Questions from March 2012
Eight years ago you advised me to buy a Ford Focus. It's still going strong and runs like new, still keeping the Focus but need to buy another vehicle. I would ideally like to get a VW Toureg. Should I...
Do you know where I can find the country where a car is made? I am looking for a car officially imported into the UK that is actually made in Japan as I am convinced that these are the most reliable. I...
I am downsizing from a Legacy Outback with 185K on the clock for a smaller auto. We must have room for two dogs in the back so have looked at the Golf Estate and the A3. I do about 20K miles annually as...
Our 45 year old classic car unfortunately caught fire. From what the assessor said it looks as if it will be a write-off, but at this stage we are dealing with the Insurance Brokers, the Underwriters and...
I have purchased a car from a sole trader who has recently closed his business. Will I have any rights as I want to claim my money back through the courts.
Hello I have a Y reg Ford Fiesta serial M023662 radio, the battery was taken out I have a keycode 3553 but it doesn't work?
I want to know if my Mondeo 1.8 Zetec 16 valve engine is belt or chain driven?
Just bought an ex-contract X-Trail June 11 registered with quite a high mileage (24,200). The contractee didn't have a service done until 17,000 odd miles, even though the service interval is 12.500....
Does Citroen/Peugeot use a Ford engine? I heard that from a local garage, is it true?
I'm looking at buying a car with a budget of £12k. I want a bit of luxury and have looked at 5 year old Jag XJs, S Class Mercs, 7 series BMWs and Audi A8s. However I've also come across the Renault...
I have had my Peugeot 407 2.0 Diesel for 2 years now, and every 5-600 miles, the engine develops a misfire, as if it is being starved of fuel for a second or two, then runs normally for a few seconds and...
I get a burning smell like curry after driving my car hard. Why? It's a 53 plate 996 turbo.
I am coming out of company car scheme and need to buy second car, looking for something to own for a couple of years due to my high mileage. I have a 5k budget, I drive 22,000 miles per year so am looking...
My wife's Ford Fiesta (X-reg) has a horrible rattle coming from behind the dash (front passenger side) like something is lose behind it and gets worst the faster you drive the vehicle. I think a piece...
Current car: Toyota Avensis 1.8 T3x (2006 facelifted model) Current mileage: ~11000/year I am considering replacing my current car, I have been looking at an Audi A3 2.0 TDI SLine STronic (October 2008,...
I'm considering buying a large car possibly a 2007 / 2008 new shape Honda CRV i-CTDI. One company owned from auction with 100k+ on clock. I am concerned about DPF on new diesel cars, though, as I do...
Being of 'advanced years' I am a little put off by stop/start technology. I am considering buying such a vehicle but feel a little uneasy about it. What is your view?
When my wife booked her five-year-old Modus Dynamique DCI 88 E4 in for its annual service and MOT she was advised that the timing belt should be replaced. I was very surprised to be given this advise as...
Do you have a list of cars with (or those without) dual-mass flywheels similar to the list of non-cambelt motors?
I have recently experienced a blocked fuel filter on my 1 year old Isuzu Rodeo with only 10,000 miles on the clock. The garage / mechanic from the franchised dealer suggested that this could be down...
What is the best reliable 4x4 for towing a 25ft caravan with double axle?
How do I reject my brand new car? It was given to me by the dealer with the speed dial not working correctly. They want three chances to fix it, but I want a reliable car.
I'm trying to help my dad by a new car car we are looking at Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. I've tried to talk him into getting a diesel but on 2 separate occasions salesmen have advised us away from...
Trying to decide between 1. Civic automatic(02-05), 2. Jazz automatic(03-07), 3. Passat automatic(05+). Which is the most reliable gearbox? The Jazz and Civic would be cheaper but the Passat does good...
My wife just took a phone call from someone asking about an accident in my Honda Jazz. I have not had an accident in the Jazz or my last car, which I owned for over 10 years. The man said he obtained the...
My car has been towed away by a private firm. It was parked on private land. I parked it at 22:30 and it was clamped at 22:39, and towed at 23:05. On their website it says vehicles will be towed that have...
Do you have a list of small to medium cars with timing chain as opposed to a cam belt?
