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Trending topics in January 2009
Questions from January 2009
As a member of the Dodge Caliber Owners Forum I am finding some extraordinary claims being made. In normal motoring, would you expect a heavy 2.0-litre CVT car to achieve 42mpg as one member showed in...
I bought a new Ford Focus 1.8L FFV petrol 2 years ago and paid for the FordProtect Service Plan, 3 services. Cost of the service plan was £425.53. The car went in for its second service recently and Hartwell...
The story of the waste of public funds on 'carbon reduction' consultants in 29th November was, as you commented, unbelievable. This caught my attention as over the last 8 months or so I have been reading...
I drive a Ford Fusion 1.6 automatic. About 2 months ago the engine of the car cut out whilst I was pulling away from a junction. The car went to the garage, a diagnostic test was done, but no fault could...
Your readers, who like us, as parents, bought the Direct Line Named Drivers No claims Discounts for their children, may like to know that there are hidden problems if your named drivers go off on a Gap...
I have to change my beloved 07 plate MINI Cooper for a slightly larger car in order to transport 2 dogs. I want a car that is almost as much fun as the MINI but with a more generous boot (with back seats...
I recently had suffered a puncture of one of my Bridgestone runflat tyres and had to run it flat to get the car to a place of safety. I then faced the task of having it replaced, urgently. My local BMW...
Here's a tricky one for you? Do you know how much a brand new Ford Mondeo GLX 5-door hatch cost in 1994? Thanks.
Since this cold weather has crept in my Fusion 1.4 petrol turns to an ice cube in the mornings. When I start it I get a regular tap every 2-3 seconds from the engine, which raises in pitch with the rpm...
I have a problem. On a well-used route there are two 30MPH SLOW DOWN signs, neither of which appear to be working. So how do I tell the police without admitting I have exceeded the speed limit?
Is it inevitable that a diesel automatic cars must have costly high VED rates because of their exhaust emissions? I have looked at the TDCI Mondeo and the Citroen diesel C5 that seem to suggest that this...
My Audi A6 1.9TDI Multitronic has now hit 390k and climbing. Still no problems with the engine or gearbox.
I hope you will pass on a warning to those selling their cars privately. Unusually for me I was persuaded by telephone to register my car with a "seller/buyer" matching service and parted with a fee of...
My wife complains that the dipped headlights of her Punto seem very dim. I seem to recall reading in your column that it is possible to upgrade the dipped lights halogen bulbs - currently HI-HI 55W - to...
Can you please recommend one or two books on modern motor vehicle technology, both petrol and diesel? Thank you.
After about 18 years in BMWs (mostly 3 Series) I am interested in a new Discovery 3. My kids are getting bigger, we want to get out camping more and I could do with the 4-wheel drive in bad weather due...
I have received a Notice of Intended Prosecution telling me that I was travelling at 36mph contrary to ...etc., etc. I can't dispute that. I saw the static camera flash. What I can't get over is that...
What happened to the elderly gentleman in ‘Grim repo’ was deplorable. But the Theft Act 1968 requires the CPO to prove someone "dishonestly appropriated property belonging to another with the intention...
Following upon recent correspondence in the IAM magazine, I would appreciate your view on the method of holding an automatic car stationary, with the engine running, for short periods of time whilst in...
Following your warning to get the type of radiator checked on older models (mine is a 270CDi estate, March 04) my dealer gave me the dreaded news that mine did indeed have a Valeo radiator. Given your...
I'm a pensioner considering buying what will probably be my last car. I'm looking at Picanto, Jazz, i10, Aygo etc., either new or no more than one year old; small and cheap to run, and I'm wondering if...
I am a trustee for a charity based in rural Northumberland, the aims of which are to support older people to remain as independent as possible in their own area. We own a vehicle that needs to be replaced....
I have an X-Trail, bought new in 2005, now 4 months out of warranty. It is very good and very economical (44mpg overall) and has covered 30,000 miles. Last week the turbo blew and Nissan has agreed to...
In March this year I purchased a new Peugeot 308 with RT4, which includes GPS satnav and cost £1,600 extra. This system includes a "store" for destinations. However, once a destination is in the store...
As a pensioner, I have to minimise the running costs of my car so I traded my 3-Series BMW for what I thought would be a much more economical car. I chose a Honda Civic Hybrid because the website and...
