Questions from October 2010
The correspondence from EH and others recently is a very real worry to anyone who has been blamed for a traffic accident, no matter how slight. It seems surprising that EH's insurers did not contest, as...
My daughter’s car was stolen in July, 2009. It was smashed into a car causing a write-off of my daughter's car. The insurers did not pay up as she had lost her keys, and they said she didn’t keep car safe...
Coming into the winter I am considering getting snow tyres, but I'm put off by the cost (£1000 for rims and tyres). I drive a 2007 S-Max, which was fantastic last year, but we still have some sticky moments....
My wife is looking to change her 2005 Vauxhall Signum for a more up-to-date car. However, there are some features of the Signum she would like on the new vehicle, such as the roomy interior, the large,...
Our son has just announced that we are going to become grandparents again, so a we need a larger car, really a 7-seater so we can all go out as a family. It must be automatic and not too large, so a Zafira...
I've been told that I'm wasting my money putting winter tyres on the front wheels of a RWD car. I know you recommend Michelin Pilot Primacy HP for summer tyres. From your experience, have you any preference...
I have lost the registration document for my Volvo. Please can you advise me as to what I should do to obtain a replacement?
I have recently encountered a problem with a knock when the engine first starts the usual bag of spanners noise with black smoke coming from the exhaust. It subsides when the engine warms up and it doesnt...
My 2.2 direct sri petrol Vectra lost power 2 days ago while in traffic, the recovery people plugged the car into the computer and told me that the coil pack needs replacing as the car was misfiring on...
I have not used my Transit in about a year and now she has decided not to start. I have changed the starter solenoid but there is no power there. She will start on a bump. Can anyone help - is there a...
I have a problem with a failed coil pack on my Peugeot 206 petrol 1.4. I went to buy a replacement from Motex parts dept. When they entered my reg it prompted the bloke "is it a white or grey plug?" so...
Am I alone in thinking that the practice of resurfacing roads with a thin layer of tar and granite pebbles, often in the summer when the tar is in a permanently melted state, is not only irritating but...
I'm trawling the internet at the moment because my Volkswagen Touran has the ABS issue mentioned in your Telegraph web page. Unfortunately I'm a new owner of a 2005 car that has just developed the problem....
For many years I have driven automatic cars and have always used my left foot for braking, I understand that you recently published an item on which foot to use. As I must have been away, I missed that...
It is worth noting that if the parking enforcement company in question tries to chase your correspondent HW of St. Neots, the court will transfer the case automatically to the defendant's nearest county...
Like HW (letters 9/10/10) I have received a parking charge notice. Mine was for a vehicle I sold a week previous to the alleged offence. Presumably the DVLA had not updated its details - although I have...
I am writing in reply to HW’s email letter in your Telegraph column. I too received a letter from the parking company in question. However, its claim that I outstayed my parking time was completely fictitious....
There is one thing that automatic cars and ordinary cars have in common. They both have handbrakes, but I suggest that automatic cars drivers using two feet forget this at temporary stops. I sat behind...
I recently bought a Discovery 4, and was told by someone within Land Rover that the car contained a 'Black Box', which (in the event of an accident) recorded information on speed, engine revs, etc. immediately...
As a result of a domestic accident, my wife seriously feels pain every time I drive over a matchstick so I need a very, very soft ride for her. I have been offered a 2005 Lexus RX 400h SE CVT with 45,000...
One of your emailers was prepared to stump up £21,000 and part-ex his Mondeo because he wanted “something a little higher than his Mondeo”. Another is happy to part-ex his recent Ford Focus Ghia and also...
My son’s old, special edition BMW has been written off after being ploughed into at speed on the M25 by an idiot who didn’t notice the stagnant queue of traffic. The insurance company has agreed that he...
Recently you have mentioned the problem of "rusty Mercs", and the unwillingness of Mercedes-Benz to honour its 30-year Mobilo warranty. Like other Mercedes-Benz owners, what I would like to know is whether...
I read in your column a reference to the Dutch police 'pushing for penalty points' (on a UK licence). Can they really do that? I am a resident of Guernsey, and as such have a Guernsey driving licence....
I have a Peugeot 206 1.4 auto that normally gives me 40mpg, plus or minus about 2mpg. I am looking for better economy and the Toyota Aygo and iQ have combined figures in the sixties. But I have seen journalists...
