We have just returned home after a Dorset & Devon tour. The Beetle broke down in Bicester en route to Bath. The AA attended & correctly diagnosed the Dual Mass Flywheel as the problem. They piggy backed us to Bath, where Beetle was left at the main dealers. Flywheel was replaced & a new clutch installed. We set off for Lyme Regis with no problem until I reversed uphill into a parking slot. The smell of burnt clutch was awful. I switched off the engine to find that the gearbox was stuck in reverse. After a while it freed up into neutral, but on starting wouldn't go back into reverse & there was a nasty meshing of gears. The car was left for a couple of hours, restarted and all was ok. VW Bath were contacted & made an appointment with VW Barnstaple, our next port of call. Beetle was left with them & they reported that there was no problem, although they hadn't taken the clutch out. Initially they suggested it might be my driving technique, but then said that modern clutches didn't like reversing under load - uphill, extended distance, hooked up to caravan, etc. This doesn't sound right to me? Nevertheless, we returned to Norfolk without incident, until we actually arrived home. I had switched off to unload and, on restarting, the engine gave an unusual shudder. But all is well again today? With Best Regards Robert Read more

I have a long commute through built-up areas , and through narrow country lanes where nifty overtaking comes in handy. I need to change to an automatic from my current basic manual Honda Civic as I have developed stiffness and a restricted range of movement in my hips. I also have back and wrist problems with neck stiffness, difficulty twisting, and sore wrists.

I have tried a CR-V but worry that it might be too high to come down and out of.... Read more

Bought a Jetta 1.6 tdi SE brand new last month. Noticed a vibration through the clutch pedal (also through the footrest) and through the steering wheel when under load.

The dealer replaced the clutch and flywheel last week at 750 miles and three weeks old. Unfortunately the problem remains pretty much unchanged. Any ideas what the problem might be? Read more

hi got a noise in the cab area Like a humming , whinning noise comes and goes not always there doesn't change under acceleration and when driving etc any ideas got loader of past 8 month .... Read more

During the MOT 3 years ago the examiner was under the car during the shake test and there was a loud bang from the front of the car. He dived out from under it and then reinspected and found nothing. He passed the car and couldn't confirm what the noise had been. On leaving the centre I felt that the steering wheel was rocking at low speed. He had advised that I get the 4 wheel alignment checked as the near side rear tyre was starting to scrub on the inside. Got this done the next day. 3 weeks later I was checking the tyre pressure and the front near side tyre was so badly scrubbed that I had to put on the spare. Took it to my local mechanic who recommended that I get 2 new tyres on the front and get the 4 wheel alignment done again. Got this done at a different tyre depot and the guy said there was something peculiar about the steering, but wasn't a mechanic so couldn't pin point the problem. Mechanic drove the car and agreed that there was a wobble on the steering wheel. Put a 2nd hand steering rack in. Now when the car went over 10mph the VSC, ABS and TRC lights would light up. Went to Auto electrician who advised that the computer was telling him that the wheels were pointing at 13 degrees when they appeared to be straight. Put a 2nd hand sensor on steering column. Didn't work. Advised me that I take it to main dealer who had it for a week. They changed the sensor for a new one and carried out the 4 wheel alignment several times. No avail. They asked me to tell them if I ever got it fixed. Suggested I try replacing the ABS pump. Got my mechanic to do this with a 2nd hand one. No avail. To date I have spent nearly £2k. The car has 105k miles. Any suggestions? Read more