When would you change a 2005 Ford Focus' cam belt?

Ford tells me that my 50,000-mile 2005 Focus 1.6TIVCT does not need the cam belt changing until 100,000 miles or 10 years. I have read the discussion but there seems to be conflicting advice. What would...

Which estate car would you recommend for a short commute and carrying our dog?

We are looking to spend £3500-£4000 on an estate-type car - a runaround used for a daily commute of only three miles and longer journeys at weekends with our dog. We're looking to keep running costs reasonably...

Recommend a car for transporting us to dog shows to replace our Citroen Xsara Picasso?

We bought a 2001 Citroen Xsara Picasso HDi on your recommendation in 2006. It's a great car, but now we are looking for something a little bigger to transport two people, two dogs, camping gear and our...

I need to buy a reliable estate car for 7000 miles per year - should I consider a diesel?

I need an estate car with good reliability, and I want an automatic with reasonable economy. I have about £10,000 plus my trade-in. I am thinking of a used Passat, Mazda 6 or Volvo V70 and I know from...

Do clutches in the new Ford Mondeo fail at 40,000 miles?

I've heard that the clutches go on the new Ford Mondeo after 30-40,000 miles, and you have to have the flywheel changed as well at a cost of £1000. Is this true?

My Ford Focus ST has been revealed as stolen/recovered - what can I do?

I bought an '05 Ford Focus ST-2 in May this year from a Ford dealer for £9000 with only 36,000 miles on the clock. It came HPI clear, with a full service history, and three owners. It's a really looked-after...

Should my sister-in-law buy a petrol or diesel Ford Focus for short journeys?

My sister-in-law is looking to purchase a new Ford Focus but cannot decide between the 1.6TDCI diesel and 1.6I petrol engines. She does less than 10,000 miles per year, mainly very short runs in town with...

Why is my daughter's Ford S-Max persistently leaking oil?

My daughter has a 2008 Ford S-Max Titanium X with a 2.2 TDCi engine. The car has been back to the Ford main agent eight times now for oil leaks. The fault is obvious from spasmodic blue fumes from under...

Can you recommend an economical estate car to replace my ageing Corolla?

I'm 64 years of age and need a car. My wife has a new Fiat Panda Eco Active so shopping is sorted. My annual mileage has now dropped to around 10,000 with 12-20 visits a year to family down motorways and...

Will Ford contribute to repairing an EGR fault on my 2004 Ford C-Max?

I appear to have seemingly a common fault regarding EGR failure on my 2004 Ford C-Max diesel, where the air pipes were filled with engine oil which the RAC man said was dripping onto the alternator. On...