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Questions from June 2010
I'm 18 years old and don't have any no-claims bonus (I just passed my test two months ago). I'm looking for a used car for less than £2500 if possible. It must be cheap to run, cheap to insure, reliable...
I've been offered a Rover 45 Diesel, 2000 reg with 170,000 miles on the clock. It is in OK condition with a knock on the side. I've been offered it through the owner's club. The problem is I'm in Ireland...
I have a 52-reg Scenic which drives like a gem and started every day at -8 this winter, which I love. But it has started cutting out and after visiting three garages (including a main dealer) and £600...
My Smart car had a new battery. The Grundig radio cassette locked out. I thought it would be no problem to get the code from an internet site (have done this before) but would you believe it, they respond...
My 1998 Range Rover suffered the dreaded coolant leak from the porous engine that the V8 became well known for. I had a new engine fitted with top hat liners to cure the problem, but now after 80,000 miles...
The fuse has gone on my cigarette lighter in my 2005 Honda Jazz. Is it easy to replace?
A dog has arrived in the family and a hatchback is required to prevent the rear seat getting ruined. I currently have a 2006 Saab 9-3 Vector Sport TID Auto and would like to stay with an auto diesel. Also...
I ordered a brand new Skoda Yeti 1.2 DSG (Automatic) with 2-wheel drive on 6 March, 2010. The order included factory-fitted options of Panoramic Sunroof and a steel spare wheel. I expected delivery about...
I just passed my driving test and was considering buying a car. I'm 30 years old and an IT technician. I have always wanted to drive an Audi A4 but which year would you recommend? After reading up Audi...
We have to replace a much-loved and travelled S-reg Audi A6 2.5 TDI quattro and need a 4-wheel drive car - something good value, economical to run, roomy and comfortable. Perhaps a Honda CR-V, but any...
Do any of the current range of small-engined large cars - 1.6D in Citroen C5 or Volvo S80 or 1.4TSI in Passat or Superb - come close to matching the UK standard consumption figures in real-life usage?
Hi, do you think if this replacement or modification is fitted, would any insurance company consider this a modification and increase the insurance costs?
I am really pleased with my Bentley Continental GT, but sadly the satellite navigation is poor, even compared to a basic Tom Tom. Please could you suggest companies that can help with an upgrade?
Can you still drive a 3-wheeler on provisional licence, as was rumoured long ago? I want to get a cheap secondhand microcar or even a 3-wheeler for my partner. Ideally we'd get her a scooter but she had...
I have a 2001 Volkswagen Golf TDI 130 and I've noticed that there is steam coming out of the engine in the area around the oil filler. I found oil around here and it seems to be finding its way to a slight...
The cooling fans in my Peugeot 406 don't come on when they should. I've checked the fuses and replaced one but it's still not working. Could somebody please tell me what the problem could be?
My old Volkswagen Polo is labouring and dropping revs when going uphill. What's wrong?
We are about to receive the DLA at its highest award which will mean a Motability car will be available to us. We have had Fords since the year dot and now have a C-Max (which I do not like due to the...
I was driving home yesterday when I heard a sharp noise in my right ear. It sounded louder than a central locking motor in action but not much. On checking for the cause, I found my seatbelt loose. The...
The electric windows on my Audi A3 V-reg are only working on one side. I can't see anything wrong with it but also the central locking only opens the driver's door, and then the alarm goes off.
My best friend is coming back from New Zealand to the UK next year for four months, with his wife and two small children. He will be renovating a cottage in Scotland. I am trying to find out what is the...
My 2002 Vauxhall Corsa's dashboard lights suddenly cut out several times during each journey. I have had the radio and head unit thoroughly checked and also the car's electrics thoroughly checked by my...
I've found a Jaguar XJ V8 SE 4.2 SE SWB 4-door saloon in green. It's a 2004 model with 50,000 miles on the clock from a franchised Jaguar dealer. Is this a good deal?
I have an S-reg 1999 Ford Fiesta. The instrument cluster only contains a fuel gauge and a speedometer. Can a cluster containing a rev counter, speedometer, temperature gauge and fuel gauge be fitted?
