Trending topics in March 2015
Questions from March 2015
I have ordered a new crankshaft position sensor for my 2004 Ford Focus, but want to double-check where it is located. Can you help?
I have recently bought a two year old Ford Focus (still left supposedly with one year manufacturer's guarantee). However, in the mornings, the inside of the windscreen is often misted up. My local ford...
I need to downsize from my Jaguar XJ and want to buy something that's smaller and luxurious. I like the new Mercedes-Benz C200 saloon and also the Lexus IS2500 which has been around longer. Is the Lexus...
I am 66 years old and have decided to sell my Porsche Boxster S for a used Mercedes-Benz SL320 or SL350 for a more comfortable drive. Which of these would you recommend from a reliability, running cost...
I'm thinking about buying a new city car. I usually do around 600 miles per month, mostly urban routes with lots of "stop and go" traffic and red lights. I can't pay more than £10,000, but it needs to...
My wife and I are are looking to get a new car to replace our Peugeot 206 for our growing family. We have been looking around for a new car and in principle like the Volkswagen Golf SV 1.4 petrol automatic....
My Mazda 2 1.5 (2011) Sport has just been through it's latest MOT test and I was advised that three of it's tyres were perished. The car has done under 15,000 miles and I'm rather disappointed with this...
I note that in the latest report on the Nokian winter tyres, it is recommended to swap tyres front to rear every 5000 miles for four-wheel drive cars. I have a Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion. would you recommend...
Can you share your thoughts on the Volkswagen Polo (petrol or diesel) after 2009 as a used buy? Compared to the Ford Fiesta 1.6 (petrol or diesel) after 2008?
My son purchased a new Renault Master van five months ago. He paid extra for the van to be lined with plywood. Two months after buying the van he became aware that the plywood had been screwed into the...
I have 2012 Citroen Nemo Van and the clutch needs replacing. I've been told it is down to wear and tear and therefore not covered under warranty. It is used for local deliveries and has covered 40,000...
I am looking at a two year old Mercedes-Benz B180 diesel and they seem to come with either a 1.8 litre or 1.5 litre engines. The former is slightly higher CO2 and lower MPG, but are there any other differences?
I've seen a KIA Sorento for sale. The car looks to be in great condition, with 64,000 miles on the clock for just £6000. However, there'a catch, the owner is in the USA.
The sale is being dealt with by...
I have seen a 2004 Toyota Corolla Sport for sale, with 150,000 miles on the clock. Do you think £1250 is a fair price to pay?
I have just clocked up 153,000 miles in my 2004 Skoda Fabia VRS. The cam belt and water pump were last replaced three years ago at 113,000 miles, should I have it done again for peace of mind? Also, will...
Three weeks ago I bought a secondhand SsangYong Musso. The car was sold with a full MoT and said to be in full working order. However, after having the car serviced by a local mechanic, I've been told...
I have a 1990 Mazda MX5, which I have owned the car for the past seven years. During that time the air con has seldom worked, although the heater works fine.
I have been told the air con system is now...
I paid £46,000 for a new Range Rover Evoque last year and have recently discovered a series of cracks in the panoramic roof. I took the car back to the dealer and they found a pin prick of a chip in the...
I'm looking to buy a fiat 500 but torn between the 1.2 or 0.9 twin air engines - which would you recommend? If going for a 1.2 is there any way of knowing whether the engine is one of the problematic eu6...
I own a 2014 MINI Clubman and in 12 months have covered 7400 miles. I will be taking the winter tyres off soon, should I have the oil changed at the same time?
My 2011 Renault Megane was serviced three weeks ago. The brake pedal was falling to the floor, they ran a diagnostic test and replaced the pipe. Unfortunately that didn't fix the fault and they now think...
I have noticed a slight whine in the gearbox of my 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK. The car has only covered 30,000 miles since new and has a full service history. However, there appears to be no simple way of...
I'm thinking of buying a 2012 BMW X3 diesel auto with 102.000 miles on the clock and a full service history. Is there anything I should be wary of?
A private seller is offering a 2009 Hyundai i20 classic, one lady owner, FSH, taxed and MoT'd for six months with 40,000 on the clock. Is this a good buy for £2800 and what should I look out for?
