do?

My wife was recently involved in a road accident, which wasn’t her fault. The other party accepted liability at the scene and offered £800 to fix the car. However, after speaking to a mechanic, we found...

sports cars

Would like advice on convertibles, I prefer big engines with plenty torque, hate revvy buzz boxes. The choices seem limited to 3.0 Z4, 3.5 SLK, 3.2 TT or 2.7/3.2 Boxter. Boxter worries me regarding cost...

Vibrating Renault Trafic

I have a 2006 Renault Trafic. It is starting to vibrate when I get up to 50mph. I had the wheels checked and they are OK.

Insurance and pattern parts?

The time has come to renew my insurance with Direct Line and their policy wording now states that they may use parts not manufactured by the car maker. As my car is less than 1 year old and under warranty...

Car cooling fans are on every time I stop?

Every time I stop my car, a Mondeo 2.0 TDCI, the cooling fans are on and remain on for some minutes. This occurs even for short journeys. My dealer said this was normal but in other cars I have had the...

Incorrect tyre fitted

I recently had my car serviced and I asked the garage to fit a replacement tyre. When I picked the car up I was told that the tyres had been rotated and the new tyre fitted. The next day the tyre warning...

Air conditioning no longer working - what should I do?

My 2001 Honda Civic was recently checked by a friend and it was discovered that the air-con was no longer working. No reason was given. Will it be worth getting the air-con fixed? Will there be problems...

Changing the speed limiter on Mercedes B-Class

Is it possible to change the speed limiter on my Mercedes-Benz B-Class? It’s currently limited to 74mph.

Buying a high mileage Mercedes-Benz - what should I look out for?

I have a chance to buy a high mileage (100,000 miles) 2011 Mercedes-Benz C220 Sport Estate from a cousin. I only need to pay off finance which is £8500, apparently. It would be great as a replacement...

Can you recommend a car that's suitable for work and family trips?

I have a 12-year Nissan Tino diesel MPV that I need to replace. Can you recommend an economical, safe and comfortable car? I'm open to new or second hand, but it will need to commute about 95 miles every...

Problems with low-mileage Volkswagen estate

I bought an approved 2009 Volkswagen Golf estate 1.9 TDI DSG with only 190 miles on the clock. After a few days I was forced to return it because the cruise control stopped working and the dashboard was...

Which Golf is best?

Is there likely to be much difference in reliability between an early Volkswagen Golf 2009/2010 1.2 TSI engine and the later 2011/2012 version?

Burning smell under the bonnet of new car

I’ve brought a new Mercedes-Benz B-Class diesel. I have only driven it for a week and I have been getting an on and off burning smell under the bonnet, sometimes I can smell it via the air con. Occasionally...

Car damaged by hit and run – what should I do?

A young driver recently hit the back of my Mazda MX-5. Not a lot of damage was done but the lady in question drove off without stopping. Fortunately I have a willing witness who wrote down her registration...

Turbo cooling

I have just bought a 2011 Mercedes C-class Blue Efficiency, with a petrol engine. Do I need to take special care before switching off the engine, because of the turbo?

Turbo tube problems with Land Rover Defender 90

Land Rover recalled my Defender 90 in February to replace the tube connecting the turbo - up to that time I had no problems. Since then the tube has blown off under relatively normal driving, which the...

Changing wheels and tyres

My Citroen DS4 has 18-inch wheels and low profile 225/45 R18 tyres. I have done 3000-miles and the ride is poor. I am assuming that the large wheel and low profile tyres are to blame. This leads me to...

Can you recommend a new automatic?

I have a 2003 Honda Civic automatic that I want to change. I have difficulty using the automatic gearshifts, where you have to press a spring loaded 'latch' to move the shift into drive etc. Is there a...

Running an MX-5 in winter?

You gave me some helpful advice about a Mazda MX-5 recently. I'm inclined to get one for about £5000. What can I do to make one more practical to use in English winter snow and ice?