I pretty sure European cars are better than American cars, but I always hear people saying American cars are better. I don't know why people say this but I need your opinion on who is better at making...
I have found a Mazda 6 1.8s for £3995 with 103,000 miles on the clock. It's a petrol model with full Mazda dealer service history. Is this a good buy or should I avoid it?
I think my car has an air block somewhere. It starts every time, cold or hot, with no sludge or mayonnaise anywhere but when driving, the car gets hot and starts making gurgling noises from where you put...
I would like to buy a small car to get to the train station, do occasional school runs, go into the village, and also, when required, to use as a work car for occasional 270-mile round trips, mainly on...
I bought a 2007 Vauxhall Combo van from a dealer in June 2007. Two weeks later it was towed back to them as it had the engine management light on and had lost all power. When I collected the van after...
A friend tells me that there are problems with the turbo on the 2005 Renault Espace. Is this true?
I have, for a while, had problem with overheating with the expansion tank in my Volkswagen Golf estate TDi, particularly when going up steep hills. I keep topping up the coolant tank, sometimes three or...
Attached are pictures of some incredibly bad speed cushions in Cardiff. I think they exemplify the type of badly maintained humps about which you rightly complain each week. Several cars passed very close...
In January last year, I was stationary in my wife's car (which is fully comprehensively insured and on which I am a named driver) when someone drove into the back of me. We exchanged insurance details...
I want to enlighten your readers of a parking-ticket "scam" in the London Borough of Islington. On 10th of February I made an evening visit to see a client at Pentonville prison on the Caledonian. Counsel...
I'm looking to lease a BMW 116i, under a business contract as I'm a sole trader. Who is likely to able to provide the best rates for this type of car, or this type of lease?
I have a daily commute to Birmingham. The rail service is expensive and takes longer than the car journey of 60 miles each way (half on empty minor roads and half on the M6). At present, I drive a boring...
I got my Peugeot 406 2.2 diesel coupe ECU remapped in October. It didn’t run very well at all until I cleaned all filters. Now she will run 100% for about 3 weeks then the filters will clog up again. What...
I have been caught doing 103mph while my wife was pregnant and was in pain. She texted me while I was on a job and I drove back home in a panic. I told the officer all of this. He said you’ll be getting...
On Saturday, 6th March, I bought a 2001 'Y' reg VW Polo with 1.4 16v engine and 59k miles on it, from a fairly local dealer. I paid £2,700. On the Monday, I 'phoned the dealer to check when the timing...
My 80 year old mother-in-law is driving a V reg automatic Scenic which has seen better days. She suffers from osteo-arthritis in her shoulders and needs a car with relatively high access that she can just...
My BMW 3-Series has a rusty dipstick with black stuff on it. I was told when I bought the car that this was a quirk of BMW 3-Series but two years down the road it is much worse. I have to go on a long...
I swapped my 2004 MG Rover for a 2002 FIAT Stilo 1.8 16v Dynamic. The thing is I’ve been completely ripped off. I was told by the seller that there was only a problem with the exhaust and at times the...
I was interested to read that one of your readers was getting 62.9mpg from his 2002/52 Ford Fiesta diesel. We exchanged our 2002 Fiesta 1.4 diesel for a 2009/58 Fiesta1.4 Zetec TDCi four months ago. Our...
I am sick to death with the tyres on my BMW 5 Series. They are run flats. I can’t tell you how many times I have had false alarm warning lights go off. It is very alarming to have to stop on the motorway...
When my throttle jams open (it's happened twice in 40 years) I simply switch off the ignition and slip into neutral. With a modern car you don't even have to switch off as the ECU will stop the engine...
My insurance is due for renewal. Over the last year I have had my son as a named driver. However he is now at University and I'm reluctant to continue paying when he is no longer at home. Are there any...
What has happened to colour coding? New V-Power PETROL with BLACK flexible pipe and nozzle? My last visit to a Shell petrol station in Warrington Road, Rainhill, Merseyside was a rather infuriating and...
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