Geoffrey Lean in the Telegraph blames diesel cars for pollution, forgetting that almost ALL commercial transport, on sea and land, runs on oil fuel. Modern diesels do not smoke and with the filters and...
Should I remap the engine of my recently acquired Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 petrol with 32,000 miles on the clock? A local garage is offering Superchips, which it says will give better performance. But what...
I bought a 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 EX i-VTEC in February, swapping it for my 2006 2.2i-CTDi. The overwhelming 'feature' of the new car is its enormous thirst for petrol and I am wondering whether there could...
I've recently acquired a 2007 Jaguar X-Type 3.0 AWD Sport with fewer than 6000 miles on the clock. Only concern is the ride which is unforgiving (Pirellis, 31 psi). What could you suggest as a replacement...
My wife was involved in a collision on a narrow country road, in May 2013. The repair to our car was duly approved and my wife was advised that owing to a lack of witnesses the blame would be apportioned...
I've shortened my used car search list to either a Mazda 2 after 2007 or a Ford Fiesta after 2008. I have used the warranty index stats to come up with these as I feel they are both reliable. I do believe...
My Skoda Octavia has lost all of its odd numbered gears. Skoda originally said it was the mechatronic unit and agreed to change it for a nominal fee even though the car was almost a year out of warranty....
I wish to buy a used (2010/11) Range Rover Sport, but am not sure which engine to go for. I do around 10,000 miles annually, so fuel consumption is not a big issue. Can you help?
My 2004 BMW 320d Estate is cold and refuses to blow hot air on short runs. I know diesels heat the engine first but is there any way I can get the cabin to heat up more quickly?
What is the difference between lineatronic and automatic? I'm thinking of buying a new Subaru Outback.
Buying a small SUV - which would you recommend? The Renault Captur or Peugeot 2008. Likely to be the 0.9 petrol in Cature and 1.2 in 2008.
We need to purchase a vehicle with disabled access for our daughter. She doesn't need to sit in the wheelchair to travel, but loading with the hoist into my current Ford C-Max is causing fabric damage...
I bought a used Porsche 911 and as part of the deal got a three year extended warranty with the car. Since then the engine has developed a problem and the warranty firm claims the service history is incomplete....
There does not seem to be many private sellers around anymore? Few adverts in the local newspaper and on the web searches only seem to bring up dealers? I have tried a wanted ad in the local newspaper...
I have a Ford Focus 1.0 EcoBoost with 5888 miles on the clock. I purchased the car 12 months ago, but it has spent the past three months at the dealer with a clutch failure. We previously reported to the...
We are thinking of buying either a new Audi A7 or a Maserati Ghibli (both would be petrol). Increasingly we are steering towards taking a risk on the Italian (heart over head!). What discount should we...
With improvements in DPF technology as in Mazda skyactiv and 1.6 Renault/Nissan diesel, do you think this has only solved one problem of many in modern diesels if the car was to be kept long term? Do you...
We need to replace our Subaru Impreza Turbo with something suitable for our daughter to learn to drive in. Would you have any recommendations for a car that wouldn't be ruinous to insure for a learner...
My wife's Nissan Juke has just been for its first service and we have been told that the front discs were below the minimum wear limit. However, the front pads were just 20 per cent worn. Has Nissan managed...
I wish to purchase a not too large SUV to replace my Saab 95 and
the ASX is about the right size. It has to be auto and reasonably quick.
My son wants to buy a Ford Mondeo estate. It would be a 3 year old car and he would hope to keep it for around 6 years. He does about 25K per year and the deal he has with his work means that he pays for...
Can you confirm if the well-documented timing chain issues with the PSA/BMW 1.6 petrol engines are confined to the turbo THP type, or include the non-turbo VTI models too? I have read the THP is a 'direct...
Ive just turned 23 but I have had my licence since the age of 18 and now with 2 years no claims discount.
I feel after driving my small little round around its time to find a nice stylish car. My usage...
After reading recent Q&As I contacted my local Volkswagen garage to make a claim for rust bubbling through on both front wing wheel arches. In the HJ advice column, this was reported to be very likely...
My Ford Focus has started stuttering. I put fresh diesel in a week ago, thinking that maybe it was the diesel that I had put in previous week, it normally does the stutter when I am in either 4 or 5th...
.jpg)
