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Questions from June 2012
My mother’s current car is a 14-year-old Mitsubishi Colt, which she has always been very satisfied with over the years, but it seems to be nearing its end. This is the shape of car she likes and the other...
I was driving my wife’s 1999 Peugeot 406 110 HDI estate earlier today when the airbag warning light came on. The car has been prone to a few electrical faults in the past, so I thought I would take the...
I know you have covered this before a few times but would be grateful if you could let me know what you think about the following: On 2 March I had a meeting at the Crewe Arms Hotel in Crewe, for which...
Volkswagen has finally launched the 2012 Beetle, but it's limiting UK deliveries to 3000 this year, and is saying that the automatic version won't be available until next year. Searching the internet,...
I have ordered a new 1.0-litre basic Volkswagen 'Take Up'. My supplier advised that the camshaft is belt driven. My earlier history of cam belts that have failed before they reach the recommended mileage...
My father used to live in Sidcup and had a blue Isetta 300 right-hand drive. Any similarities to your first car?
An advert for the AlcoSense Elite breathalyser in the Telegraph Shop section in Motoring states "Four pints of beer in the evening could put you over the limit until 11am.” Where can this super mega-strength...
Who apart from Saga offers 180 days or more per year continental cover?
When I did my driving test back in 1964 I seem to remember that the Highway Code had an introductory section in which it was stated that: "The pedestrian has the right of way at all times.” I wonder if...
My Citroen DS4 is equipped with a navigation system that displays the speed limit of the road on which I'm driving, but only on about 5 per cent of roads. Surely it should be possible to achieve this on...
I'm thinking of spoiling myself and spending £40,000 or more on a retirement present. So which sports car would you recommend that will not lose money long-term? Perhaps going for something like a Porsche...
I need to buy an economical petrol-engined budget car to transport my dogs. I shall have up to £5000 to spend plus a 12-year-old 2.0-litre Vauxhall Vectra Estate to part-exchange. This car will do only...
I own a Skoda Superb diesel 2.0TDI which consumes engine oil. After every 5000 to 6000km the oil level drops to the lower mark, though there is no warning sign on the dashboard. The car had problems with...
My Motability Ford Focus comes up for renewal in September and I'd like to consider the upcoming Ford B-Max. I get pain in my left leg whenever I have to raise it, so getting into the front passenger seat...
Some tell me that coasting downhill in neutral uses more fuel than remaining in gear. However, the MPG computer in my 1992 Corrado G60 says otherwise. Do the same rules apply to both new and older cars?...
My Garmin nüvi 1300T satnav consistently shows 4mph less than the speedometer reading on my Qashqai 1.6 Acenta manual, checked on a level road. For example, at 30mph on the speedo the satnav reads 26mph....
I am thinking of buying a car for our grandson who is just starting his first job after graduating. I could manage £5000 but might be able to make it more, possibly double for the right vehicle. Obviously...
I recently took delivery of a demonstrator Toyota Auris Hybrid T-Spirit, first registered in March 2011, which had 2200 miles on the clock. The advertised mileage is 70mpg, but I have only been able to...
I write to alert readers to potential unintended consequences of using headlights on auto setting. Such a facility is fitted to my Freelander 2 and I leave it on that setting most of the time. However,...
My question is do you have any comment to make about Volvo V50 Estates? I have had three 7-Series Volvo Estates and decided to downsize but my garage who looks after me very well has warned me off the...
Should I let my turbocharged SEAT Leon 1.2TSi's engine idle for a minute or so to allow it to cool so the oil doesn't carbonise due to the heat?
I cannot convince my partner that it is correct to drive over speed cushions with one wheel between and the other over the top of the hump. She insists that it is better to straddle the humps for a more...
I recently had two new front tyres fitted on my 2004 Peugeot 307 SW and the tyre depot decided to fill all four tyres with nitrogen without asking me first. Aside from that I would like your opinion on...
Having owned a 2004 Toyota Celica for eight years, I am wondering whether to trade it in for the coupe GT86. What do you know about it? Alternately, the Urban Cruiser sounds a good bet, but I do prefer...
My wife has a 1987 Citroen AX11, mileage below 40,000. We wish to sell this car as we feel that running two cars is no longer viable. I have tried to get a valuation on various websites but none seem willing...
I bought a Toyota IQ 1.0-litre manual in June 2009 and overall I am delighted with it. Unfortunately, right from the start, I had difficulty changing from first to second gear. Eventually the local Toyota...
