Questions from March 2014
I have a set of summer and winter wheels and tyres for my Dacia Duster Laureate 4x4, which I bought new in June 2013. I've done 8000 miles on the summer wheels and tyres (all alloys) and will want to change...
I have just collected a second hand Vauxhall Corsa from our local car dealership and have been given a 'six month specific warranty'. The warranty details states I will be for 50% of all repair costs after...
I am in the market for a used car and recently took a 2011 Mazda 2 Activmatic ( 27,000 miles, Mazda Approved) for a test drive and noticed that the brakes were vague and not sharp at all. There didn't...
My 2008 Vauxhall Vectra VXR has been suffering from a misfire problem and I sent it to my local dealership for a diagnostic test. The garage told me the timing chains needed replacing and they quoted £2221...
We are planning to change my wife’s Toyota Rav4 for a Nissan Qashqai, but the only automatic version has a 1.6 diesel engine. I think I recall that when Nissan introduced the 1.6 diesel on the old Qashqai...
I have recently changed my journey to work and wonder if I should change my car. I have a 2004 Toyota Yaris 1.3 auto (based on your previous recommendation for a much longer commute). Whilst the Yaris...
I bought a Vauxhall Astra 1.9 CDTI two years ago from a main dealer. Last June the fault code P2279 appeared. This was an air leak and was told it needed a new inlet manifold, which was replaced at the...
A few months ago you answered a question about a commuter car for around £3000 and recommended the Ford Fiesta 1.25. Is that the Zetec model? What year and or mileage should I be looking for?
I have just booked my Superb Estate into Skoda for a 32,000 mile service + MoT. Among other extras offered is a "fuel emission service", I asked what it consisted of I was told it cleans the sludge in...
We are thinking of buying a 2005 Ctroen C4 SX Automatic 1.6, but are not sure if it is a semi-automatic or a torque converter?
My 2012 Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi has done 42,000 miles, but now the clutch has gone. Ford has refused to cover this under the warranty, but my local dealer suggested I get the work done and then ask Ford Customer...
A lady scratched our car while it was parked at a supermarket and we settled on a figure of £250 for the repair.
However because this is more than her excess which I believe is £200, she now wants to...
I am looking for a used (two year old) SUV, but can’t decide what to buy. I intend to keep the vehicle for four years, what do you suggest I buy?
Can you recommend a good hybrid car for use in and around towns and cities?
Just thought I'd recount another tale of why we see constantly rising general premiums. I had a small accident in a supermarket car park where I reversed at slow speed into a car which had stopped behind...
I understand that the Ford 999cc EcoBoost engine is mated to a dual mass flywheel, in order to iron out the imbalance of the 3-cylinder configuration.
In view of the history of dual mass flywheel problems...
I recently bought a car and transferred my insurance policy from my old car to my new one; the insurance broker told me it would show on the system immediately, but I was pulled three days later and had...
I am contemplating buying a Nissan Qashqai, but the car I road test today had a big reflection on the windscreen from the bulk instrument panel. I appreciate that most cars have a form of reflection but...
I am 24 year old female and I have recently been offered a 1999 Toyota Corolla by a neighbour who is looking to buy a new car. It has 48,000 miles on the clock and has only one owner.
I would like to...
I have found water dripping inside my Citroen C4 Picasso. The problem is around the footwell, but I cannot see any blockage around the rain water channels. Could it be anything to do with the air con system?
I am thinking of buying a 2012 Land Rover Discovery HSE with 70,000 miles on the clock. I wanted the HSE because of the high spec and concluded that the high mileage already recorded will mean that the...
I bought a new Ford S Max six months ago and the car has suffered a flat battery on 10 occasions. As a result, it has been in the dealership for repairs on seven occasions, with a total of 80 days off...
I'm fast approaching the 60,000 mile mark on my 2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI. I'm averaging about 22,000 miles a year and I've been on the Audi service plan. When I hit 60,000 miles my warranty expires, so I'm...
Can you tell me when I will be able to buy a Subaru WRX STI?
I am in the process of buying a new Volkswagen Golf 1.4 petrol, which I plan to keep for five years. I have declined the paint treatment offered by the garage and have a few questions:
1) What do you...
