Engine malfunction message on Ford Focus - what's the fault?

The engine malfunction message has come up on my 2008 Ford Focus 1.8 TDCI. There are no warning codes or lamps, so my mechanic has nothing to work with after plugging it in to the diagnostic scanner. Yet...

Should we buy another Honda Jazz or look at the Ford Fiesta 1.25?

My wife’s Chinese-built Honda Jazz 1.2 is now five and a half years old and is approaching 50,000 miles. She drives around 8000 miles a year, including a fortnightly motorway round trip of 180 miles. We...

What's the best family car for £10,000?

We are looking for a family car. Our main criteria is: (1) Big enough for a young family yet as car like as possible and easy to drive/park locally; (2) Comfortable on long motorway journeys; (3) Lots...

Failed automatic transmission on 2004 C-Max - can I sue Ford?

Our 2004 Focus C Max has just had a terminal automatic transmission failure. The local garage (member of Good Garage Scheme) has confirmed it needs a new gearbox, at a cost of £2000-£3000. Does this model...

Peugeot 308 or Ford Focus?

I need a used car and have been looking at a 2009 Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI. There are lots of cars around with just 37,000 miles on the clock and I’m very tempted. I’m also considering the Ford Focus 1.6 diesel...

Ford Galaxy suffering coolant problems

I have a 2006 Ford Galaxy, which has covered more than 100,000 miles. A few weeks ago we took the car abroad, but the water coolant suddenly emptied and forced us to return home. Before that we'd already...

Car radio stuck on ‘one hour’ mode

The radio on my 2007 Ford Mondeo is stuck on 'one hour' mode, regardless if the engine is running or not. Ford technical has said it was the GEM module, which I changed, but the problem persists. Any ideas?

Air conditioning not working

The air conditioning system on my 2009 Ford Mondeo has failed. I took the car to my local independent garage and they carried out a diagnostic test, which gave fault code P0535. Ford Technical was consulted...

Which Focus, petrol or diesel?

My son is spending about £3000 on a Ford Focus, a 1.6 or a 1.8 Diesel. It is a low mileage diesel. I have no other details, but on the question of 1.6 or 1.8, do you favour one in particular please?

Buying a used Ford Galaxy diesel – should I change the filters?

We are buying a 2006 Ford Galaxy, which has already been serviced by a local Ford dealer. However, a mechanic has told us that, whatever diesel car we buy, we should change the oil and filters immediately...