Trending topics in July 2016
4x4s
air con
automatics
buying a new car
buying a used car
buying and selling
diesel engines
electrical faults
estates
family cars
legal and consumer advice
maintenance and servicing
petrol engines
petrol or diesel?
ride comfort
suvs
technical issues
turbo engines
unexplained noises
wheels and tyres
Questions from July 2016
I recently used a car supermarket to purchase a second car. I used this company because I thought they were reputable and on their website stated their cars were comprehensively checked. However upon driving...
Looked at your list of quiet cars. Not entirely happy with some of the models - the Skoda Superb tyres are noisy on coarse grained road, ride in BMWs is too harsh (and I want a spare tyre), DSG box in...
The air con has stopped working on my 2009 Honda Jazz. I've taken a look under the bonnet and there is a grinding noise coming from the general vicinity of the pump. My car also has rusty brake discs....
I am looking for a car with a high seating position. I have a young child and don't want to break my back lifting them in and out of the car. I have £14,000 to spend have noticed the Hyundai ix35. Does...
My Skoda Octavia vRS TSI (2016 model) broke down on the weekend. The AA and the local Skoda dealership confirm oil in the coolant (thick emulsified residue around the sides of the expansion tank) plus...
My wife drives a 2015 BMW 1 Series. The car has covered 3500 miles and has started experiencing intermittent problems with the trip computer and dashboard readouts. Sometimes they switch off completely...
I own a 2001 Rover 25. Over the past few days I have been having some problems with the remote unlocking. I have changed the battery in the remote handset but this has made no difference and I now cannot...
Our 2009 Ford C-MAX 1.8 TDCI cut out last week. All power failed and the engine malfunction light was on. After switching the car on and off, it restarted. The car has been to our local garage, but they...
I am a photographer based in London and in need of a new vehicle to carry my kit and (sometimes) clients. This will also be the family motor. Ideally, I'd like a vehicle that handles well and has a bit...
When I start my Nissan Almera in the morning the engine shakes a lot after a few minutes and the traction control warning light comes on. A friend has looked at it and says it miss firing. Do i need spark...
I am well over six feet tall and overweight. I work at home and drive very little. I nonetheless like an entertaining car when I do drive. At present I have a 16 year old Vauxhall Vectra, with less than...
On your recommendation we bought a Ford Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost three years ago. We are planning to replace it. What would you recommend (other than another Fiesta) that we buy?
We are considering buying a new car and have narrowed our choices to a diesel Mazda 6 and a S60 Volvo diesel. However we are concerned about reports that a fault in the Mazda engine causes fuel to enter...
My KIA Carens has been difficult to start. It usually takes at least 10 seconds when cold and around eight seconds when hot. Had a new battery and fuel filter fitted, but the problem persists. Any idea...
I wish to buy a new personalised Registration Number from the DVLA for my existing 13 year old car, and also keep the existing Registration Number. This so that I can revert back to the previous Reg Number...
I have £15,000 to spend and need a hard working, spacious estate car. I work as a taxi driver and the car will be used for work and must have a good sized boot and be reliable. What do you suggest I buy?
I bought a Volkswagen Golf DSG 1.4 TSI nine months ago. Since then I've been told various horror stories about the automatic gearbox and am now considering selling the car. What is your suggestion for...
I am looking to buy a used car and have a £6000 budget. I do a lot of miles, most of which are motorway driving and am torn between three models (all 2013 plate) - the Hyundai i10, the Volkswagen Up and...
I'm looking to buy a modest petrol engined family/supermini. I dislike turbos for their turbo lag. Can you tell me which cars I might consider that have a naturally aspirated petrol engine of circa 1600cc...
I own a Renault Captur 0.9-litre TCe petrol. Can I use it to tow a 870kg caravan?
My wife needs a new car. She's happy with her old Ford Fiesta, but her commute is going to get much longer next month and she needs something which suits a 50 mile trip. Lane control, adaptive cruise control...
I have very recently passed my test and am due to start new job in two weeks time. I will be commuting 500 miles a week, so need something with great MPG which can handle motorways. It will also need to...
I am looking to get a KIA Sorento (that will mainly be a family car but can also tow a horse trailer. I know that the 03-09 model can tow the most weight but I am put off by the £490 road tax.
Also I...
Would Michelin Cross Climate tyres be a good replacement for dedicated Winter and Summer tyres on a BMW 5-series F10 550? I change every six months and don't mind doing so but would be interested in your...
