Trending topics in January 2017
buying a new car
buying a used car
buying an suv
buying and selling
consumer advice
consumer rights
diesel engines
emissions fix
fuel economy
legal and consumer advice
low mileage
maintenance and servicing
michelin
mpg
nox emissions
owning
petrol engines
petrol or diesel?
volkswagen emissions scandal
wheels and tyres
Questions from January 2017
Could you advise what the average car allowance is for a regional sales manager and what the amount should cover? Also how many miles should be expected to be driven without it costing you more than the...
I'm choosing a new company car and my family like the Audi Q5. We mainly do London urban driving with the odd long weekend drive. The new London congestion charges add extra for diesels but the petrol...
I am about to order a new Land Rover Discovery. Should I be worried about the possible bans on diesels in certain cities? Would that concern warrant going for the 3.0 petrol instead? Oddly, I read that...
I drove my 2003 Nissan Micra off of the driveway, it then lost power and stopped. It now won't start or lock and keeps beeping.
I'm a builder and would like to purchase a pickup truck on a £6000 budget. The Nissan Navara seems reasonable but does it have a chain cam? I've also seen a few Mitsubishi L200 but don't know anything...
I've owned a 2012 Ford Focus estate 2.0 TDCi for 5 months. Occasionally, when in low speed, the gear is not engaging fast enough so the car is revving up, shuddering and losing its power. Is this just...
I want to buy a three/four year old Volkswagen Golf VII for around £10,000-13,000, which has covered about 30,000 miles. Which engine and fuel type do you recommend? We cover around 10,000 miles a year...
My 2013 Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI DSG recently went for its emissions recall fix and since then it has gone into DPF Regeneration mode every 150-200 miles. It feels very rough under idle mode and is...
I currently have a 2014 Toyota RAV4 2.2d automatic (34,000 miles) to trade-in. My lady loves it but I find it slightly underpowered and thirsty. I did test drive the RAV4 Hybrid and found it had a tad...
My water keeps going low every time I drive my Rover 25 and there's white stuff on the engine cap. What's the problem?
I have a manual Kia Sportage 1.6 petrol and I'm looking to replace it with the new automatic DCT Sportage 1.6 GDI 174PS AWD. I was wondering what you think of this car and whether the auto box is reliable?...
Just reading about the new MK10 Honda Civic, which got me thinking: Is it time to start thinking of the original Honda Civic Type R from 2001 as a classic? All the ingredients are there. One to watch?...
I am currently driving a Skoda Fabia 62-plate 1.4 TSI vRS Estate with the CTHE engine that I have had for about a year. It has done about 30k miles from new. I am looking to replace it with something...
On your advice, I purchased a 2007 Kia Cee'd 1.4 S in 2008 which has been brilliant, I've only had to replace the battery. Being retired, I only do about 8000 miles a year so I'm considering replacing...
I have a BMW 5 Series 2.0d from new that has now done about 95,000 miles. It started making some funny noises so my husband took it to our BMW dealership who have serviced it from new. They told him the...
My front windscreen washer on my 2013 Toyota Aygo has stopped working but the back one is fine. I would be grateful for your advice.
On the 11 January I took my Passat 2.0 TDI DSG Highline into my local main dealer for the emission recall. Today the EMU warning came up with an "engine fault in diesel engine go to your garage workshop."...
I have owned a high spec 2010 MINI Cooper for the last four years and am very pleased with it. The car has done 42,000 miles and would welcome your views on whether to keep it. What may start to go wrong...
My wife has owned a 2014 petrol Countryman Cooper S from new. Over the last few months the smell of petrol in the passenger compartment and outside when the engine starts, and occasionally whilst driving,...
I was recently stopped for making a food delivery from the kebab shop I work in. On the day, one of our drivers did not turn up so the boss asked me to make a delivery which was very late. As I was about...
I'm looking at buying a van for a new venture, pet services. I will be driving short journeys visiting pets in their own home and collecting dogs to walk. Should I opt for a diesel or petrol van?