I recently purchased an 18-month-old Yaris from a Toyota main dealer. I was told that it was a one-owner car. A week after taking delivery I noticed a section of the carpet in the passenger foot well had...
After a snowy winter spent in Berlin in 2006 (minus 20 Dec night time temp) I decided to buy some winter tyres for use back home in the western Pennines. Living at 1,200 ft is great in the summer but can...
In April 2005 I returned a Citroen C5, which had come to the end of a three year lease, with slightly less than the agreed 45,000 miles on the clock. The car was collected by a third party on behalf of...
My husband and I are taking delivery of a new BMW 520d SE auto in January. We've never run a diesel before and are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of much more economical motoring. We've run Renaults,...
I can't understand why my wife's 2004 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec manual has road tax of £145pa whereas her father's brand new 1.4 Fiesta Zetec (old model, also manual) is only £120. Our Vehicle Registration Certificate...
I bought my 04 reg Renault Espace 18 months ago. It ran fine until it decided it wanted to go at 10mph. I limped it to the Renault garage that said on the first day it was a glow plug costing £244. The...
I have had alloy wheels previously, but on my new Mercedes C200K they are very difficult to clean, the worst feature being that the "dust" has hardened on in small specks, and seems impossible to remove....
I have just read you FAQs, but if I buy a new car via, say, 'drivethedeal', who could be miles away from me, how do I go about 'approved' servicing and any possible warranty work being carried out?
I want to purchase a Rover 827 coupe. A Rover dealer thought that only about 1,000 of these cars were sold. So I asked the DVLA how many exist, if any. DVLA confirmed it holds the information but the...
Looking on the Internet at the Government's proposals for increases in points for speeding offences, it appears the 2006 accident figures form the basis for the proposals. These show that exceeding the...
You very kindly replied suggesting that instead of a new Jazz as no discount we consider we consider a pre-facelift Civic at a big discount. But my wife is adamant that she wishes to stay with the Honda...
My husband recently met with a car accident due to black ice. There is a lot of damage to the car - the front bumper, hood and the back bumper are totally messed up. The interior is fine and the engine...
We have a 1989 W124 Mercedes 300 TE 24.We are looking to downsize to a FIAT Panda for local use as we also run a 2004 Mercedes S500, which we intend to hold on to. However, the general consensus is that...
Very recently I read a piece in your column about a car that "shut down" and simply wouldn’t start when the owner tried to move it within his drive. If I remember your reply correctly you said it was something...
I am looking at buying a second-hand E Class Mercedes estate to replace a very old and dear friend. I have found an W211 E320 CDI Avantegard on a ‘54’ plate for about £10k with 60k on the clock (fully...
I have always been a very firm believer in the safety afforded by seat belts but I am intrigued by a portion of the current COI TV commercial that says that if you don't wear a seatbelt and have a crash...
I watched Top Gear recently. Is it really possible that Jeremy Clarkson got over 50mpg out of the Jaguar XJ6 TDVi he drove from Basle to Blackpool often at speeds of 70-80 mph? I can’t get 50mpg from my...
Having bought my first diesel this year I am fed up watching the
difference between diesel and petrol prices grow ever wider. Currently the margin is around 15p in South Wales. There was a time when diesel...
Speed limit signs should be safety advisory indicators. It is sensible to have speed limits to protect road workers and/or children, but not sensible to enforce them when no road workers are present or...
I am not sure about this VAT reduction. The rate is reduced to 15% from 17.5% but excise duty on fuel is increased so the normal man in the street will pay the same price per litre. Where it falls down...
I had intended to buy the new Honda Jazz but discovered that it was slightly wider and not fully automatic. The old Honda Jazz, which we have will only just go into the garage so we are at a loss what...
My friend took her 02 reg Volvo V50 turbo diesel into a branch of a national chain of repairers for a service. It was booked in over the Internet and included, as a special offer, an engine flush. The...
On Tuesday night my Audi A6 was broken into whilst parked on the street outside my house. I discovered this on Wednesday morning when I went to get into the car and, on pressing my remote's un-locking...
I understand that the rates and timings of VED taxes have been changed in the recent pre-budget. The telegraph previously printed a very useful guide to what the rates would have been over the next three...
My daughter bought a brand-new Ford Fiesta 5 weeks ago and has had to call the AA out 3 times because it wouldn't start. All three patrolmen have said it's got a major drain somewhere. The car has been...
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