I have just spent quite a lot of money on a 2010 Vauxhall Viavaro 1.9 CDTI which has been converted into a camper. I love the van, but am worried about stories that surround the injectors. Apparently they...
I am thinking of purchasing a new Mazda 3 but can't decide between the 2.0 165 PS petrol or the 2.2 150 PS diesel. I have heard that the petrol models can be lethargic at low speeds so I want to know if...
I am buying a new Ford Mondeo diesel estate. The dealer is offering self-levelling suspension or sports suspension as options. What is the difference and wich should I choose?
I own a Volkswagen Golf. It is just one year old and has 10,000 miles on the clock. However, yesterday I had to replace one of the rear tyres. Can I just replace the single tyre or do I need to do it in...
I am looking at buying a BMW X1 and would appreciate your thoughts on which model to get. I am looking at either the BMW X1 Xdrive 18d M sport or the BMW X1 Xdrive 18d Xline. Both would have the same...
My local Honda dealer recently serviced my 2012 petrol Civic with 24,000 miles on the clock. They told me the handbrake travel was too long and suggested the cause was the caliper and probably both sides...
I have a diesel Jaguar XF. When refuelling I put in just over a litre of unleaded before realising my mistake. I then put in 25 litres of diesel. I drove home without a problem (about 20 miles). Will I...
I recently purchased a used (2008 model) BMW 1 Series. When driving it home from the dealer the engine management light came on. I looked in the car's manual and the warning symbol had already been marked...
Seven months ago I paid £34,000 for my Lexus NX. I have now been told it worth 25 per cent less than I paid. Is this normal? The car has only covered 8000 miles.
We want to change our Audi A4 All Road 2.0 TDI. Which would you suggest we replace it with? We quite like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, SEAT Leon X-Perience and Subaru Outback. Are there any other makes/models...
Recently, we bought a new Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GT diesel, fitted with 225x40xR18 alloy wheels and tyres as standard. The ride is appalling. Could I ask you to suggest a decent tyre/wheel combination for...
My Audi RS6 was bought new in late 2015 and has done 5000 miles. I reported an issue to the local dealer (not the supplying dealer) of a vibration through the steering at motorway speeds. Also a pulsing...
I am trading in my three year old Peugeot Partner Tepee 1.6 e-Hdi ETG for a brand new Partner Tepee Blue HDi with the same automated manual transmission and it is on a PCP plan.
It's the first PCP I've...
I purchased a new Mercedes-Benz C350e in March. Within a couple of months I experienced problems charging the hybrid battery. The dealer has told me that water is getting into the wire leading to the control...
My Toyota Verso is new, but seems to get a high level of tyre/wind noise at over 40mph. Any idea how I can fix this?
I have a new three month old Skoda Octavia VRS. Today, when I was driving, the coolant light came on and it said that there is low coolant levels . So I stopped and checked, it was below minimum but there...
I am looking to buy a Skoda Superb 1.4 SE L and the standard wheels are 18-inch. They do a 17-inch wheels with super rowi tyres. I understand that these are low rolling resistance tyres. Would these tyres...
I own a Rover 75 and can hear a solid metal on metal clunking from the front of the car when going over bumps. Also, there is a judder when slowing down during engine braking. I've had the clutch replaced,...
I purchased three year old Peugeot 508 2.0 HDI 140 from a local dealer last week. It's generally in good condition, with 80,000 miles on the clock.
Having now done 500 or so miles I have noticed an occasional,...
The Jaguar F-Pace perfectly fits my needs for my next vehicle, with one crucial exception - I only do about 6000 miles a year (short local runs plus a few long continental trips). That suggests I need...
After 19 years of using my Austin-Healey 100/4, I have decided to sell as I can no longer cope without power steering. I want to replace it with a relatively modern petrol convertible with as high a driving...
My Mazda 3 1.6CD DPF avreages only 30mpg in the city,and around 40-50mpg combined, what would be cause of this?
Would you recommend buying a used Mercedes A140 Classic? Registered 2002, it has 85000 miles on the odometer and is for sale for £1400.
We want to buy a new SUV. It must have a petrol engine. Most of our mileage is long distance and on motorways, around 10-15k miles per year, so we believe we need a decent size engine.
There seem to...
I have a stock Toyota MR2 roadster that is excellent for track days. I have £15k to spend on something in the same vein that I can use in the UK and Europe for up to 10 trackdays a year. I want to have...
We have a 2015 Ford Focus bought from Ford Direct in February 2016. On one of the few hot days this year we found the climate control system blowing cool rather than cold air. The diagnosis is road stone...
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