My wife has owned a Honda Jazz 1.4 from new for eight years and is looking for a replacement that is quieter, more comfortable and fuel efficient. The three contenders are the BMW 1 Series (petrol), Audi...
In December, I booked and paid for a long-stay parking spot at Liverpool Airport. When we arrived in the pitch dark at 5.45 in the morning there was a driver standing at the entry barrier saying he had...
My 1991 Nissan Sunny has been off the road for many months. I've bought a new battery as the old one is completely dead. I haven't fitted the battery yet (it should arrive tomorrow) but I don't want to...
Can alloy wheels become porous? Our 2004 Honda Jazz has nearly new tyres on the original alloy wheels, but the tyre pressure drops quite quickly. Any ideas?
The alarm siren on my 2008 Vauxhall Vectra keeps going off shortly after locking with the keyfob. If I choose to lock the doors manually from the inside then use the key to manually lock the driver door...
I am suffering vibration through the floor during acceleration, particularly 1st 2nd 3rd gear (high torque), the whole car shakes, it disappears as torque is reduced, it is a manual g/box. It is not there...
I am in the market for a medium sized hatchback. The car must be fun to drive and offer a good balance between power and economy. I'll be doing 9000 miles a year, mainly 30 mile round trip a day on mixed...
My Vauxhall Astra 1.8 automatic has stopped working after 59,000 miles. Can you tell me if the manufacturer is liable to fix the car?
My wife is about to change her Renault Modus for a new car of similar size. Is any manufacturer of small/medium cars still fitting chain cam engines?
I am replacing a 2003 Land Rover Freelander TD4, which has started to run up expensive servicing and repair costs. My budget is about £15,000 and I would like another 4x4 as I live on Bodmin Moor, with...
We need to replace our 2006 Ford Mondeo Estate, with something similar, but newer.
A Skoda Octavia has been suggested by a friend as has the Volkswagen Passat. It will mostly be trundling up and down...
The air con on my Renault Scenic started making a grinding noise last week and I noticed passenger well was soaked. I dried the car out and the air con still works, but my local garage suggest the reservoir...
I want to buy a new car and have narrowed my choice to the Audi A4 Avant 3.0TDI black edition or the BMW 330 D X drive M Sport Tourer. Which car do you suggest I buy?
My 2002 Ford Mondeo makes a strange rattling and whirring noise at idle. The noise is very loud, but only occurs when the car is idle. I've had a new clutch and DMF fitted less than six months ago, so...
At the beginning of February, my car hit a pothole. The front tyre burst, costing £145 to replace. Closer inspection of the pothole showed that it had been ringed with white paint – a sure sign that Buckinghamshire...
I am in the market for a used estate car, with a manual gearbox and diesel engine. Ideally, I’d like the car to be seven or eight years old and the engine to be no bigger than a 1.8. The car will be used...
Can I put petrol engine oil in my 1998 Peugeot 306 diesel? The car needs an oil and filter change and I have a spare five litre can sitting in my garage. It would be a shame to waste it.
Retirement, along with other changes to my family and lifestyle, mean that I no longer need the carrying capacity - and neither do I cover the mileage - to justify my Vauxhall Zafira diesel. Time to downsize!
I'm...
I have a 2001 Lexus LS430: it’s the best car I have ever had by quite a long way. The engine and transmission are virtually silent, but I get excessive noise from the front tyres even though these are...
I have a budget of between £8000 - £10,000 to spend on a nice small car for my wife. What do you recommend I buy?
I have a 1998 BMW Z3. It has just failed its MoT due to the ABS/traction control light being on. The garage couldn't fix it and say the diagnostics show that the motor/pump has gone.
I do know that over...
Starting what seems a fruitless task looking for a Vauxhall Corsa, 2002/3, for my son's first car. Most very obviously damaged. One common problem seen in several cars is a waterlogged mat etc in the driver's...
I am looking to buy a used SUV/crossover. Four-wheel drive isn't essential, but preferred. It has to be petrol and I would prefer an automatic. Ideally it should be comfortable on long journeys and reliable....
Apparently Volkswagen have issued a worldwide recall on cars fitted with DSG gearboxes to replace the synthetic fluid with mineral oil. My car is a 2010 Skoda Fabia with a DSG gearbox but Skoda UK are...
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