Questions from April 2014
I have nine penalty points, with the oldest dating back two and half years ago. Last night I was charged with speeding again, will I get 12 points?
When driving the rev counter drops to zero and the red oil light flashes though engine still running. Checked oil levels which are ok. After switching off and starting again its ok until driven about 500...
When booking my car in for its two-year service I was advised to have my air conditioning re-gassed and seal changed. It would cost £60 - should I do it?
Following a recommendation in your column some years ago, I have used Warranty Direct's Reliability Index as a guide when choosing a car. I note the new Telegraph buying guide relies on JD Power which...
Our 62 plate Golf 1.6TDI BlueMotion has had a totally flat battery twice in short succession, the upshot being it had to be towed by the AA to the Volkswagen garage who sold it (new). We had left nothing...
Can you tell me which cars/SUVS have a flat boot?
I own a 2003 Vauxhall Meriva and the rear wiper has stopped working. I have changed the fuse and motor, but it still won't work. Any ideas?
I will be retiring soon and will be handing back my company car which I use as a general run-around, I also have a family car, at the same time I have a Porsche Boxster S which I use in dry weather and...
We are considering whether to replace a 5 year old 2 litre petrol qashqai which has covered 34000 miles mainly on sub 4 mile trips around town. It is also used for 30 mile trips some weekends and family...
I have recently had the engine replaced in my 2012 Skoda Fabia vRS at approx 8500 miles due to notorious high oil consumption (approx 1/3 of the engine oil contents of 3.6 litres in 350 miles). The new...
I have a 10 month old Kia Sorento fitted with Nexen N8000 tyres. The tyres have covered 8000 miles over the past year and still have 6-7mm of tread, but just recently I have noticed channel cracking at...
I am self employed and run a touring caravan hire company, so I tow caravans up to 25,000 miles per year. Max weight of caravans towed is 1900kg and economy is paramount to profitability. Can you suggest...
I have up to £12000 to spend on a large estate for camping trips. Because it will not be used every day, I have a Kangoo Diesel Van for every day use, I am not over concerned about fuel consumption costs....
We recently purchased a used Fiat Punto for my daughter who has just passed her driving test. A week after she got it the power steering started causing an electrical fault with the engine. I called the...
My son has a 2007 Ford Focus with 36,000 miles on the clock. A few months ago the oil light came on and oil leaked everywhere. The car was towed to a Ford garage where it has been serviced annually and...
I need to replace my 2002 Ford Focus diesel estate. My distance to work is 14 miles so I need something frugal (diesel?) that will last five years. What would you recommend with a budget of £7000?
I have a motor home based on a Peugeot Boxer 2.2. It is now 12 months old and has done 3500 miles - all trips of 50 miles plus. The dealer has told me that it only requires an engine service every two...
I have a 2005 MG ZT-T diesel with 69,000 miles - up to the last 3000 miles the needle on the engine temp has always stayed at the half way bar on the gauge no matter what kind of driving. However, at motorway...
I own a 2013 Skoda Octavia Scout and a few weeks ago I noticed blisters on two of the alloy wheels. I returned the car to the dealer, but they said the damage was caused by stone chips and they would not...
Our 21 year old daughter's 2000 Ford KA is now due for upgrade. She's had it three years and now fancies something a little bigger. She uses her car every day for work but generally only does short journeys....
Please read the current threads on Briskoda.net and pick up and use to the Cusomers benefit by exposing the issues and lack of openness by VAG RELAING TO THE TWINCHARGER PRIZE WINNING ENGINE PROBLEMS.
Which model of BMW 3 Series would you recommend from the following E90 models: 330i N52, 330i N53, 335i N55 320d, 325d, 330d I intend to keep the car for 5-6 years and my main concerns are long term-reliability....
I have tested and driven a 2008 Volvo V70 2.4D for sale with 43,000 miles on the clock and an asking price of £9850. The car is in excellent condition, two recorded owners since new and a stamped service...
My partner's Vauxhall needed repairs after the ECU filled with water due to an apparent block sub wind-screen drain, the cost was £1100. Can you tell me if this is a design fault and if Vauxhall has a...
