Trending topics in September 2013
Questions from September 2013
We’ve got an intermittent electric fault on our 2008 Vauxhall Corsa. The problem is sporadic, but results in the failure of the dashboard and lights. I’ve had a diagnostic test carried out, but it didn’t...
I am considering buying a new diesel 4x4 Yeti. Is it better to wait for the facelift model or buy now. What will the resale value be in three years time?
My 2008 Fiat 500 1.3 diesel blew it's injectors recently while travelling along a country lane. Fiat have said it’s out of warranty and won’t give me anything towards getting it repaired. I spent my life...
My 1999 Ford Galaxy 2.3 petrol automatic won’t start. I’ve turned the key, but nothing happens. I've tried charging the battery and using jump leads, but still nothing. Can you help?
My wife has bought a 2012 Mini Countryman with a diesel engine. She does about 3000 miles a year on local trips; what problems can she anticipate with the DPF?
I’m in the process of buying a BMW 1 Series, but am not sure what to do with my 2012 Ford Fiesta. Should I sell it privately, trade it in or auction via BCA Sure-Sell scheme?
My wife is looking to purchase a small family car and has a budget of around £10,000. So far, we have test driven the Vauxhall Corsa 1.4, Hyundai i20 and Kia Rio. We need a vehicle that will be relatively...
I am looking to buy a Toyota Yaris 1.4D for my length daily commute. I have found a 2013 car with 34 miles on the clock for £13,495. but am not sure if this is better value than a 2010 car with 46,000...
I have owned a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg 2.5 TDi for the last three years and it has done 88,000 miles. I had the prop shaft replaced one year ago, and it now has some electrical faults affecting non-essential...
We have two young kids and one more on the way. We need to replace our 2002 Mercedes-Benz C180K saloon with something slightly bigger. We are being offered £1550 for trade-in and have an additional £5000...
I will be out of the country for three months at the end of the year and have to store my Mercedes-Benz CLK outdoors under a good sheltered car porch. Can you tell me which steps I need to take to prepare...
I have received a £100 fine for parking in a hotel car park. I was a guest in the hotel at the time, should I still have purchased a ticket?
I have just this morning received a notice in the post of a fine for 375 EUROS for a speeding offence committed in the south of France 15 months ago.
The entire notice was in French so actually took me...
Are tyre pressure monitors worth the money and do they work as stated?
Do you know, if I imported a classic car say 1965 or 1966 manufacture, would I get a 'C' or a 'D' registration plate in this country? Or would it be one of those 'Q' plates?
I was offered a Nissan Acenta 1.5 diesel, seven months old, 11,600 miles at £13,900. They agreed a good price for my old Jeep, unseen. This “great deal" made me suspicious and, after further probing, the...
Fellow employees at my friend's place of work have stopped running other employees home when they are unwell, claiming they wouldn't be insured to do this. It seems wrong not to offer assistance to anyone...
Your ‘real mpg’ figures are hugely different from what Ford says and they never told me about the EcoBoost engine taking thousands of miles before it starts to give good economy. I do lots of motorway...
On taking delivery in June of a new Peugeot 207 SW manufactured in May 2013, I was surprised to discover that daytime running lights were not fitted, which I understood was mandatory on all new vehicles...
Why would my insurance company (Zurich) want me to send them the V5 form for my ex-car (2007 Mazda 6TS hatchback, 18,000 miles) when they have declared it a write-off after their recovery people had removed...
I live in a remote location in Devon on a tidal river road. About 20 or 30 times a year our only exit, until the tide goes out, is on a track through three fields. Devon roads round here are steep and...
I am looking to buy a convertible sports car to be used as a second car and to have a bit of fun in the summer months. I have £15,000 to spend and am considering either a Jaguar XK8 or BMW Z4. What would...
My wife and I are both age 74. I have a terminal illness which means I may not be able to drive again. The likelihood is that I will dispose of my 2006 Ford C-Max and we will replace my wife's 2004 Ford...
Like SG I own an identical Rover 75 with almost identical mileage and it still drives like a dream so I fully understand why he wants to keep it. It is certainly the most comfortable car I have ever owned....
I’m interested in buying an MGB roadster that has been rebuilt or upgraded to modern standards. Are there any companies that deal with these cars, and what could I expect to pay?
