Questions from August 2013
We are a couple in our 60s looking to trade in our two cars for something economical and reliable. Our budget would be the part exchange of a 2011 Fiat 500 and a 2008 Volvo C30, plus £6000. What do you...
I recently bought a 2007 Nissan Qashqai 2007 with Nexen 215/65/R16 tyres. I have been advised that I will need to change two for the next MoT and want to fit tyres that are less noisy. Any suggestions?...
I have owned two Kia Sorentos for ten years, and have been very satisfied with them driving over 200k miles. At 60k miles in my second one, I experienced a definite loss of power in 3rd, 4th & 5th gears...
The oil light on my Audi A4 is constantly on. The oil pressure sender has been changed and levels are always kept spot on. What should I try next?
I am buying a Lexus IS 300h: I have a choice to fit 205/55/R16 or 225/45/R17 as opposed to the standard 18-inch wheels. Which do you recommend?
I am considering buying a BMW X3 2.0D SE. Could you tell me when the diesel particulate filter was introduced to this model.
My wife's owned from new Peugeot 206 has now been passed on to our son. The rear wiper now comes on for a few sweeps when the doors are opened. It also stops wiping in various positions.
The garage seems...
Following your recommendation I bought a replacement Subaru Forester 06 - very happy thanks!
I need to replace the tyres and you have previously recommended Pirelli Scorpion STRs. They only come in 215/65/R16...
I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla D4D - the air blower is working very poorly and the aircon is rubbish too. I understand that the aircon may be out of gas - but what do you think is the problem with the blower?
I currently have an 04 Toyota Corolla auto (had it 4 months) but worry it's hard on petrol and don't like the loss of control with an auto. I would like to buy something a five-door hatch that's economical,...
My second hand Ford Mondeo has suffered a digital fuel pump failure, which has ruined the injectors. I bought the car from a dealer in September and paid extra for an extended warranty.
After months of...
I will soon need to change my car to one that is suitable to take two elderly people in the back. I have decided it is between the Vauxhall Meriva and the Ford B Max. I am also weary of changing gears...
My son wishes to change his 2004 Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi for a newer version. He has seen a Corsa with a 1.3 cdti engine with 95PS which he favours as it is more powerful than his 75PS engine in his current...
Can I do anything to soften the ride on my recently bought 2011 Volkswagen Transporter minibus? It is the nine seater basic model, which I bought in France.
The front seats are OK and the middle seats...
For the last eight years I have used Michelin Primacy HP for summer and Alpins for winter (on a Saab 95 and then a Mondeo)
I now have a Tiguan 140 SE 4Motion (not for off-road) which came fitted with...
HJ advised me to get a D-Max rather than an Amarok to tow caravan: good advice, delighted with it. Now my mate wants a pick up to tow a big twin axle caravan but he wants an automatic gearbox. Is D-Max...
My 2009 i10 had it's fourth annual service recently. At the same I asked for the air con to be checked as it didn't seem to be cooling down at all. They reported that the air con had no refrigerant in...
I currently own a 2005 Ford Mondeo diesel automatic estate Ghia X which is extremely comfortable and takes everything I throw in it, but has not been very reliable, expensive to maintain and has reached...
I have recently bought a Fiat Punto Easy from Desira Norwich,the servicing schedule is every 18,000 miles with an estimated cost of £180. The handbook states that if the car is used mainly for town driving...
I recently bought new Hyundai i30. The manufacturers say if I have an accident claim I should contact their agent in the first instance NOT my insurer (Sainsburys). They will then take over all negotiations...
Is there a good reason for the up-market DS3 not coming with the wonderful sunroof that is available with the uninspiring C3?
After a lot of research I am planning to buy a nearly new petrol S-max.
I am only doing about 10,000 miles a year with a lot of short journeys and I have been put off diesel by DPF and flywheel issues.
Petrol...
My father has just bought a Suzuki SX4 (08 registration). We need a second hand parcel shelf for it and have found one at a salvage yard over the internet. The one we've found is on a 61 registration...
My daughter needs a new cars. She likes big cars but needs an economical car as she drives high mileage.
The booot needs to be good for the dog. Looks are important but price more so.
Nissan Juke has been...
My X-Trail is presently fitted with 215/60 R17 96VMS Pirelli Scorpios. The local tyre dealer now advises that these have been replaced by Pirelli Scorpio Verde.
I have been advises 225/55R17 W97 for...
When I was a young driver in the late 1960s I had a simple cut-out switch to help deter thieves. I also read about a more sophisticated device that allowed the car to be driven away but after a few hundred...
