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Questions from July 2010
My 3-week-old Ford Ka was hit from the rear at around 30mph whilst we were waiting to turn right. The car has gone to my insurer's 'approved' repairer and there is £3600 of repair work with over 40hrs...
My 1994 Nissan Micra's engine malfunction light has come on. For the last week, my temperature warning light has been coming on now and again, too. Is this connected in any way?
I have recently purchased a 2006 Volvo V50 D5 automatic with a high mileage at 118,000. It runs ok but the service transmission light and engine system service light keep coming on. The car runs great...
I purchased my Mazda MX-5 1.6 in 2006 having read your in-depth review. At the time I recall that you recommended ensuring that the car came with Yokohama tyres, which I did. After 42,000 miles, the front...
My son has a metallic black 2001 Volkswagen Golf which has minor scratches and some slightly dull paintwork in places. I understand that you have to be careful with metallic paint. Would it be ok to use...
I read your article on 9 July regarding the changes to the Hyundai i20, and was particularly interested in the reduced road tax. If I was ordering that car today would I get one of the reduced road tax...
My wife and I are both over 80 and are finding the suspension of our Skoda Octavia 1.9DSG estate car harsh when the car is lightly loaded, although quite smooth when the car is more heavily loaded. I have...
We are 76 and have enjoyed the comfort and trouble-free motoring of our Vauxhall Vectra Design for the last six years. We are thinking of replacing it in the near future, but the Insignia is too long for...
I have imported my car from the Middle East to the UK, and it has had to go for the IVA test for type approval. Among the other things that it failed on (none of which are mechanical), there are the two...
I bought a used Jaguar X-Type from an independent car dealer just under three months ago and I was given a 3-month warranty with it. The clutch has now failed, which is covered by the warranty, however...
We had a 1.6 Eos with our 20-year-old daughter on the insurance policy as occasional user. The car has now been changed to a BMW 1 Series Convertible. Please can you recommend a broker that may be able...
I run a 2007 BMW 530d. Recently I have noticed that some supermarket diesel now contains 7 per cent biological additives. BMW's written and verbal advice is to avoid such additives as they may cause running...
I have about £6000 to spend on a second car that will be fun to drive, cheap to run and suitable for my daughter to learn to drive in. I was considering a Panda 100HP or Fabia vRS, but I think maybe the...
I am a golfer and frequently take two other ladies, three electric trollies and three large golf bags on days out. My current Peugeot 307 SW is wonderful, as the height of the boot enables me to put the...
I took delivery of a 2003 Honda Jazz 1.4 automatic on 9 July 2010. Whilst driving down the A12 at 60mph I opened the rear offside window when I heard a terrible noise and a heavy drumming sound. I checked...
My Citroen C2 HDI would not start and I was having to self-prime it using the little hand pump on the fuel system. I have replaced a push-on connector that I thought was taking in the air, but that did...
I am thinking of buying a 2006/55 Disco 3 HSE with 80,000 miles on the clock, and full dealer service history. At four years old this is obviously a high mileage. The car has been suitably price adjusted...
My daughters friend’s boyfriend agreed to purchase a Honda Legend and a Mitsubishi Shogun from a man he knew where he works at a city bank. The cars were imports direct from Japan at silly prices. The...
Time has come to replace my A6 Avant used as a Taxi in the local area. I’m considering a Citroen C5 Tourer, Diesel Automatic. What would the best engine size and trim options. The VED is a factor, the...
I wonder if you could help? My sister bought a Vauxhall Astra from a private car dealer. Not sure how old, but it’s certainly not new. She got it for £800 and has had nothing but problems with it since,...
This week I took my 2005 SEAT Ibiza 1.4 Sport for its 5-year service and MOT. I bought the car new and it has 43,000 miles on the clock and has been serviced regularly by a SEAT dealer. The car needed...
In response to RG of Petworth you state that the XF "is relatively economical". My 2.7 diesel XF is just two years old and on my last trip to St Andrews, Fife it returned 52mpg at an average 61mph. I reckon...
I am 82 and my driving licence has been extended for three years. My Honda Jazz SE manual is nearly 8 years old and although it’s done only 38,000 mileage and has been trouble-free, I expect it’s only...
At the moment I'm driving a VW Golf 1.6 and am planning to buy a new car but can't decide what. I'm nearly 53, the kids don't live at home and the dog's gone to the happy hunting ground in the sky so for...
