Trending topics in January 2012
Questions from January 2012
Bought a new F10 550iSE about a year ago. At 11600 miles under braking I began to get a shuddering through the steering. Was advised by the BMW garage that I needed new discs and pads. Fitted at not inconsiderable...
I have a 1.6TDCI C-MAX on 2011 plate.
The mention of DPF keeps rearing its ugly head. Diesels use less fuel so pollute the planet less (in theory), but as they are now they are fitted with DPFs. My...
I am thinking of buying a Ford Mondeo estate 2.0 petrol.
Would you recommend this model, does it have a DMF and are there known reliability issues with the DMF? I am also thinking of getting a Ford Focus...
I have a budget of £7-8000 to spend - it doesn't matter if the engine is diesel or petrol, but the car has to have a manual gearbox and be sporty. Can be any size.
My Mercedes-Benz E320 is insured by Mercedes-Benz Insurance. Following your advice recently I contacted them to inform them I was fitting winter tyres. They refunded £53 of my premium - an unexpected surprise.
I currently I drive a C4 Grand Picasso 1.6 HDi EGS Exclusive. We have been extremely happy with the vehicle, the ride and build quality, etc. and are in part quite reluctent to let it go.
However in...
I am interested in buying a new Fiat 500.
I personally would prefer the 0.9 Twinair or the 0.9 Twinair Lounge but the dealer is pushing for a 1.2 Lounge because (in the dealer's opinion) the 1.2 Lounge...
Advice on a small auto through Motability. I was thinking of Fiat this time or Mitsubishi.
I currently own a 53 plate Citroen Xsara Picasso 2.0 HDi and I average 44-48mpg.
I'm looking to purchase a used (up to 18-month old ) family car (£10K to max £12K).
I would idealy like a diesel due...
I'm thinking of buying a Hyundai i30 auto, 2007. The car has only done 33,000 miles, had one lady owner, and has been regularly serviced at Hyundai. Is there anything in particular I should watch out for?
Who owns a private number plate after insurance company has deemed the vehicle a write-off in an accident?
Why does my 10 year old Focus 1800 Zetec require a new timing belt and pulleys etc when the mileage is only 52,000 against Ford's recommended figure of 100,000?
I recently had trouble starting my Volkswagen Golf 1.6 mk4 on a very hot (35C) day.
It made a loud grinding noise. I called road side assistance and by the time they got out the problem had stopped....
Should I run my new Prius 10th Anniversary on Shell V-Power? I'm hoping to get even better fuel economy to offset the additional cost at the pump.
My Beetle 2.0 automatic is very difficult to start on cold mornings, engine cranks well enough, but reluctant to fire. When warm it starts and runs well. New plugs fitted recently, but no better.
My wife is looking to buy a family estate for the arrival of our second child, and also to use for her garden design business.
We have a budget of around £8.000 and have looked briefly at the Audi A4...
My X-Type is suffering excess fuel consumption and poor acceleration. My local garage stated it had two leaking diesel injectors and gave an estimate of £1000 to repair all four injectors, recommending...
A relative recently had to call a rescue service to start her car. She was told that jump starting, either the car to be started or the car used to start would damage computers and electronics featuring...
The washers on my Nissan X-Trail won't work - any idea why?
In 2008 you advised the then new Subaru Forester diesel. Due to the waiting list, instead we bought an XT 2.5 petrol.
Three years on, it is summed up after 18,000 miles a year as brilliantly fast, comfy,...
I can't choose between the Vauxhall/ Opel Astra 1.6 115hp petrol or Renault Megane 1.6 110hp petrol - can you please can you help me choose the best?
I bought a new Ford Focus 1.6 Titanium Ecoboost in Sept 2011. The engine stop-start feature has not functioned since purchase.
The supplying dealer is struggling to isolate the problem. I need to return...
I have just bought a 54 plate Rover 75 CDTi Automatic with 28,000 genuine mileage.
I paid £4650 for what almost appears to be a new car. I intend to keep it for some time. Apart from having the fluid...
I just bought the car yesterday, drove lovely nearly all the way home (38 miles from the dealer) and as we came into our village the engine started making a noise that I can only describe as being like...
At my MOT I got an advisory note saying that the nearside front tyre (Kumho KU 235/45/R18) had a bulge on the inside wall.
Both front tyres have approx 5mm tread left. Should I have both front tyres...