I run a December 1990 Ford Scorpio 2.0 litre automatic hatchback which, to say the least, is past its best and needs replacing. I do a lot of 'gig' work which means I have to be able to transport amplifiers,...
Our 2001 Mercedes-Benz C180 Estate recently failed its MoT spectacularly due to a cracked coil spring and steering arm. The MoT inspector and our local dealer both say that they have never seen such a...
I would appreciate your advice on a leftover from last century. Are there any new cars still around with 'constant velocity' transmissions, please? If not, when was the last such survivor?
I bought a new Ford C-Max 2.0 diesel on your recommendation in 2006 and to date, with 104,000 miles on the clock, it has been an excellent and comfortable workhorse giving me a regular 47/8mpg, dipping...
I am writing after recent disappointment with my Volvo. The car is a 2002 S60 T5 and at 84,000 miles the automatic gearbox has been playing up and is slowly getting to the point where it is horrible to...
I wrote to you in August regarding problems with finding a suitable car for me to access as either a passenger or driver, as I now have my right leg set in a permanently straight position. I need to have...
I have a 2006 Audi A4 2.0 TDI that has now reached 82,000 miles. In general it has been a very good car. It runs well, is economical, comfortable and well built. The only real issue has been in the last...
Please can you tell me if you are aware of an engine management problem on the FIAT 500? I understand there have been a number of complaints. I have had a problem with my start-stop on a 1.4 Lounge.
Why don't insurance companies recognise the greater security surrounding cars owned by members of HM Forces living in barracks? I am stationed in one of the less salubrious areas of London, where many...
Regarding European breakdown cover, the compressor for the air conditioning unit of my 6-year-old Mercedes-Benz ML 270CDI failed, taking the V-belt and pulley with it. We had just crossed into NW Portugal...
Another car and mine reversed into each other in broad daylight in a supermarket car park in August 2009. We scraped each other’s nearside rear wheel arches, but didn't break anything. When I looked in...
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius with which I have been very pleased. It is approaching four years old, half the guaranteed battery life, and I wondered if you have any evidence of when Prius batteries tend...
We are a family with two family cars. We are looking to replace the second car, an ageing Vauxhall Vectra, with something more fun. This would primarily be for my short daily commute and for weekends when...
Yesterday I was involved in a very minor bump and I rang my insurers (Saga). They took all details and then suddenly handed me over to someone from "Claimfast". He said that he could arrange the repair...
While in France recently I clipped a loose kerbstone whilst going through roadworks in my Skoda Octavia 1.4TSi, and got a puncture on my front offside wheel. I didn't have a spare, only a repair kit and...
My daughter, a trainee GP, needs to replace her 1999 Skoda Fabia hand-me-down as it is now beginning to cost more in maintenance. She is nervous about choosing a car herself for the first time. What would...
I thought I should make you aware of the excellent way in which Sonnauto of Gloucester handled my friend's situation. He ordered a new car, then had a heart attack that left him fighting for his life on...
I feel compelled to sing the praises of the SsangYong Rodius. We have had four kids for twelve years and we have owned, rented or test-driven just about every MPV there is. We are now on our second SsangYong...
I retire at the end of November and will be handing back my company car – a 2008 Audi A3 Sportback 2.0TDi Automatic. This is my third A3; the previous was a 2.0FSi Auto. I estimate I will do about 10,000...
Earlier this year you ran a reply about the numerous failures of the ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS/ESP module. As I own a 2008 Volkswagen Golf Plus I was quite concerned that I could suffer one of the failures you...
We have a Touran just four years old - mileage 28,296. The car was bought by us new from a Volkswagen dealer and has been serviced by that dealer as necessary. Last week the ESP light came on so we took...
I tried starting my Rover after work the other night and the car would just not attempt to turn over, however what I believe to be the starter motor made a singular click. Assuming the car battery had...
I know that you have frequently recommended the standard 16" wheels on the Abarth 500, but I didn't realise just how much better the car would be in comparison to the 17" upgrades. I recently bought a...
I am thinking of buying a used A class Mercedes between 2000 and 2004. Which in your opinion is the best and whether diesel or petrol?
I bought an 08 A Class. I read on you site that the brakes need to be replaced after 3 years which means at my next service they will need to be replaced and I will be charged for them. I know that the...
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