Trending topics in January 2017
buying a new car
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diesel engines
emissions fix
fuel economy
legal and consumer advice
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maintenance and servicing
michelin
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volkswagen emissions scandal
wheels and tyres
Questions from January 2017
My wife broke her shoulder last January and hasn't driven since. She now needs a Fiesta size car with an automatic gearbox. Can you help?
I'm looking at buying a Honda Civic i-DTEC 1.6 or a petrol Mazda 3 2.0 SE-L. Could you recommend a diesel engine or suggest whether petrol is the way to go based on future diesel city taxes. Probably looking...
My wife's 2015 MINI Cooper 1.5 is due for its first service.The dealership have informed us that there is an issue with the crankshaft bearings and they will carry out the necessary work. This is not a...
Should I use premium unleaded fuel in my Ford Focus 1.0-litre 125, as Ford recommend a minimum 95RON?
My Maserati Ghibli has a wheel judder issue when turning on hard lock. I read about the wheel judder on some Mercedes-Benz models also doing this. I have asked Maserati about this but they say it is quite...
Is a 2003 Nissan Micra 1.2 with good service history and 133,000 miles good for a first car?
My insurance company has just notified me that my car has been written off by the assessors. The other party has sole liability. What sort of money am I looking at for a pay out for a 2009 automatic Vauxhall...
I want to replace my Toyota RAV4 with another SUV. It must be automatic and I prefer petrol as I only do about 8000 miles a year. What would you recommend to take golf clubs, trolley and occasionally four...
I've replaced ignition barrel and switch on my 2005 Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 petrol and it broke again 2 weeks later, is this common?
I am considering the Citroen C4 Picasso 1.2 Puretech EAT6 as a long term proposition (up to 7 years) but would be interested in your thoughts as to reliability, particularly of the transmission, having...
We have, from new, a Volkswagen Caddy which is now 4 years old. We have just had a letter from Volkswagen saying they are able to do the emissions "fix". I've looked into this and people that have had...
I've had my Skoda Fabia for 3 years. The warranty ran out 10 days ago and the timing chain broke after only doing 38,000 miles. The dealer and Skoda U.K. are willing to pay £3500 towards the cost of new...
An old Renault Zoe was advertised for £9000 on the Renault website (for orders placed till 31 December 2016). My local dealers did not do the deal, but Renault put me in touch with one less than 100 miles...
We changed up from a 2007 V70 Volvo auto with 17-inch wheels and purchased a 2014 Honda CR-V 2.0 i-VTEC EX auto in November and like it very much. However, the 18-inch wheels make for a hard and uncomfortable...
I purchased a Nissan Qashqai Acenta 1.6 CVT approximately in October 2015. It was an ex-motabilty, done less that 8,000 miles and had been serviced 3 times since new. After completing somewhat less than...
I am disabled and need a car soon with a very adjustable driving position. I would be happy buying an older car and likely to be doing low weekly mileage. I don't care about fuel consumption, only comfort....
I purchased a car on the 7 October 2016 and it showed an engine fault warning light on the first day. I contacted the seller and he said he would have it fixed due to it being the EGR valve warning but...
I am planning a 2 day trip to Germany soon. My Octavia vRS Estate has 19-inch alloy wheels, but I will need a set of winter/snow tyres for this trip. What size tyres should I get and on what size rims?
I'm looking at two estate options, both approximately £17,000. The choice is between a 2016 SEAT Leon ST FR 1.8 petrol, second a 2016 Volkswagen Golf TDI GT 2.0 diesel. Both cars have well under 10,000...
I'm thinking of changing my 2010 Toyota RAV4 multidrive for a Suzuki Vitara 1.4 petrol automatic, is this a wise move? Also will I be able to claim back the vat on a new model as a registered disabled...
I have engine failure on my 2009 3-litre diesel Jaguar XF at 100,000 miles. The car was fine when taken to the dealer who have serviced the car from new. The valves appear to be hitting the pistons and...
I am being told by Smart that the stop-start on my Smart Fourtwo will not work when the external temperature is outside of a suitable range. Today the extenal temperature is 9C, and it still won't operate....
I have seen a dealer approved 2015 Mazda 3 automatic, with two previous owners. It was a demonstrator and had a private owner. It has done only 2000 miles. Is it okay to buy this car or stay away from...