My car is a 2004/54 BMW X5 diesel Sport auto, facelift. I bought it seven years ago at eighteen months old. Apart from a new starter motor the car as been faultless. I’ve considered a new X3, but as my...
There has been recent correspondence regarding dubious whiplash claims. There is a simple solution, which I am surprised has not received publicity. As most modern cars have head restraints that adjust...
Having dropped a small coin into the cigarette lighter of my BMW 520d the local (non franchised) BMW dealer was unable to locate the offending fuse. The fuse diagram in the tool kit was not any help. However,...
I worked on a 2007 Ford Focus yesterday. It was fitted with alloy wheels. To undo the wheel nuts required a three-foot extension to the T-bar. To then remove the wheels required several heavy blows from...
Over the last six months or so I have seen increasing numbers of the Nissan Juke. I consider it is without doubt one of the more ugly and unappealing cars on the road today. What makes it so popular? Is...
My son recently agreed to purchase a secondhand car from a large reputable main dealer. Before taking delivery but after signing and paying for it he noticed a significant chip in the windscreen that had...
You recently diagnosed an “antiskid service required" warning on a Volvo XC90 as being due to different sized tyres front to back, but there may be a different reason. When my 2006 Volvo S60 was about...
Two weeks ago, the rear window of our 2011 model Jeep Grand Cherokee was smashed whilst we were away from the car. Auto Windscreens arrived to fix the window with the news that they did not have one in...
I hope you won't mind me picking your brains like this, but can you tell me if Daily Telegraph Motoring has a photo archive from which it might allow another publisher to source an illustration? The reason...
We've recently moved to the Isle of Wight and need a car to replace our 11-year-old Zafira. It will be used mostly for short runs of a couple of miles with occasional longer trips to the mainland maybe...
We have just agreed to buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan and have been offered Autoglym Lifeshine at an additional £249. Do you feel that this would be a good investment, bearing in mind that we live by the...
We have been offered a very similar deal for either a top of the range Skoda Citigo Elegance or a mid range Volkswagen Move Up! Which should we go for? We are going to buy new with a PCP Finance deal.
I was interested in the letter from JL, of Coldstream. I too had a collision with another vehicle, although I was sideswiped and rubber was exchanged from the front offside bumper of my Ford KA and the...
Could you suggest a suitable car for my daughter and her husband? They have a three-year old son with another due any minute. Their annual mileage is about 11,000 miles, mainly short journeys with 400...
My car, a Citroen C4 1.6 HDI, broke down with a very loud cracking noise from under the bonnet. The franchised dealer found the alternator drive belt was breaking up due to road grit ingress and the noise...
I read your column with interest each week and you constantly reiterate the problems with DPF and short journeys. I recently purchased a Dacia Duster, which I am extremely pleased with; nowhere near as...
I have read in your columns that France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium do not approve of the use of satnavs with speed camera data. Last March I drove in Spain and Portugal without problems using...
Assuming identical driving conditions, should similar miles-per-gallon be achieved no matter which fuel company's products are used? Have results been published of such tests being carried out, comparing...
We currently have a Toyota Verso 2.0 D-4D T-Spirit as a company car. It has 33,000 miles and will be four years old in November. We have been given a price of £10,550 to buy it. Would this be a good move,...
Recently there was an email about older Saab cars and you suggested that the best one to invest in is a 900 Ruby 185. As it happens I know where there is a lovely one for sale: www.specialistcars.net/newspecialistcars/carpages/155.html....
My dad has a couple of Mk1 GTI Golfs that have not been used for many years. The red hatchback is 80 per cent restored and garaged and has P (Pirelli) wheels. The white convertible has been outside for...
Our main car is a Volkswagen Touran. We require a second car primarily as a local runabout. We’re looking for something cost effective in fuel and insurance, around 12-18 months old from Motorpoint in...
Our BMW 318d ES N47 has suffered a broken timing chain. We bought it at 75,000 miles. The chain failed at 103,000 miles. The RAC warranty won’t pay up. I had a separate report done by an independent engineer...
We have decided to pay a private parking penalty and put it down to experience, but I'm still annoyed that they make so much profit from such minor infringements. Easy money for them and it mounts up to...
I have not long taken delivery of a 2005 Volkswagen Golf TDI 4-motion with 67,000 miles that also has a most awful droning noise at approximately 2000rpm or 68-70 mph. It's as if the vehicle shouldn't...
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