I wondered if you are aware of some major issues with Toyota's Safety Sense (TSS) system. TSS controls the pre-collision system, collision mitigation system, lane departure system, automatic dipping lights....
My wife's Audi A2 1.4 TDI SE (purchased as a demonstrator in 2005) has never had its 175/60/R15 tyres renewed. Our NCT (MOT) inspection notes the age of the tyres (without failing the test). As the annual...
I wondered if there has been any update on the mot exemption rules yet?
Is it still pre '60 cars only or is it due to change?
I'm interested in joining the Volkswagen class action, but am concerned that the real damage done by the company has been to the health of the general public. Is there any way of persuading the solicitors...
I want to replace our two diesel cars (a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso and a Citroen C3 Picasso) with just one petrol car. The Ford Grand C-MAX looks ideal for our needs (short urban trips and occasional motorway...
I've decided to get a Ford Ka+ with the top spec 85PS engine. My wife is slightly disappointed that it doesn't have a reversing camera and I've been quoted £300 for fitting a mirror device as a camera....
The driver's seatbelt in my 2001 Toyota Yaris doesn't retract properly. I can't seem to find out how to replace/repair this myself. Am I best taking it to a garage or is there an easy fix?
I have water ingress in the boot of my 2008 Ford C-MAX. I've removed the boot carpet so I can monitor where water seeps in and it appears on drivers side only. It's only a small amount of water but enough...
I've just returned from a holiday in delightful Sri Lanka - not a rich country. Why are there thousands of right-hand drive Honda Vezel (CR-V) petrol hybrids there and none in the U.K? Honda says "there's...
When buying an ex-management car I'm told that they go through multi-point checks by the manufacturer. How true is this? I tried to buy a one year old Mercedes-Benz from a dealer and found it had a flat...
My 2007 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 petrol engine was wrecked by the swirl flaps, with no obvious prior warnings. In last Saturday's Telegraph a garage identified a failed inlet manifold and swirl flaps. How is...
I want a small to medium SUV as a company car but I would like the benefit in kind to be no more than £4000 per year. My mileage is approximately 15,000 per year and I need to fit a buggy in the boot....
I have a four year old Nissan Qashqai. Recently the map display says the card is not inserted even though it is. Sometimes the problem cures itself and other times the card needs to be taken out and re-inserted....
We need to change our 3 year old BMW 118d M Sport for a petrol automatic with a better boot than the 1 Series, an easy lift hatch, and the refinement you get with the BMW. Good roadholding and a competent...
I am looking for a reliable and economical little car.
So far the Citroen C1 looks good, it's small, has a good mpg and seems to be good value for money.
The only thing is that I have to do a fair...
We're growing too old for our 6 year old Toyota RAV4 diesel but we appreciate sliding into a seat rather than falling in and climbing out. What new petrol 4WD car could you recommend that would be smaller...
I am looking at these for a Vauxhall Zafira Model C to be driven abroad where the tyres need the M+S (mud and snow) symbol to be legal. Everywhere I have looked online does not seem to explicitly state...
I currently own a 2016 Mazda MX5 1.5. If I change it, what are the best options for a sports/roadster type under £25,000?
I have been following what you have said about the best small engines and automatics and I'm stuck between choosing the Citroen C3/Peugeot 208 Puretech petrol 1.2 110PS with the auto EAT6 gearbox and the...
My Range Rover fob won't activate the locking system and now the car has immobilised - what do I do?
The key fob for my Range Rover P38 will not activate the central locking and the car will not start, it has been immobilised. I am not covered by any insurance policy or breakdown cover through RAC as...
I am the owner of a 2011 VW Polo 1.6 TDI and have just received a letter informing me my emissions fix is ready. Should I carry out this fix? I have read some reports of EGR faults on 1.6 engines following...
I am looking at a Skoda Fabia TDI DSG 1.2 tomorrow. It's done 18,000 miles. Any known problems with this model?
How do I know if my 2015 BMW Touring is towbar prepared?
Is the 2003-2006 model of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class a good car?
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