Questions from November 2012
I was going to buy a Skoda Fabia Monte (Standard Red with black roof) from Drive the Deal, but when I was going through the process I noticed an option saying 'Special Solid Paint' for an additional £500....
My Fiat Punto has been into the garage to have its failed heating/ventilation fan replaced, so that I could de-mist the windscreen again. After two days, it stopped working again, and now I've had to have...
I was recently driving a 3.5-tonne Luton van in Cambridgeshire, when I was caught doing 57mph in a 60mph zone (national speed limit on a single carriageway). The problem is that this was a 50mph maximum...
I have a dipped beam headlight bulb on my 2009 Audi A6 2.0TDI SE which has blown. How can I tell whether the bulb is Halogen or Xenon?
I have a 2010 Ford Focus, and find the handling slick and parking easy - but I feel the bumps on the road and would prefer a vehicle that gave me a more comfortable and relaxing ride. Maybe I should go...
My Nissan Connect sat-nav/ICE unit has failed and Glynn Hopkin are quoting £2615 + VAT to replace. I am waiting on Nissan Customer Care to respond with their contribution as my car was three weeks out...
Help! My 2001 Ford Mondeo 2.0-litre Duratec suddenly lost drive. I can select every gear without using the clutch, with the engine running! Could this be just a broken clutch plate, or something more costly...
Eight weeks ago, I bought a secondhand car for £2500. After I drove away, I had various problems:
Broken reverse light
Brake light out
Front fog light not working
Air conditioning broken (needs new tubes)
Heated...
I have a 2006 Ford Focus 1.6TDci LX that has only 70,000 miles on the clock, but has a failed turbo (bearings have collapsed!) The DPF is blocking, but the garage are sure they can burn it out, so it will...
My sister in law has a Chrysler Grand Voyager which is nine months out of warranty. For the last year, the car has had to be taken to either the main dealer in Cornwall (35 miles from where she lives)...
My son is considering buying a 2009/10 Jaguar XK 5.0-litre Portfolio. Do you have any comments positive or negative about this car or would you recommend some other make and model in preference?
In your answer to 'Three Pointed Tsar' on 6 October you said that it is better to buy a car with mileage too high than too low. Why?
My daughter runs a 2007 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 diesel Estate but no longer needs the space and needs to carry two smallish dogs and one husband. She doesn't want to buy brand new and only does 10,000 per...
Last week you published a letter from AP of Wakefield describing a driver's attempts to drive while texting and he took the car's number. I've seen similar things many times before, but always wondered...
My 2010 five door Ford Focus Titanium diesel gets through a pair of tyres on average every 12,000 miles. The car was brought from new and came fitted with 235/40 R18 tyres on 18-inch bling alloy rims....
I have a 2011 Audi 1.4 TFSI which has covered 6000 miles. It was filled initially with Longlife oil (VW 50400). The dealer says it should not be changed for another year. Am I right to insist that oil...
Our son will be living near the Scottish border for a year. I am thinking of buying him a Panda 1.2 4x4, and fitting it with winter tyres from November to March. Is this a sensible choice and is there...
I have a 1999 Volvo V70 automatic which I've owned since new. To the best of my knowledge, the gearbox oil has never been changed. I can't find reliable advice on this, even from my garage, and the handbook...
I would like to replace my company Volkswagen Scirocco DSG with an Audi A3 Quattro. Unfortunately the new A3 won’t be out until next Autumn and I need to order a new car quickly. Are there any alternatives...
Does the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0TDI 170 have a supercharger and is that likely to cause any problems?
My husband, who sadly passed away recently, drove a Mercedes C250 which is under one year old with low mileage. I currently drive a Honda Jazz but I now need to sell both cars and replace them with an...
I am looking to get an updated satnav DVD for a 5-year-old Honda. The dealer warns that anything other than a very expensive disc bought from them would not work properly, or could even damage the car's...
I'm looking to replace my 2001 Peugeot 206. I’m looking for something no older than about four years and no more than £9000. I’m drawn to another 206 (now 207), but the Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz have...
Surely it is high time that the ridiculous, dangerous and presumably highly illegal practice of reporting to camera while driving on busy roads and motorways is brought to an end. No responsible, sensible...