I have a 2007 Volkswagen Golf GT Sport Twincharger 140 with 54,000 miles and full VW service history. Whilst travelling at 20mph for 4-5 miles on minor roads on holiday in Wales (with blind summits and...
Some time ago an oil warning light showed intermittently on the dash of my Volvo. I took it immediately to my local Volvo dealer (where my car has been serviced since new). I was charged £60 for investigation...
My wife was a nurse in a busy A&E hospital and she has seen some shocking after-effects of motorbike accidents, mainly caused by the actions of car drivers who were not concentrating on their driving....
I own a Honda Accord 2.2i-DTEC 150 automatic, first registered in March 2012. To date it has covered 12,250 miles with an average consumption of 44.4 mpg according to my accurate calculations, though the...
I am writing to thank you for the reply you gave to CS of Woodstock recently relating the changing of a camshaft belt on a Volkswagen Golf. My wife owns a Polo which is six years old and has a mileage...
Most new cars, like my wife's Zafira Tourer, are not provided with a spare tyre, and only a canister of material that will give a temporary repair to a puncture, but in doing so, will ruin the tyre. Is...
I bought a Chevrolet Volt a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased with the car in every way, apart from one - the road noise at high speeds (over 50mph) is surprisingly louder than I would have expected,...
My wife recently parked in a shopping complex in Saltcoats, Scotland - the total time she was parked was one hour and 43 mins (the time allowed is one hour 30mins, although she was not aware of this)....
I witnessed an accident on a country road two years ago and gave a witness statement to the police at the scene, as did one other driver. I believe that our accounts may have differed. I have recently...
The tyres fitted to my wife’s 2009 Nissan Micra 1.2 Tekna are Continental 185/50R16 and I think they give a slightly hard ride. Is it feasible to increase the profile without messing the job up?
I run at 2009 Mercedes-Benz C220CDI on 16-inch wheels with 205/60 R16 tyres. The build quality is excellent and the engine is powerful and frugal. It's a pity about the suspension, which is soft, vague...
After writing to you last year I was concerned about buying my Volkswagen EOS 1.4TSI. However, I am delighted with it and have no regrets. The short-term inconvenience of some winter condensation is more...
I have a 2009 Renault Megane 1.6 Dynamique 5-door, mileage 44,750. It has a full service / MOT history with my local Renault garage. At the MoT in April they renewed both rubber gaiters on the constant...
I recently purchased a very low mileage 5-month-old BMW Z4 2.0i M Roadster Auto from a BMW dealership for £23,000 which I thought was good value. However I find it a little underpowered and wish to perhaps...
I replaced my Jaguar XF 3.0 D with a Jaguar XF 2.2 D in January this year and originally thought that the much 'harsher' ride was due to the 'newness'. 5000 miles later I don't think it is. I can see that...
We are looking for a new car, preferably a forecourt model or demonstrator with less than 5000 miles on the clock so we can avoid instant depreciation. We currently drive a 2003 Clio Billabong and have...
This is the response from Motor Codes regarding the premature rusting of my Mercedes-Benz E-Class that has not been rectified under the Mercedes-Benz 30-Year Mobilo warranty:
“I am sorry to learn of...
My husband bought a Range Rover Evoque a year ago. He was recently driving it when he heard a noise. He called out Land Rover and they found it had no oil in it at all. The engine needs replacing, so it...
Which has better road-holding in the snow: a 911 Carrera 4WD without winter tyres, or a Carrera RWD with winter tyres?
I am a lady driving a Peugeot 3008 1.6 diesel EGC doing about 10,000 miles a year, mostly on short runs of between 10 and 15 miles with only an occasional longer one. I keep reading about the particulate...
Over the past four years our situation has changed. I no longer drive due to eye problems and my wife now does all the driving. She is in her mid 70’s. Until now we have retained our two cars, a 1999 BMW...
Might I ask you for your advice on the 1.4 TSI engine? Does it have any inherent faults? I am considering buying a new Octavia Estate, and having run BMWs in the past I have no knowledge of this engine,...
My granddaughter's boyfriend managed to upend her Micra and she is now looking for a sensible replacement. She is keen on a Fiesta but her mother and I, who will be funding and thus have the last say,...
My neighbour, a widow, took delivery of a new petrol-engined Fabia Estate six months ago. Since delivery, the rear wiper motor would not stop working regardless of switch position. The main dealer said...
Elsewhere on 
