Can they cancel my warranty over a missed service?

I bought a SEAT Leon (2010) from a car supermarket. The car was sold with an extended three year warrant, which cost £2300. When I collected the car the car supermarket told me to service the car "like...

Issue with a 'lost' downpayment

I purchased a used car from a dealership. I made a down payment of £2000 and financed the rest, which i have made two payments on at this point. I got a call from the dealership and they cant find the...

Buyer wants to take me to court after private sale

I sold a used car privately that had recently undergone a new MOT. The buyer drove the car 80 miles home and has used the car for approx one month. I have now received a county court document claiming...

Mazda diesel or petrol

I have done 90,000 trouble free miles over four years in a Mazda 6 163 hp diesel. I love the way it drives, especially the way the engine responds. I am now retiring and am looking to buy a new Mazda 3...

Micra battery drain

I have a problem with battery drain on my Nissan Micra K12 2003 reg. If we use the car every day there are no problems, but if it is left for two or more days the battery is flat? I put a new battery on...

Buying a used Isuzu Rodeo - any good?

Thinking of buying an Isuzu Rodeo LE MAX auto with full history and 50,000 miles.

Why no prestige family MPVs?

Why do prestige manufacturers not make a car like the Ford S Max? It is superior on space and driving position to my current 5 Series so looking to test drive the new model when it arrives in 2015.

Starting rattle on Hyundai ix35

I park my ix35 1.7D (2011) on my sloping drive (I back on). The slope means that the rear wheels are about two feet lower than the front wheels. Sometimes, on cold start, there is a terrible rattling noise...

Which small SUV or family hatch?

I am looking to buy a small petrol suv/hatchback and am looking at the Renault Capture, Volkswagen Golf and Citroen Cactus. I will be doing about 8,000 miles per year made up of 5000 motorway 3000 town....

Failed an MoT on headlights - struggling to find new ones.

My headlamps caused me to fail my MoT. Parts are no longer available. To keep an otherwise good car on the road, can I use auxiliary lamps in place of main/dipped beam? Bit more detail, if you want. '97...

Advice on a used Kia Cee'd?

I'm thinking of buying a Kia Cee'd for 25,000 miles per year, mainly motorway and A roads. The car I am looking at has 42,000 miles and has service history, but what should I look out for when test driving/...

Have you any experience of the V60's ride quality?

Have you any experience of the Volvo V60 D4 SE? I understand that the ride quality is poor on the standard dynamic chassis currently offered by Volvo and that there is no alternative available in the UK?...

Does an Ibiza have a dual-mass flywheel?

After contradictory advice from two SEAT dealers and no response from SEAT's contact number, I'd like to know whether the new Ibiza ST fitted with the 1.2 TSI petrol engine (105PS) comes fitted with a...

The engine in my BMW ran without the key

I returned to my locked BMW 118d to find the engine still running after being parked for 7 hours. In my hurry I had not pressed the Off button. My fault of course but I checked with the dealer whether...

What is Citroen EGS gearbox reliability like?

Do you know how long the EGS6 gearbox will last in a C4 Grand Picasso 1.6 HDI?

Changing a pick-up engine - which one?

We are going to equip a pick up truck (Nissan Z24 - an old model) with a diesel engine. There are two to choose from - a 1.5-litre diesel engine with 200Nm and a 2.0-litre engine with 252Nm. The car has...

Is this a valid parking appeal?

I recently appealed a parking ticket in a hospital staff car park as a correct ticket was displayed in the windscreen. The reason for the rejection was (as also stated on the ticket) 'you did not display...

Selling mid-PCP contract - what can I do?

In August last year I bought a 62 plate Skoda Yeti TDi 170 Elegance from my local dealer. We traded in my wife's Octavia (£3200) and did a PCP at £345 pcm, minimum future value approximately £8500 if I...

Buying a replacement for a BMW 520D Touring?

I am about to replace my 2007 BMW 520D Touring. I now average about 6000 miles per year and believe that a move to petrol seems to be the economic choice. I do not wish to sacrifice the comfort and toys...

Receiving payment

Hello, I would like to sell my car independently - can you please advise on receiving payment? Is it normal to receive cash or bank transfers these days? Is it standard to let the buyer drive the car away...

Is this car too good to be true - it feels like a scam?

I have seen a Porsche 911 advertised online which is considerably cheaper than most others particularly for the age. Although advertised as being for sale in England on contacting the seller within a very...

Bad time to buy diesel?

After a long and frankly exhausting search for a car to replace my under powered and noisy 2006 Ford Focus Estate 1.6 auto, I have settled on the Mercedes-Benz C class estate. The best example I have found...

Which car to replace an old Jazz?

My sister-in-law had an older Ford Focus that was ultra reliable and would like something of a similar size, because the new Focus is a little larger and more expensive. She is retired but does occasional...

Main dealer or independent for major Audi service?

I have an Audi A3 2.0 TDi due for major service. 37,000 miles and five years old. Dealer service history. What is the effect on my resale value if I go to local non-Audi garage for service - also Audi...

My car is not as described - any recourse?

When purchasing a brand new Audi A3 from the showroom, I sent an e-mail to the salesman asking him if the spec on the display model was as described on the Audi Website. When I came to update the Sat Nav...

What should I do about the worn out air con on my V50?

