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• Renault Clio 1 Petrol (1991 - 1998) - 96 1.4 car problem 10 May 2008 (Forum)
  just wondering if anybody can help me as my renault clio 1.4 auto diyed on me as i was driving down the road the "breakdown" idiot told me it was fuel...
• Citroen Xsara Picasso (2000 - 2010) - Motorpoint vs dealer - comments appreciated 11 Feb 2008 (Forum)
  Motorpoint in Glasgow have an 07 with 13032 miles for £8699 (with electric sunroof which I believe was an option) Citroen dealer has same car with 8877 miles for 9995. Both cars carry the same area identifier on the plate and "Citroen UK" Slough number plates so assume that Citroen have had a job lot of these autos and sold them on (prob ex lease / rental) My questions are basically 1.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - Estate options for 5k 2 Oct 2007 (Forum)
  Obvious choice (to me) is a Focus estate- never driven one, but appeals because: 1. supposedly great drive (ie. better than equivalent Astra) 2. choice (again, seems to be better than Astras) - don't want to take too long waiting for the right vehicle 3. running costs, although lower than average mileage so don't need a diesel (but would be happy to have a TDCi) 4. highly recommended in the Car-by car breakdown IIRC 1.6 is supposed to be the sweetest unit and performance would be adequate, but wouldn't say no to the 1.8 or 2.0; the extra fuel/insurance isn't a major issue. Must have air con.
• Put off any new purchase... 17 Jun 2006 (Forum)
  rust, glow plugs on diesels, wiring looms on pre early 96 models. I?m open to petrol or diesel, have I just read too much and should accept that no car is far from perfect, on that basis should I stick with ?British? for the benefit of economic repairs. Or I'm thinking I'm obviuosly looking i nplaces where problems are reported, not a true representation of the car as a whole.
• Fiat Brava / Bravo cambelt tensioner 8 Oct 2002 (Forum)
  Fiat dealer admitted thay have done two others recently, both within normal replacement mileage. HJ's Car-by-Car Breakdown advises cambelt / tensioner / rollers on all Brava/Bravo every 36,000 / 3 years, which from the above seems about right. Autodata (the standard Trade refference, based on manufacturer's information), however, say 72k / 6 years on all 1.4 and up to 2000 1.6,1.8,+ 2.0 changing to 72k / 5 years for 2001 1.6,1.8, + 2.0 with a "check and replace if necessary @ 36k.
• Audi A6 Avant 2002 - Cold Start/Turbo Cut out 14 Jan 2021 (Forum)
  Since the "new" cylinder head was fitted the cold start is awful, sounding like it is back running on the 3 cylinders from the breakdown.  After a bit it seems to clear although in idle it misses a beat from time to time. The turbo lag remains significant but I can get used to it.  Problem is that intermittently(maybe once a week) the turbo cuts out , only to restart after turning off the ignition and restarting the car.
• Renault Espace (2002 - ) - 03 2.2 turbo+intercooler problem 22 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  Hi can anybody help.Bought an espace and a warranty (endorsed by a well known motoring critic),paid extra for wear and tear and turbo cover.When car went for service we asked the garage to check for oil leak as we noticed a drop on drive,couldnt find anything.three weeks later during christmas took car back this time oil leak found advised not to use car and was booked in for investigation.Intercooler and turbo failed so warranty company rang by garage who sent engineer out.Warranty will not pay or help with repair due to:quote-intercooler was contaminated with oil and was also visualy oil stained around the area where the unit had been leaking which would be considered progressive in development and would not be considered a sudden breakage,there was slightly excessive lift on the turbine and oil contamination which in the absence of any actual breakage the cause would be consistent with general in service wear and deterioration of the turbo support bush and seals.Apparentley the warranty company sums up as saying the policy does not cover for any items which have not suffered a sudden and unforseen breakdown,but which are simply worn out.The car is a 53 reg 2.2 dci espace with service history and 71k on the clock.Has anybody any advice as it seems to me this company is hiding behind weasel words and clauses(not my words-check the ad).
• Ford Focus - 2007 Ford Focus intermittent total engine failure 13 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  So far we've spent £300 on investigation / test / new coil pack with no results. I cant see what other option we have than to sell the car - a car that might fail on you at any time is pointless, i'm especially worried about any long distance trips. Thanks.