Driving a 1.9TDI Skoda Superb and under load there is a whooshing noise. Happens when driving the vehicle under medium and high engine load conditions.
I have a friend that has just bought a car with brand new MoT from a garage who were selling the car as 'sold as seen. The garage he bought it from failed to explain about a faulty cv joint and head gasket...
I've had a 2.2 litre diesel X-Trail since new in late 2002 when I retired early. It’s a fantastic car and has given me no trouble whatsoever in all that time, although it has to be said that I have only...
I wish to purchase a 4x4 pick up for my work as a forester, driving on rough forest tracks as well as the public highway. With a budget of approximately £4000 I was thinking of an older Ford Ranger, preferably...
I have only had my brand new Honda Civic 1.8 Si 5 speed torque converter Auto for 10 days but I agree that the handling and grip are fantastic, even on wet roads. I think the Bridgestone tyres help, as...
Do you know of a site or organisation that can offer reasonably accurate price guides for 'classic' or rarer type (potential classic) cars? I have the opportunity to acquire a genuine, unmodified LHD 1991...
Here’s an interesting story. A 1950 Chevrolet Club Coupe, with just 437 miles. It was purchased new by Mr And Mrs Jessie Trueblood of Modesto, California. Soon after, Mr Trueblood took a day off to go...
I purchased a Mercedes-Benz E270 CDI Elegance Estate on 1 September 2004. It has only done 55,000 miles, is in excellent condition and has been serviced regularly. Due to its age, should I think about...
In September my wife was involved in an accident in our local supermarket car park. She was waiting to reverse out of a space until a van had passed her. The van cleared her car and she began to reverse....
I ordered a new Nissan Qashqai 1.6DCI 4WD, which has a delivery date coming soon. Having seen recent bad publicity regarding DPFs, have I ordered the wrong car as the majority of my mileage is local commuting...
Yesterday I took delivery of a 4-year-old Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso. Before buying the vehicle I pointed out to the salesman that it had a windscreen chip which is eye-level on the driver's side, and when it...
My wife needs to replace her 2002 Toyota Yaris, partly due to its age and partly as she needs a larger car due to growing children and sports bags, etc. I would like her to have a Ford Focus, but her heart...
I read about your preference for winter tyres in many articles in Telegraph. I have a Toyota Yaris 1.3TR petrol. Could you please suggest the best make of winter tyres for this car and also a cheap place...
What is the best way to insure a UK-registered car in Italy for family holiday use with four named drivers? How does one avoid falling foul of the SORN and compulsory insurance regulations if the car were...
I've seen adverts for companies that can disconnect the diesel particulate filter from the car's ECU. Is this legal and does it make the car better? I think you said only in the last couple of years DPF...
Can you give me a view as to what I should pay for an ex-demo Alfa Guilietta 140JTDM diesel Veloce, 61 reg with the following spec and around 4000 miles? It has special paint (£490), double electric sunroof...
I would be grateful for any advice or suggestions on the following problem: Recently, going down a long hill and going up a slight rise to a roundabout, when I went to change down the engine cut out. The...
Some time ago you warned against storing a spare can of diesel for too long. Now I have a diesel car I would appreciate a repeat of that advice.
You state in today's column that a modern car has a 7-year life cycle. Since I have an 8-year old Mercedes-Benz, this is a bit of a surprise, to me and probably a few million other car owners. Can you...
I wonder if you can throw any light on the definition of 'parked'? I recently pulled off the road and had my two nearside wheels on the paving area outside a factory in Perivale, whilst I consulted a map...
We have an elderly Focus that has suffered the common problem of "clouding" of the surface of the polycarbonate headlamp lenses. This can, I am told, lead to MOT failure. Whilst there are (relatively expensive)...
The front Goodyear Eagle Summer tyres on my wife's Tiguan are due to be replaced, but the rear tyres still have 4mm tread. Given the recent winters, we have had I wondered if it would be advisable to switch...
A man was killed after he was thrown out of a pick-up truck when it hit a speed bump in Malvern, Durban on 5 November. The man was travelling along Spence Road with another man in the back of the pick-up...
Regarding your reader RB of Sutton Coldfield fitting winter tyres only to the driven wheels of his car, last winter I fitted two winter tyres to the front of my Auris. In snowy conditions I observed the...
I believe there is a culture of deceit within Land Rover. We purchased a new Freelander 2 TD4 manual from a Land Rover dealer in November 2010. The transaction was very badly handled. When we collected...
Elsewhere on 