We intend to trade in our Audi Q5 2.0 TDI SE soon. Although the car has been reliable, the unsettled ride and the DSG gearbox have made us think twice about owning another Q5. We have dismissed the Range...
I would like to replace my Mercedes B180. I'm looking for a comfortable car with a slightly larger boot than the Mercedes.
Nothing is new, apparently. Average speed devices and the persecution of motorists were around at the beginning of the last century according to ‘The MotorCycle’ dated 29 April 1908. I thought you and...
Our 2005 Citroen C8 broke down on the motorway when the cam belt snapped. I understand that when this happens damage can be caused to the engine/valves. The service manual states that the cam belt should...
There seems to be an ever-growing number of electrically-powered devices in cars: digital instruments, heaters, fans, air conditioners, ever more powerful sound systems, built-in TVs, flashing indicators,...
I purchased a used car from a reputable local dealership. One month later I noticed a loss of power and a harsh grinding sound immediately prior to pulling over. I opened the bonnet and noticed that the...
I have a 2007 Renault Kangoo customised for wheelchair accessibility and am thinking of changing to a newer car with a bit more power. I was looking at the Peugeot Partner or Citroen Berlingo, but then...
A civil parking charge notice was left on my car door window yesterday. The sign which displayed details of the parking restrictions (which I had never seen before) was mounted eight feet high on a wall,...
Good Morning, I liked your video interview on "What gets my goat": telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/9587196/Honest-John-what-gets-my-goat.html
At the risk of raising your blood pressure even further,...
I have just received a parking ticket from a supermarket car park. I called in on Saturday morning and left within fifteen minutes, and then visited again later the same evening. In between these visits...
I've received a Parking Charge Notice in respect of a Vauxhall Corsa with identical number plates to my car, which they claim was illegally parked in Cardiff in August. I live in Hampshire and only use...
I was most interested to read about your first deal. My first car was an Isetta - the four wheel model. Bought secondhand in 1960 it unfortunately caught fire after a few months and was written off. However...
I sit as a magistrate in the Midlands and would ask that this, if used, is done so anonymously. Over the last few months my colleagues and I have been dealing with a significant number of motorists who...
I would like to indulge my passion for British sports cars by buying either a Triumph Stag or a TVR Chimera or Griffith. The Stag is a classic but is of steel construction, whereas the TVRs are more modern...
Last evening while waiting for roadside breakdown assistance, during an hour and forty minutes wait, I had no less than eleven people stop to ask if there was anything they could do to help. Such kindness...
I read with interest MH of Camberley's letter re breakdown cover. I have had several identical conversations with a number of organisation covering domestic energy, telephone charges and more recently...
We have a Citroen Berlingo Multispace. Whilst I am happy with the shape, it feels huge, which makes parking more difficult, and I find the doors heavy and unwieldy. Please can you suggest which current...
Apparently short trips are not good for diesels. At work we use the Platinum Plus additive in our delivery van to make it burn off the soot in the DPF at a lower temperature. Our drivers report that performance...
I've owned three Audis and am now looking to replace my A3 Sportback Sport with something that will still give me some driving enjoyment, but with a much quieter ride. Can I stick with Audi (I'm considering...
My Peugeot 207 SW suffers from terrible reflections on the inside of the windscreen from the dashboard. I have fitted some dark fabric on my dashboard to try to alleviate the problem. Do you know of a...
I wish to purchase a Toyota Avensis Tourer. I would like to go for the brand new model with the multivalve 1.8-litre petrol engine. Do you consider this a good choice? Are there any known problems with...
It may be no consolation to JH of London (6/10/12) to know that the DVLA has form when it comes to removing motorcycling entitlement from licences, normally when it is sent to them for some reason. Not...
I now know why Volkswagen Group is the world’s most profitable car company: it makes cars with cheap components that fail after 32,000 miles and then sells replacement parts at high prices for its dealers...
My 2004 Honda Jazz, with full Honda service history and 52,000 miles, has developed a rotating rumbling noise which sounds as if a bearing may be wearing. I understand that the Jazz has a known problem...
Last year, my 2009 Volkswagen Polo was frozen on the inside of the front and rear windows. I took it into the dealer, and unfortunately the weather wasn’t cold enough - so it didn’t freeze up. Now without...
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