Refine by channel:  Forum (930)    Ask HJ (460)    News (263)    Article (21)    FAQs (5)    productReview (5)  

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• Primera RIP? 21 Dec 2006 (Forum)
  Noticed on the 'Car by Car' breakdown that the Primera was axed in October - didn't realise this. Do Nissan have a replacement lined up? I reckon the current ones are bargains secondhand but visually look awful compared to the Mondeo or Vectra - all that flat metal, no side strips on doors and high waistline.
• Passat Problems (Mass Airflow Meter??) 18 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  Hi, HJ's Car-by-Car Breakdown mentions MAF sensor failures on Passats, which might be the cause of SHMBO's '98 1.8 20V (only 150k miles!) running poorly. Symptoms are poor idling, with a tendency to stall if the throttle is 'blipped'.
• Focus Timing Belt 28 Jul 2004 (Forum)
  As you may or may not know I recently took possession of a '99 Focus 1.8 Ghia. Anway - I've read the Car by car breakdown and it says somethign along the lines of "fleet managers reckon on only 60,000 for timing belts" Now I am no mechanic by any means so I have no idea what I'm on about but if this snaps am I right in thinking it takes pretty much the whole engine with it?
• 180K Mercedes E240 W210 feasible? 2 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  A friend will soon be selling his P reg E240 automatic saloon which he's had since it two years old.I've known the car since he's had it and it's in excellent condition with FMBSH. The only problem he's had was a new gearbox( at150K!).I would use the car mainly at weekends and only do about 6k a year hence I'm considering the car.I've read HJ's C by C breakdown and am aware from recent posts that the more recent Mercs do not appear as good as the older models and am concerned that the car could become a moneypit at this mileage.
• BMW 635i - Any Advice, Please 21 Dec 2001 (Forum)
  Yours Andy P.S. The model does not appear to be listed in the Car by Car breakdown.
• 
  Does my 1998 Volkswagen Golf GTI have an electrical fault? 26 Jun 2010 (Ask HJ)
  I have an R-reg 1998 Volkswagen Golf GTI. For a while now it has been cutting out a few times a week whilst stationary or going at speed, whether the car...
• Mazda 3 2017 - Spare Wheel 15 Feb 2018 (Forum)
  We have our car through Motability and have booked a holiday to France even got our European breakdown cover through the RAC at no extra charge, all good so far.  However having read the book the RAC sends through it says that if you have a puncture and there is space for a spare wheel and no spare wheel present then they will not assist.
• granada automatic 27 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  does any body know the service time given to remove gearbox. by the way his breakdown cover takes the family home ,but the car only 20 miles.
• Mondeo TDCi LX - 52 plate 16 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  So, I've bought myself another one - a gorgeous TDCi LX on a 52 plate. 1 owner (fleat) with 91K and it seem sound. I've read the car-by-car breakdown but its all a bit techie for me to really put it into perspective. Does anyone have any hints or tips for me with this one? Cheers, as ever - and hope all is well! P
• Peugeot 306 1.4 petrol Cambelt interval 1 Aug 2005 (Forum)
  Hi How important is the 3-year/36k miles cambelt change interval as stipulated in HJ's car-by-car breakdown? I ask because a friend has just bought one at 5 years old (V-reg) and 38,000 miles. He does not know the service history, so I am presuming the belt hasn't been changed. He is getting a service done this year by the selling garage, but would like to keep the belt change until next year.
• Running out of oil 6 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  My car is a VW 1.9 turbo diesel Sharan (90hp) which recently broke down due to camshaft failure. The breakdown occured about 600 miles after I had checked the oil and topped up with less than half a pint.
• 
  Valued assistance 10 Sep 2011 (Ask HJ)
  I too have taken out extra 'insurance' for £50 that ensures that any damage to my new-ish car is handled by the dealer rather than the cowboys. It only...
• Service Scam? 15 Jul 2003 (Forum)
  I am just about to get my Vauxhall serviced just to maintain the warranty and breakdown cover for the year. I have had an itemised quote for the service and noticed that they wanted to use 9 units of oil at a total cost of £36. It didn't specify the units (litre or half-litre) but the car uses 4.5 litres to fill.
• HJ's recommended cars 3 Jan 2005 (Forum)
  In the car-by-car breakdown, HJ is pretty sparing with the cars that he is prepared to recommend (let alone highly recommend). I got to thinking about this recently as I am looking into buying a previous shape Honda Accord.
• European Breakdown Cover - A cautionary tale 28 Mar 2013 (Forum)
  I would point out that on that basis any breakdown cover where you went over to France to buy wine cheaper or buy anything would, according to this bizarre logic, render the recovery cover invalid. Meanwhile I have a car sitting 500 miles down in France and on paper i have a client who has responsibility for getting the truck back.
• 
  Can we drive somewhere less local to walk our dogs? 30 Mar 2020 (Ask HJ)
  We have four working dogs who need a good walk/run every day. We live on an estate and there is nowhere they can have a good run and exercise. Are we allowed...
• 
  Water ingress to boot 17 Jan 2011 (Ask HJ)
  I purchased this vehicle new from a local dealer just over three years ago. Over the last 18 months I have returned it to the service department on...
• 
  Should my 80-year-old wife replace her 2002 Nissan Micra or just run it into the ground? 6 Dec 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My 80-year-old wife has a 2002 Nissan Micra, current mileage 10,172 after eight years. Use is almost entirely local (surgery, shopping, visiting friends,...
• 
  Can I drive my car with warning lights on if the garages are closed? 3 Apr 2020 (Ask HJ)
  I have a Hyundai ix20. I have just noticed that the ABS warning light and the ESP lights have come on. I have checked the fuses and they are fine. As they...
• 
  What is causing my E-Class Mercedes-Benz to break down, and will Mercedes-Benz be liable after my warranty expires? 5 May 2012 (Ask HJ)
  I have an E-Class Mercedes that I absolutely love to drive, but have had two breakdowns due to a fault in the fuel injection system. Mercedes has provided...