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  Ford Focus or Volvo V40? 14 Sep 2013 (Ask HJ)
  We are looking to buy a new family car to replace our aging Ford Focus and have so far narrowed down our choices to the new Focus and the new Volvo V40....
• Ford Mondeo III (2000 - 2007) - 1.8 or 2.0 litre petrol, or 2.0 TDCI? 18 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  HJ's car-by-car breakdown at http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=119 lists a long catalogue of problems with the diesel (injectors, DMF, DPF, which may not be all that common but could be expensive disasters if they happened while the car was in use for business. OTOH, it seems that the extra torque of the diesel will make it a much nicer drive.
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  Are your readers aware of all the major issues with electric cars? 21 Mar 2011 (Ask HJ)
  Your column has correctly picked up on one of the fallacies of electric cars and you are the only writer that I can find that has told the truth about...
• Ford Europe Update 16 Apr 2019 (Forum)
  Dealer expects to sell plenty more on motability with Citroen/Peugeot/Vauxhall pushing up their van Based MPV prices on the Berlingo / Rifter / Combo Life Mustang - sales and enthusiasm starting to slow New Focus - Petrol DPF a real headache for some customers who only do short runs, has had to buy 2 back and down size the customers into Fiesta Actives. Fiesta active - says it’s a good car but over priced, customers struggle to justify the finance offers compared to rivals such as on the Nissan Juke, Dacia Sandero Stepway and Suzuki, says Ford need to offer a base model.
• Nissan Almera Tino - Suggestions for Automatic replacement 18 Feb 2018 (Forum)
  Specifics are:- Needs to have a high drivers seat height - I can't find any website that specifies this to allow model comparison but the Tino seat height seems to be higher than your average saloon / estate like Astra / Mondeo  Budget around £8k to £10k We do less than 3k miles per year and mostly town driving so it has to be petrol due to all the DPF nonsense currently afflicting diesels - we'd kill a modern diesel within a year I suspect due to our majority short cold run usage. Not too concerned with mpg. The Tino does around 28mpg around town / 38mpg on a run so somewhere around there would be good if possible.
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  Replacing a Citroen Xsara Picasso 22 Jun 2015 (Ask HJ)
  I've just updated my owner review of the Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDi. My dilemma comes from what to replace it with: The Peugeot Partner Tepee & Ford...
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  No power after new turbo fitted 26 Mar 2015 (Ask HJ)
  I have a 2003 Ford Focus 1.8 diesel 115 and a few weeks ago the turbo went on it. I had a recon turbo fitted by my local mechanic, he also cleaned out...
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  What car should I buy that's fun but economical? 7 Nov 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I am 69 and generally reasonably fit and still working. Three months ago I decided that I really needed a car with a higher driving position. I fancied...
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  Our fusebox caught on fire - do we have any recourse as we've only owned it five months? 21 Sep 2017 (Ask HJ)
  We've owned a 2013 Volkswagen Passat for the past five months. This morning, while my wife was driving to work, she heard a crackle and thought it was...
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  Volvo- Hesitation on acceleration. Please help... 18 Aug 2016 (Ask HJ)
  Volvo V60 D3 Automatic 2011 Year 41,000 miles Problem: Car “falters” on acceleration when leaving a queue of traffic. This has occurred most noticeably...
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  What do the different letters after Euro 6 mean? 21 Mar 2024 (Ask HJ)
  I have looked at two identical cars of a similar age but when you go on the DVLA vehicle check site they have different emissions. One is registered May...
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  What's the best dash cam for a car with panoramic windscreen? 26 Nov 2018 (Ask HJ)
  I bought a 2016 Citroen Grand Picasso but want to fit a dash cam. Have you any suggestions? The thing that makes it tricky is knowing where to mount it....
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  Do I need to have the emissions fix on my Skoda Octavia? 3 Feb 2017 (Ask HJ)
  I own a 2013 Skoda Octavia Scout 2.0 TDI (42,000 miles). I've had two letters from Skoda inviting me to have the emissions fix undertaken, but I am happy...
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  Is buying a diesel van a good idea, bearing in mind the problems I hear about expensive emissions equipment repairs? 25 May 2018 (Ask HJ)
  My dad is wanting a van for approximately £2000. He's never had a van or a diesel vehicle. I myself am a car enthusiast; I've bought, repaired and sold...
• mazda 6 2008 - Mazda Campaign - Finally get heard? 7 May 2010 (Forum)
  6. I did not read the hand book which states how the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) works; I got heavily questioned on this subject. Honestly, I can go on.
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  Could you suggest a low tech, low maintenance classic? 6 Dec 2017 (Ask HJ)
  With all the publicity about over complex, money pit, unfit for purpose cars - what do you recommend as a low tech alternative? I realise regulations don't...
• Citroen Berlingo Multispace - Dad-to-be swapping small van for a LAV - which one 20 Mar 2017 (Forum)
  Despite driving diesels for a long time, I've become quite turned off modern common rail diesels as I feel they're less reliable with expensive consumables - DPF, DMF and the fragile injection system. I also am keen on converting the next vehicle to dual fuel (to petrol & LPG/propane) to save on running costs & improve emissions. However the van based LAVs tend to have weedy petrols and powerful diesels and I like me some speedy cars!
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  BMW X3 approved used car problems 19 Aug 2015 (Ask HJ)
  I purchased a BMW X3 2007 (59,508 miles) from a BMW dealership in March 2013. The Turbo and Particulate filter failed at 68,424 miles. At 90,000 miles...
• Swapped the wifes car (cars) 24 Jun 2015 (Forum)
  Ceed is almost 5 years old and has only done 5,500 miles in the last 12 months which is not good for a diesel with a DPF. We have tried to do regular long runs but it is inevitable it will bite us eventually. £110 VED. Micra is 7 1/2 years old and whilst low mileage (26,000) and in excellent condition its inevitable it will want money spending soon.
• 2500 miles per month. £2500. Diesel? Petrol? LPG? 1 Jan 2017 (Forum)
  Overtake on that car is an adventure that I do not wish to entertain again. However the SDI, does not have a Turbo or a DMF or a DPF. All the things that apparently I wish to avoid. Before opening the discussion is important to mention that I do most of the work on my own cars and after succesfully tackling the Head Gaskets on my 2003 outback, I am confident to do most jobs that wont require two people, a specialized place or specialized tools.