My windscreen has been spotted with clear varnish used by a repairer for a minor body job. This is irritating as it makes the wipers noisy. What solvent can I use to get it off?
Some time ago you were good enough to give some very helpful advice. I hope you are willing to repeat the trick. I have a 2005 Mondeo diesel bought at one year old with 15k miles from a retailer who specialises...
We are reluctantly considering parting with our much-loved 1998 Mercedes SL280 convertible with its own hard top for reasons of cost and practicality, and since we have now bought a Ford Focus for our...
I have had a letter from the MIB. Never heard of them, and neither has anyone I ask and I am suspicious. The letter tells me 1. I was involved in a traffic accident last December in France. True. 2. Location...
Recently I visited my local Sainsburys petrol station in Grantham to fill up my jerrycan with petrol. As I was about to do this, the manager came over to me and told me I could not do this. When I asked...
These days, motorways seem to be full of people creating mobile roadblocks by selfishly cruising in lane 2 of motorways or pulling out much too early to pass slower traffic. They create logjams of vehicles...
Knowing your views on the DVLA and the requirement to chase them up at all times, this story on The Register deserves a wider audience. (www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/03/dvla_court/) Or have you already...
I now live in Switzerland but plan to return to the UK in the next 4 years. I have a current Swiss licence, but they took away my English licence when they gave me the Swiss one. Will I need to go through...
I am a disabled driver and get my cars through Motability. I am thinking of getting a Peugeot 3008 with Grip Control. I know you have reviewed this model, which was very helpful but have you tried the...
I have a MkV VW Golf. Recently it was diagnosed with the ESP failure and was only 3 weeks out of warranty when it happened. The car has full VW service history with the dealer I bought it from and has...
Further to your reply of a couple of weeks back regarding young drivers. I paid for a fully comprehensive insurance for my 17-year-old grandson for the cost of £2,395.69 with BGL Group via Marks & Spencer....
We exchanged our SEAT Ibiza 1.9 diesel, which had given us trouble free service achieving and sometimes exceeding the mileage figures quoted by the manufacturer, we decided to buy the new Seat Altea 1.6...
According to my local paper, in the first 3 months of 2010 motorists made 473 claims to Gloucestershire County Council for vehicles damaged by potholes. All but one were rejected. In the whole of last...
I have decided to consult your experience after my father’s unwavering belief in your reviews for years. I am a British army officer currently posted in Germany. Thus I am looking into the possibilities...
At your suggestion, I've run a Honda Jazz for the last five years and was so pleased with it, I bought the new one, which simply doesn't measure up - the auto gearbox is awful and having lived with it...
I am considering having my late 2.2 TDCI Mondeo chipped. Talking to the company that would do it all seems to good to be true (apart from the price £350). Increased torque plus increase MPG, with no detrimental...
What do you recommend for new car? I am 69 and my wife is 66. Our current car is a Volvo S40 SE 2.0 Diesel 41,000 purchased from new Sept 2004. Looking for good fuel economy, low RFT/Insurance similar...
I am currently driving a 13-month-old VW Golf 1.4TSI SE. This was chosen by my husband from new, but sadly he died suddenly last September and the car was taken over by myself. I am 68 and am thinking...
With the price of petrol now reaching prohibitive levels where many motorists are having to think twice about the necessity of their journeys or even using their cars at all, is it not time to seek advice...
I have a friend who owns a 2008 registered Toyota Landcruiser that he keeps in the car park of a block of flats locally with the alarm set. He recently drove it one morning and noticed a strange noise...
I have an April 2009 Hyundai i10 Comfort automatic returning 22-30 mpg. My dealer says this is because the engine is still tight (only 1,400 miles to date) and another dealer says it is due to my short...
I bought a car from a motor trader (as says in his letter head ). I have some minor problems with the car. On approaching the trader about getting the car repaired, he is saying the car he took in part...
I wish to join the growing number of Meriva owners experiencing the fault concerning the EPS warning light and the consequential loss of steering. My Meriva is just under five years old with less than...
My 2007 Mazda2 diesel normally runs very well. Recently, on odd occasions it turns over OK but will not start. The AA man squirts quick start and away it goes. The garage cannot find a problem when it’s...
I read your reply regarding broken camshafts on Corsa etc. My wife owns a 06 plated 1.2 petrol Corsa that is soon due for its annual service. I contacted my Vauxhall main dealer to ask if they checked...
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