I have a Volvo V50 D4 2010 with a noisy Air Con Pump. Is it as simple as unbolting and attaching a replacement? Will it work out of the box, so to speak, or do you need to somehow need to "tell the car"...

Buying a luxury 4x4 - which one?

My fiancee and I want a luxury, high spec 4x4. We only drive around 5k miles a year so running costs are not an issue. Budget is up to £35k but ideally around £30k. We have considered a facelifted Range...

Who needs to pay for my rotten Land Rover chassis?

I bought a Land Rover from a local garage 20 month ago, after eight months an MoT was due, which it failed for chassis rot. I had it repaired which I thought meant the problem was corrected, however...

Volkswagen Passat CC V6 coolant pump failure

I have a 2011 Volkswagen Passat CC 3.6 V6 and the V55 additional coolant pump is not running (aux pump) which should run when the engine is switched off to circulate coolant around the cylinder head. ...

Mazda MX-5 rattle/vibration

I have just taken delivery of a new Mazda MX-5 25th Anniversary Edition. However, I’ve noticed the car makes a harsh rattle/vibration between about 15000rpm – 2000rpm. I took it back to the dealer and...

Need a used estate for £6000 - what do you recommend?

I have £6000 to spend on a used estate car. It must be large enough for dogs, grand kids and holiday luggage. What would you recommend?

Engine management light problem with Golf GTI

I have bought my son's 2004 Volkswagen Golf GTIand the yellow engine management system light comes on. Have asked my good local independent garage to fix and they cannot sort it out. Can you recommended...

Can you recommend a family friendly 4x4?

My wife and I are about to buy a new/nearly new car. We have two young children of school age and we live out in the country, so four-wheel drive is essential as my wife will spend a great deal of time...

Should I buy a 300C Touring?

I've seen a Chrysler 300C Touring 3.0 V6 CRD Auto for £9988 with 31,000 on the clock. I fancy this to replace my Vauxhall Vectra estate, what do you think?

EcoBoost engine problems

I have a 2010 Ford Mondeo with the 2.0 EcoBoost engine. Recently, the car has started juddering at idle and returning poor fuel economy. The car has also come close to cutting out, despite being an auto....

Should I take a trader to court over a faulty car?

I have recently brought a car from a trader without a warranty. I bought the car two and a half months ago, but have had nothing but problems with it. To be honest, I wasn’t aware the trader was liable...

Need a comfortable car for a bad back

I have had many operations on my lower back, which means I cannot cope with a car that has poor suspension. I also struggle to open and close the boot. Therefore, I require a car that specifically has...

What's the best commuter car?

My wife commutes 20,000 miles per year and needs a reliable car. We have thought about the 1.4 diesel 2013 Toyota Auris or the Toyota Auris Hybrid. Which would you recommend?

What are the different classifications for mobility scooters?

Thanks for your advice regarding solar chargers, I have taken your suggestion and bought a trickle charger. As well as a car, I own an electric mobility scooter that requires to be registered with the...

Is the Superb identical to the Passat?

I've owned a Skoda Superb Estate 170 DSG Elegance for nearly three years and love it. However, for the first time, I'm tempted to replace a car with the same again. When I bought it, I calculated it...

Does my Fiesta need a new dashboard?

I was driving my Ford Fiesta (2003) in normal conditions when all of the dials went to zero. I pulled over and tried to turn the engine off then back on again and absolutely nothing happened, no turn over,...

£100 parking ticket - do I have to pay?`

I was given a parking ticket recently. On the day in question, I put £2.60 into the meter (for two hours parking), but it was raining heavily and I failed to notice that 10p had dropped straight through....

Car cuts out when towing a caravan

When towing my caravan, the engine in my 2005 Hyundai Sant Fe cuts out tackling steep hills or pausing at a roundabout. The car will restart after 30 seconds and run fine. My local garage has found some...

High performance 4x4s - What's best?

It's time to change my eight year old Subaru Forester turbo. All I want is a small 4x4 SUV with manual gearbox and petrol engine. Like my present car, it should do 0-60 in under six seconds, but such cars...

Is the Willhire Reunion still taking place?

On 19th February, you published an article announcing that the Willhire Reunion will take place at Donington Park on October 18th this year. I have seen nothing since - is it still going ahead?

Buying a used Saab 9-3 - what should I check?

I am thinking of buying a 2004 Saab 9-3 2.0-litre Aero Sport automatic with 54,000 miles on the clock for £2950. Is this car reliable and is the price about right? What should I look out for?

L200 engine making a tapping noise

I recent bought a used Mitsubishi L200 pick-up from a dealer and noticed a tapping noise coming from the engine. The dealer has put additive in to the oil but this has not helped. The car is seven years...

What's the best estate for £1000?

I am looking for big car, preferably an estate. I have £1000 to spend and the car needs to have low road tax and insurance, with cheap maintenance. What do you suggest I buy?

What's the best cheap 4x4?

Looking to buy a small but capable budget 4x4 for local use in snow and on rough tracks getting timber. Suzuki Jimmy or Daihtsu Terios (or alternatives). What's best?

Buying my business lease car - can they refuse to sell it to me?

I have had a business lease on a car for almost four years. I love the car so much I would like to buy it from the lease company. Initially they said they would only sell it to a registered company. We...