I missed an appointment when I discovered that I needed to fill up my 2008 Ford Focus with petrol from a can, being nowhere near a filling station. I found that I couldn't, so I was effectively immobile....
My wife and I both have cars comprehensively insured with LV. As she is to have surgery this week, she decided to add my name to her policy so I could drive her car to avoid it standing unused. When she...
I am driving a 2005 Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI that I have owned from new. It has done almost 115,000 miles (about 80 per cent of which was cruising on motorways) and never let me down. It returns a consistent...
We are looking to replace my wife's ageing runabout with a car that is under two years old. She needs a car with an autobox and rather likes the Honda Jazz. Within our price range the Jazz with the i-Shift...
I have seen a 2006 Citroen C4 1.6i 16v SX 5-door automatic at JCS Kegworth used cars and really just fancied it. It is a petrol auto with 51,400 miles on the clock, full service history from new, alloys...
I damaged my car following an accident initiated by a deep pothole, which was not visible on a dark and rainy night. I applied to the local council for help with repairs. They declined. Their response...
I have a Ford Focus estate with a 1.8 Zetec engine, registered in 2001. It has now travelled about 75,000 miles with no problems. Recently a fault has developed: the speedo and milometer stopped working...
In 2006 I bought a brand new Ford Fiesta Studio. I have now been told by a Ford garage that my ABS braking system unit has now packed up. I am very angry considering the car has only done 4500 miles, because...
We are expecting our first baby in May and therefore need to replace our cars with something a little more baby friendly. We own a faithful but decrepit 11-year-old Daihatsu Charade for the practical side...
I live in the countryside and drive 250 miles a week to the office and back, mostly on B-roads, and also use the car for the usual things, including travelling by motorway to visit friends around the country,...
As a regular reader of your column in ‘Motoring’ in the Telegraph I am concerned about your comments, on a regular basis, about ownership of diesel-powered vehicles. I own a 2009 Mark 6 VW Golf with the...
My needs are varied. Most trips tend to be in the city with the occasional long trip and annual trip to Germany. I thought of buying a supermini estate (Peugeot 207SW) but people tell me to avoid all Peugeots,...
In these parts, diesel is now 9p or 10p a litre more than petrol. How on earth can this differential be justified? Surely at these prices it is only worth having diesel for very high mileage vehicles?
I have a 2000 Vauxhall 2.5 CDI Petrol Estate just coming up to 90,000 miles. I was driving at about 70mph on the motorway recently when it felt a bit "out of breath" for about a minute on three or four...
We have an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI which is almost six years old with just over 69,000 miles. The rear tyres are approaching replacement after 36,000 miles (including 4000 temporarily on the front). Previously,...
I have a 2009 current model Ford Ka 1.2 Zetec. I never received a handbook. Does this model have the 'courtesy headlamp delay' feature? If so how do I activate it? Many thanks for your time.
We know of the selling of vehicle keeper data by the DVLA to some interested parties such as parking enforcement companies. I did not know that the Police Authorities are now permitted to provide (outsource)...
My husband and I live in a village and most of our driving is in rural areas. I have noticed that the number of cars with very bright dipped headlights seems to be on the increase and causes real problems....
I'm considering buying a secondhand older model Ford Focus Diesel, up to say 18 months old. Two friends have cautioned me about the diesel engine and/or the turbo, some parts which cost a lot to replace...
I have an Audi A4 Avant S line quattro TDI 2.0 litre diesel (170PS motor) with a BRD series engine. I purchased the car new in 2006 and have now done 52,000 miles with only one breakdown due to a faulty...
I have a 1998 Peugeot 406 Coupe SE Coupe 3.0V6. I’ve owned the car since 1999, when I paid £25,000 for it, and it has covered 80,000 miles. I have just retired and have come across the Extreme 360, which...
My 27,000 mile 2007 SEAT Leon 2.0 petrol FR, main dealer purchased and serviced, had just passed MoT when the ESP light on the dash appeared. In the past you have stated that this is a known VAG problem....
Could you give some advice about snow tyres. My tyre size is 215/60 R16. Which make (Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Goodyear, etc.) is best?
 

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