I am replacing my 2001 Toyota Yaris Auto but am confused by MMT. What does it mean and how is it different from cars without this spec?
I purchased a new Fiat 500 TwinAir Lounge at the beginning of March. The dealer kindly 'offered' to book me in for an oil change at 900 miles for the generous fee of £30. This is not an oil change that...
I ordered an Audi A1 in January and have discovered a facelift of the car is in the pipeline, obviously if this is a significant revision I do not want to buy the old model. My orderded car has a build...
I have just bought a 62 plate 320 x drive and I immediately noticed the high levels of wind noise above 50 mph. On line forums have many comments about this for the new 3 series..Is this a recognised issue...
I have water leaking into the spare wheel tyre well on my Peugeot 508, is this a common fault and can it be easily fixed?
The handbrake on my Renault Scenic has stopped working after my wife pulled it in whilst driving along. Now the brake symbol flashes and it doesn't work. Can you help?
I'm thinking of buying a second hand hybrid, can you please can you tell me at what mileage I should be worrying about renewing the battery pack, and the cost?
This is information that your readers may find interesting. I had been having intermittent problems with the keyless entry and ignition system on my Toyota Yaris. I called the AA and they said it may be...
Screw-in tyre pressure monitoring systems, are they worthwhile?
I have a Seat Altea XL Stylance 19. TDi with 205/55/R16 wheels and have the opportunity to get a set of 195/65/R15 wheels. The motivation is my rims are very corroded and the free set is in brilliant...
I am in my early 70s suffering from neck arthritis. I am looking for a replacement car for my Kia Sportage and would like to keep to that size of car. I live on an unadopted potholed road and I am looking...
My 2008 Ford Fiesta has started making a knocking noise at the back, next to the exhaust. My local garage has replaced the box, but the nose persists. Any idea why this is?
I have tested and driven a 2008 Volvo V70 2.4D for sale with 43,000 and an asking price of £9850. The car is in excellent condition, but has missed a service. Should I still buy it?
Can you tell me if my 2006 Ford Mondeo has a cam belt?
I bought a Freelander 2 in July 13, in Feb of this year it went in for a new rear differential (one of the bearings had failed). Since this was fitted the car has been available for use for two weeks...
I have been told by the Ford Main Dealet that they won't touch fixing the Leaking roof and that they have to put it on a jig to fix it and only Ford' in Alperton can do this. I have also been told that...
I own a Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class and sometimes the ABS and ESP lights come on. Any idea what the fault might be?
I'm thinking about buyinga used Land Rover Freelander 2. Any ideas about these vehicles, good or bad points?
My Fiat 500 was recently recovered after overheating. The radiator reservoir was empty and the garage diagnosed a leaking small radiator behind the dashboard (this had been replaced last year along with...
I have a 2011 MINI Countryman. A friend has been smelling diesel fumes when we were driving along for a while. It has just been checked by my local dealer and they have found a leak from the ejector. They...
I own a 2003 Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 automatic, which has been unused for 11 months. I drove the car yesterday and it feels like the brakes are biting and locking the wheels. The auto box also changes down...
We have a 'next-car' conundrum that we can’t stop agonising over and we really need some independent impartial advice. We would like a raised-height crossover/4x4 type vehicle (four-wheel drive is not...
I plan to downsize from my Saab 9.3 1.8t. The new car must be petrol with a reasonable boot and have low VED. I'd also like a car with a bit of performance. The Audi A3 Sportback 1.4TFSI six-speed manual...
I own a 2000 Citroen Saxo 1.5 diesel. Yesterday, as I was driving home from work, the car started to lose power and slowly died after two miles. When I turned the ignition to try and start it again the...
My 2009 SEAT Ibiza’s 1.4TSI engine has packed in after 37,000 mile. The car is out of warranty and supposedly out of SEAT's good will policy; will cost £5500 at least to replace. The car has had a full...
I have previously read your comments on modern diesels complexity (DPF/DMF/EGR/Turbo) possibly being problematic with high miles unlike older diesel engines. Would these issues be true of the Honda i-DTEC...
 

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