I wonder if you could please let me know if we have been offered a good price. For 40 years my husband has owned a 1959 Mini, reg number WEA 819. Obviously over the years it had nearly disintegrated with...
My in-laws run a 2005 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 with 40,000 on the clock. They have been told that they need to replace the timing belt at an approximate cost of £200. In view of the low mileage is this necessary?
I often hear that low profile tyres are a silly fad, but in my limited experience I feel that the car actually is more responsive and steers better. The tyres may wear faster and generate more road noise,...
I own a Peugeot 407 with a built-in satnav. This is of very little use because even if you enter the full postal address it refuses to accept the last two letters of the postcode. I've written to Peugeot...
I have owned a Jaguar S-Type 3.0 automatic Sport since nearly new in 2004, which has run pretty well ever since (current mileage is 85,800 miles). Recently, whilst the car was in for its annual MOT and...
I have owned two cars from new with trip computers, both of which were over-optimistic about fuel consumption. Typically in my 2008 Mondeo diesel I achieve 47mpg by doing brim-to-brim calculations. The...
A couple of weeks ago your DT column had a letter from someone who had been caught doing 54mph in a 50mph zone. No doubt his speedo was reading nearer 60mph, so there's no real excuse. My Fox’s would have...
Is the Ford Grand C-Max dual clutch Powershift transmission better than the Peugeot EGC transmission? And is the Ford fitted with a dual mass flywheel?
I am considering selling my car privately and will be asking around £25,000 for it. What do you consider the safest way to conduct the sale? I have read some very worrying stories regarding private sales,...
I would appreciate your opinion on having an aftermarket sunroof fitted to, say, a used Mk6 Golf. Is it wise? And would this be something for my Volkswagen dealer or an independent? Also the same question...
I purchased an extended warranty when I bought a 2008 SEAT Ibiza Ecomotiv from a dealer. The breather to the fuel tank is leaking, and I am told this is not covered by the warranty and that I need to replace...
Twice recently you have published letters complaining about drivers being dazzled by cyclists. Whilst not disagreeing with the opinions, nor excusing the behaviour of the cyclists, I find this ironic....
Two months ago my wife purchased a 2004 Ford Ka from a commercial seller. The car came with a 3-month RAC Warranty. In the meantime, the heater will not switch off and there is significant play in the...
Further to your advice on turbo cooling by idling the engine for some time after use, is the advice equally true for diesel and petrol engines? I have a 2-litre diesel BMW and, in normal driving, it is...
To advise CM of Belfast about untraceable smells, it might be useful to add the possibility of his picking up a plastic bag on his exhaust pipe, as it stinks to high heaven. When it happened to me - on...
Does the Chevrolet Cruze have the same engine and automatic gearbox as an Astra, Suzuki, or SAAB? I went to a car dealer about a Honda Jazz and the finance manager tried to convince me that it's better...
The timing belt on my BMW 118d, 07 reg, with 59,000 miles on the clock broke last week and I am told by my local dealer that it cost £800 to strip down the engine and identify the fault. They then told...
Drivers adhering to a safe speed annoy careless drivers who then cause accidents and blame the careful. Driving in Japan in poor weather we saw police cars appear, one in each lane driving abreast, preventing...
Shall I let you into a little secret, which you probably won't believe (but I have the evidence to back it up). My interest was sparked when one of my daughters got a PCN from Parking Eye (PE). I was fortunate...
I have been offered a 2010 Ford Fusion by a Ford main dealer. The car is a 1.4 petrol, manual Zetec version fitted with parking sensors. It is one owner and was supplied by the dealer, the mileage is 1500...
I have a BMW X5 4.0d from new, bought in September 2010. At the first service, today, I am told that I need four new tyres at 18,800 miles. They are Continental 285/45 R19 run flat. Can this be right?
My...
My Kia Sorento Kx-3 CRDi (60 plate) has just had its 25,000 mile service at my local Kia dealership.
I was surprised to be told that my two front tyres were nearly illegal and were both worn on the...
I would love to have a 5 Series being offered to me for free by a friend, but I am not sure it is worth going over to Ireland, filling in all the import forms, taxing it I don't know what the emissions...
We have had some success with this locally , so if your readers have had a ticket for going over 2hrs and under 3hrs its possible to cite the Wrexham store as an example of policy change - and they cancelled...
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