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• Renault Espace - Failed repair to alternator 14 Apr 2012 (Forum)
  As we were travelling in France,  (before we had even reached our destination) only  3 days after getting car back, the same light appeared. I texted uk garage but received no reply. I rang breakdown insurers who arranged for car to be mended at nearest local Renault garage in Paris. They said both the alternator and battery needed to be replaced.
• VW Polo 1.6 L 1995 21 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  Hi, I'm desperate for advice to get my car back on the road. I've been unable to start it since Friday night and, have been told, the problem is the key and immobiliser sytem. The breakdown guy ran a diagnostic check and it came up with a faulty key.
• Is Duratec HE engine reliable? 10 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  There must surely now be some that have covered high mileages. Is there anything to check for on these cars other than the items listed in 'car-by-car breakdown'? A final query - does anyone know if it is possible to get a discount for 'no p/ex' off the Ford Direct prices, or are they pretty much 'fixed' like 'car supermarket' prices?
• 
  Used car has developed a fault after 4 months - should the dealer fix it? 23 Jul 2014 (Ask HJ)
  I bought a four year old BMW 3 Series from a car supermarket in February. After a few weeks of ownership the car developed a funny vibration at speeds...
• 
  Nissan Leaf batteries are deteriorating and range is limited - false advertising? 24 Mar 2012 (Ask HJ)
  My District Council has leased two Nissan Leaf electric cars as a contribution to a cleaner planet. Nissan calls it a zero emission vehicle with a range...
• 
  Funnel vision 28 Nov 2009 (Ask HJ)
  I wonder if you could spare the time to help us select our next car please. I am 75 and my wife is 62. We have previously owned a 3 Series BMW, and Audi...
• Had my first breakdown not nice - Clutch has gone 15 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Just when I thought it could not get any worse. Just dropped my sister off First off all just when i left my house the car was being lumpy in 3rd, I...
• VW Golf mark VI 1.6TDI - Lost engine power on motorway! 29 Jun 2015 (Forum)
  I set off again and after another 10 mins of steady driving, the engine management glow lamp came on again - but this time, I lost all power! Had to limp into the hard shoulder using whatever speed was left - and call the breakdown services. The car would not re-start. Fuel tank still 2/3 full. Got a tow home. Tomorrow, when the garages open, I will have to take it in. But what could have caused all this ? The car is from October 2009, and has just 59K miles on the clock - mainly motorway driving.
• Volvo V40 2002 - Life saver 7 Feb 2012 (Forum)
  On Saturday 27th Jan at about 6.30p.m.I had picked up my car from where I had left it all day (in a lay by just off the A59 Harrogate road). I  travelled north approx 2 miles north on the A1 when a RAC breakdown van flashed me repeatedly. I pulled over to be told that I had no back lights at all.
• pug 307 52 plate - ecu fault 22 Dec 2011 (Forum)
  hi there wondered if somone can be of help... saturday the battery somehow disconnected on our car after a little wiggle it came back onbut when we went to turn car over it wouldnt start.. called breakdown out they advised the immobiliser wasnt reading the fob chip so towed us home... called a diagnostic guy out on sunday paid him £100 tp connect it to a comp to reset the codes but low and behold the problem still isnt fixed ... he still wanted the money tho... he informs us that the ecu is blocking him access to reset the code so its a job for the dealer.. how much am i probably looking at ????
• Mk 3 Golf Ignition Problems 27 Jul 2007 (Forum)
  I was driving along the motorway about 70mph, when the engine died suddenly (coughed twice), I blipped the throttle and it kept going fortunately until I got home. I tried to start the car the following morning (Wednesday) and although the engine turned there was no ignition. I replaced the coil amplifier ( had similar fault on another Mk3 ) but it didn't fix it. When the breakdown company turned up, they disconnected the HT lead from the distributor and held it against the block, whilst I turned the key, there was no spark.
• Ford Mondeo 51 plate TDCI 2.0zetec..help 29 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  car was driving fine then went to start it and it wont fire up .....phoned up breakdown as i had my kids the weekend,he said soilnoid was knackered....so off iwent to get a new one then bloke in starter motor shop said "before i sell you one make sure the flywheel isnt leaking into your starter motor,so i went home to take alook ..no leaks around the said areas,but now i got a terrible rattle on start up that goes after 3 mins to 5 mins and becomes a funny whistle when accelarating.....now the whistle i thought maybe was the turbo????
• Vectra 2004 Sri questions 13 May 2005 (Forum)
  If I put my air con "on" for a while and then turn it "off" the smell in my car is terrible.Smells "stale", like dirty socks or manure.It takes ages to go away. Lastly, if I turn my stereo up quite high, the sound starts to breakdown, cutting in and out. At first I thought it may have been the CD, but with the volume lower it plays fine.
• Golf 1.4 TSI [dsg] - Golf 1.4 TSI engine issues 27 Jun 2013 (Forum)
  I bought this car in 2007 from a private person. AA checked the car. After 2.5 years and 20,000 miles my engine collapsed.  Just outside warranty but VW agreed to pay for a new engine. Early this year i had issues with the engine which VW dealer first said it was the throttle.
• Ford Focus II (2004 - 2007) - 05 1.6tdci front wheel arch rust 'fix' 18 Apr 2011 (Forum)
  Hi All, I noticed some rust at the back of the front wheel arches on the focus estate I have just bought. From the car-by-car breakdown it appears a this is a common fault: "Rust appears on the back of the front wheel arches. The underseal in this area is inadequate and Ford has introduced a fix which involves a small strip of plastic that runs the length of the under sill and front wheel arch."
• BMW 3-Series E46 (1998 - 2005) - 01 1.9 wont start - intermittently!!! 27 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  i was very suprised at this, if the battery or started was at fault - then bump starting should definitely work?? I had to call the breakdown man, because the car just wouldnt start. He came out, and tested the battery - which was fine, he told me to push and tried to bump start it as well, and it wouldnt work. He said it was the immobiliser??
• Mercedes Benz E-Class W124 (1985 - 2000) - 88 2.6 Disappearing coolant... 13 May 2009 (Forum)
  I'm new to these cars and pretty new to car mechanics in general! Cheers...
• Zafira DTI,Electrical problem 25 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  No problems for about three months then, the fault happend again, in the morning, attempted to bump start the car down a hill, no good, called out a breakdown firm, who jump started the car battery, pulled up at my house switched off and started no problems So, I replaced the car battery with a new Varta one, high crank output, last night, drove to work for a good hour travelling time and noticed the dash lights started to dim and the radio, switched itself on/off/on/off etc, so in the stupidity of me, I pulled over in the middle of nowhere and turned the engine off and stereo to recetify/reset the problem, turned key to start, battery flat, dash instruments filkering and alarm sounding.
• Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe - Car sulking after lockdown 12 Oct 2023 (Forum)
    And the first 'breakdown' in 10 years of MX-5 ownership.  Though it did at least get me home.
• Sadistic driving examiners 23 Mar 2015 (Forum)
  The wife of one of my work-mates was taking her test when the examiner screamed and smashed, and when she hit the brake the hydraulic pipe burst.  She burst too, into tears, and the car sailed on.  The examiner hauled on the handbrake, took over and drove her back to the test centre. My late father-in-law, a mild natured man in his early 60s, had a nervous breakdown due to the performance and never drove again.