We are in our early eighties and want to buy a reliable 2-3 year old small 5 door hatchback. All we require is power steering, a chain cam, a heater, a radio and parking sensors. We mainly drive locally,...
I want to buy a small second hand hybrid, budget £7000. What would you recommend?
I'm looking at buying a new car, and have traditionally always driven diesel cars. I'm a little worried, however, that Madrid, Paris, Mexico City and Athens have recently announced plans to ban diesel...
Three weeks ago I purchased a used Ford C-MAX from a local dealer. The part exchange vehicle was a 1.6-litre Ford Focus with a 125PS petrol engine and I indicated to the salesman that I was only interested...
We own a Mercedes-Benz AMG 4matic with the same issue that you have written about on the Mercedes-Benz GLC and GLA a few days ago. So far we have had the same response from Mercedes AMG in writing and...
I've got an 8 year old Honda Accord EX i-DTEC 2.2 diesel estate which I like very much and is the third I've had over the last 20 years or so. I hear alarms about possible future penalties on diesel emissions...
I am in the market for a 2013 Skoda Yeti and would like to know if I should avoid the DSG gearbox which has been troublesome in other VW products.
My 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan at 57,000 has been diagnosed as needing 4 new injectors by very competent Volkswagen specialists, surely this cannot be correct due to its low mileage.
Thinking of buying a 2012 Mazda 3 with a 2.2d engine. What is your opinion on the reliability of this engine?
My car insurance is now due for renewal but premiums are all excessively high, being 75-100 per cent more than last year, even though I have 14 years NCD. When I contacted my current insurer it appears...
I had to replace my Ford Focus Zetec climate battery and of course disconnecting this has reset the radio time and date settings and I have no code to enter. I have looked everywhere in case the previous...
Just before Christmas I was involved in a no fault accident when a white van pulled out from a driveway and hit my 7 year old Aygo (3 door).The insurance company have said it's a write off and offered...
We will soon have to replace our 16 year old Suzuki Wagon R. Is there a similar car, equally reliable, available with a sun roof please? Up to £4000.
I am looking to purchase a 2006 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2, 52,000 miles and I purchased an Experian vehicle check. I noticed there have been three owners, however, one owner only owned it for five days. Secondly,...
I have insurance but received no notification regarding my MoT and road tax. I was stopped by the police who told me that i did not have tax nor MOT so my car was impounded. How can i claim it back?
We have had a fairly acrimonious dispute with our local dealer and also VWUK about having to replace track rod ends and the steering rack on a Volkswagen Golf VII barely 6 months out of warranty. My point...
I'm thinking of swapping my 2011 535d BMW Touring M Sport, that has done 111,000 (on 19-inch wheels), for a 2011 530d BMW Touring SE that's done 98,000 (on 18-inch wheels). They have almost identical spec...
I'm looking at getting a Superchips Bluefin remap for my new 2016 Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost, 147PS with 2600 miles on the clock. The remap boasts a 47PS and 63Nm torque increase, although I'm well aware...
A friend's 2007 Audi A6 2.0 TDI had a DPF removed and deleted, as well as an EGR shut. It also had a remap done. From test drive, the vehicle begun emitting excesses smoke when the engine was heated and...
My Peugeot 208 developed a fault with the electric window so took it to the dealer. They say it needs a repair and it's covered under warranty but they've made me pay £114 for the diagnostic check. That's...
I'm trying to help my brother-in-law buy his first car. He's in his early thirties, has little interest in cars and just wants reliable transport with a low insurance group. He mainly lives and works in...
What is the best small to medium car that's able to carry a mobility scooter?
My wife has a 2004 automatic Honda Jazz which she is considering changing for a newer model. She has been completely satisfied with her Jazz and does not wish to change to another model/manufacturer. ...
My Volkswagen Tiguan has been back to Volkswagen 3 times now for being noisy following the emissions fix and they are telling me that there is nothing wrong with it. I have searched the internet and can...
My Peugeot 307 SW is getting to the end of its life and I'm finding roof bars seem to be out of fashion on modern estates. I'd like a Honda Civic Estate or a Ford Focus Estate but can I trust those clippy...
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