• Honda Civic UK (2001 - 2005) - 02 1.6 Engine Temperature problem? 22 Jan 2010 (Forum)
  I have had the car for two weeks or so and it was purchased from a main dealer as an approved car with a one year warranty for mechanical breakdown but excluding wear and tear. I have noticed that the temperature guage only moves about a quarter up the scale.
• Away to Europe- in what? 24 Aug 2005 (Forum)
  The Polish travel websites also have fairly dire warnings about car crime - are they more likely to be interested in a new hire car than an old Jag (assuming nothing on show in either car?) Maybe I'm just getting old, but I seem to be worrying a lot more! I did almost the same trip in 1998, and just got in my battered 1987 Nissan Sunny and did the whole trip with no hassle at all.
• Sporty Coupe 21 Jan 2002 (Forum)
  A cruise through the car-by-car breakdown and some other car sites has suggested a Puma, a Tigra or a Hyundai Coupe, to a budget of £10K. Showed Madame a picture of a Xsara coupe and got that stare again, so it won't be a Citroen.
• Merc 300d 6 Oct 2002 (Forum)
  I've just spotted a Merc 300d on the list at one of the nearer auctions, and I have a reason for being interested in this particular model. However, I know pretty much nothing of Mercedes cars, or of cars from this particular time (registered 1987) and I couldn't find the 300d listed in the car-by-car breakdown on this site. Perhaps it's a variant of another type of Merc - if so, could someone tell me which one to look under?
• Renault Laguna - AA Breakdown Repair Cover - Dont Waste your money 24 May 2014 (Forum)
  I’ve been a member of the AA now for some years.  It’s only this year that I’m disappointed with the service I have received. ...
• Any - 'Used Approved' 28 Feb 2020 (Forum)
  Unfortunately the car itself is not so good and I am rejecting it because of bodywork corrosion (a shame, because I really rate these cars). Which led me to wonder how 'Approved Used' cars are selected. AFAIK, the manufacturer has no 'quality assurance' programme.
• Dilema (no it's not a car) 23 Jan 2002 (Forum)
  The car stays garaged until i need it over the summer or winter, when as i said it drives down to south Europe on the Autoroute. Consequently i need a very reliable car as i cannot afford to breakdown in Europe (even with AA intnational cover), it is just too much stress and hassel.
• FIAT Punto II (1999 - 2006) - Insurance Write-Off Question 10 Feb 2010 (Forum)
  I don't know whether the garage or the insurance company want her to pay this but I'm a little unsure as to why she should stump up to scrap a car that has been written off by her insurance company. She's also been given a courtesy car by the garage so now her car has been written off, I'd imagine that she'd have to give the courtesy car back quick-smart.
• Suzuki Swift (2005 - ) - Uneven wear on rear tyres 25 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  My wife has a 4 year old Swift that we bought from the local dealer when it was about 10 months old and it has been serviced there ever since. This year, the car failed the MOT test because one rear tyre was illegal, owing to very uneven wear. The rear tyres are scrubbing on the inside edge and it seems this is due to a manufacturing fault that is well known by Suzuki and the dealers (and is reported on this web site in the car by car breakdown as being quite a common problem with early cars of this model).
• Vauxhall Vectra B facelift (1999 - 2002) - 1999 - Intermittent failed clutch in extreme cold? 6 Dec 2007 (Forum)
  Left the car for an hour, and came back; the same still happened. In a shocking application of Murphy's law, when the Frenchman from the breakdown company arrived he insisted on putting the second chain on and the car drove off no problem, so he told me to use my chains.
• Buying a facelift Omega Elite 21 May 2007 (Forum)
  I've seen these cars selling on autotrader and ebay for between £1500 and £2000 which seems ideal for me. My questions are - What are people?s opinions on these cars (I've read the Car by Car breakdown and would like something more specific)?
• Vauxhall Corsa - DOE test added to annual service & MOT invoice? 3 Jul 2017 (Forum)
  All the info we can find on the internet suggests it is something necessary for commercial vehicles in Ireland. To clarify, my parner's car is not a commercial vehicle and we are in England! Fair do's if it's something legit, I just can't help feeling we've been a little ripped off... Breakdown of the invoice as follows: Subtotal £206 (MOT and service) VAT £41.20 DOE test £54 Amount to pay £301.20 Any insight gratefully received!