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Questions from October 2012
Lucy answered in one of your questions that Italian speeding fines on Uk residents in a hire car are payable on a "goodwill" basis or after a case is brought in a UK civil court.
In addition they are...
I have a 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 diesel that has just passed 70,000 miles.
The clutch has started slipping in higher gears, and I have been told this needs to be replaced. Is it worth getting the DMF replaced...
I know you have reservations about the economy of the VW 1.6 TDI.
I have now covered just over 30,000kms [19000 mls] and have averaged 62.3 mpg. Although I do very little driving in heavy traffic I use...
When do I need to change the cam belt, and which is the best place to get it done in the Canterbury / Sittingbourne area please? The car is 8 years old and has covered 82,000 miles.
I have just had my one year old winter tyres refitted.
On checking the pressures I noticed that Vauxhall approve a different size for winter, whereas I'd had the same size as the standard eco tyres fitted....
I have a budget of about 10-12k to buy a replacement for my ageing X-Trail. I am impressed with the newer version (I have elderly parents who have mobility issues) so something similar is good. But do...
What seven seater car would you recommend for a family of five, with all three children currently in car seats?
I have an old paper British driving licence, do I need a new one with the photo ID card to drive a hire car in France?
I have had a Zafira for 7 years and liked it, ready to change but money is tight any suggestions of similar cars or good deals, even for new Zafiras. Trading an 04 reg 1.8 Zafira Life.
I drive a Mini Cooper D (57-plate) and suffer from lower back pain (badly). Please recommend something with the the same handling/economy/fun to include all estates/mpvs. My budget is up to £20,000 new/used.
I am puzzled by the way tyre profiles have changed in the new millennium. On many cars they are now of such low profiles as to resemble a bit of tape wound around a big wheel. I have read your views about...
Three years ago speed bumps were installed in the road through our village, one outside my house. Cracks have appeared outside the upstairs window and internally all round the window, and dust and dirt...
I have a two-year-old blue metallic Volkswagen Golf Plus, which has developed whitish patches on the bodywork. My Volkswagen dealer tells me that these patches are caused by hand or sun cream touching...
I have been a loyal Renault driver for many years and recently decided to replace my current Modus 1.2 Dynamique with a new model, only to find that the Renault Modus has left the UK marketplace. I have...
Regarding your recommendation to put my part-restored LHD 1956 Healey BN2 in the Historics auction on 1 September, the car sold for £21,250, £7250 over the top estimate. I think I probably owe you a drink....
We need to replace our Honda Insight Motability car with something which has the capacity to transport a wheelchair 1150mm long, 710mm wide and 650mm high. We would need a hoist fitted to lift the wheelchair....
I own a Skoda Superb Estate 1.8 which, in every respect, has been brilliant. This week, after a short trip I returned to park outside my garage and wash the car. On starting to wash the car I found all...
I am thinking of buying an in-car 'dashcam' video camera. Could you advise me on the merits or otherwise of doing so please?
I have a 2009 1.4 Fiesta Edge automatic which has covered just 6400 miles and is affected by water penetration that collects in the spare wheel well. This only occurs when the car is running on wet roads....
I recently decided to update my car and, having seen a suitable car on the forecourt of our local Ford dealer, I arranged a test drive. This was fine and I indicated I wished to buy the car. Then the hassle...
Good morning. With reference to the letter by MA of Rugby and his MG ZT, the airbag warning light is a common problem with ZTs and Rover 75s, caused by a loose connection underneath the either the driver...
I always try to use Shell V-Power super unleaded petrol, but here in Bideford there are no local Shell stations. The next nearest fuel station until recently was Esso, but recently Texaco has taken over...
I shall soon be changing my six-year-old Mercedes-Benz A180 and was wondering if you could suggest a few options. My main criteria are for low CO2 emissions, good fuel economy and excellent comfort, plus...
Some of your readers pay large sums for car insurance. Having held a licence for 57 years, not without some minor insurance claims in the distant past, I have been able to insure a 1994 Volvo 440 GLT on...
I am thinking of buying a Honda Jazz Hybrid. Is it relevant to my motoring requirements when most of my journeys are short, local drives with a longer trip once or twice a month?
I was recently stranded after a sudden, catastrophic failure of the gearbox on my diesel automatic Freelander. It is five years old, has done a mere 56,856 miles and has always been serviced by Land Rover...
We bought our 1998 Fiat Panda 0.9-litre for 1400 Euros six years ago. It has now covered over 150,000km, and we have done 54,000km of those. It will comfortably cruise at 70 mph on a motorway. It is running...
I recently bought a 2005 Mercedes-Benz S320 CDI showing 50,000 miles. I am very pleased with the car with the exception of the windscreen wipers which sometimes don't work. I have twice been to the local...
We have an 18-year-old son who passed his test almost 18 months ago. Our insurance premium to put him on the policy for our Vauxhall Astra as a named driver originally rose from £200 to £1000.
When renewing,...
I drive a 2003 BMW320d that has done 125,000 miles. In July, the engine was destroyed by metal flaps from the air intake dislodging and going into the engine. Despite the mileage on the car, I pay for...
The letter today from a reader who received an ordered car without the right specification reminded me of a car sales trick I thought had disappeared some years ago. Customer A orders a car with specific...
I purchased my used 2009 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet five months ago. After returning from a two-week holiday the battery was dead. The RAC told me there is a fault with the battery and it was not taking...
I have had a 2008 Nissan Note Acenta 1.4 for three years, but although I appreciate its practical qualities I just do not enjoy driving it. I don't need that practicality any more. What I need is a supermini...
A letter published in your column this week reminded me of an experience at Oxford station a few years ago. I bought a ticket for my day's parking and because I had parked right up to the perimeter fence...
My wife was driving our six-year-old Ford Mondeo Ghia X Estate along a local road when the driver’s airbag exploded without any impact. The car was travelling at approximately 25mph, well within the speed...
It is tragic to hear about so many deaths and injuries of roadworkers on our motorways, but, while in no way condoning the actions of some drivers who drive at over 70mph after passing roadworks signs,...
I have a 2008 RenaultSport Megane 2.0DCI. It was bought at two years old from a Renault main dealer who has serviced it ever since. I have looked after it well.
Last week when in for its 48,000 mile...
We're keen to buy a camper van with which to explore the UK. We've seen a 2001 Fiat Ducato for £18,000, which seems ideal as with the elevated roof it gives my tall husband sufficient room to stand and,...
We have a 2010 Skoda Fabia and a 1999 Subaru Justy but we need to replace these with just one car. We live in a forest and every winter have to drive on icy roads, so we need a 4WD. My Justy is super on...
I recently bought a Nissan Qashqai 1.5dCi and have been disappointed with the average fuel consumption of around 35mpg, and with the power and smoothness of the engine. I have been told by one friend that...
I first emailed you in June 2011 and lastly in Feb 2012 regarding a broken cambelt on my Audi A6 Avant 2.5TDI quattro and the repair work needed thereafter. To remind you, Chingford Audi neglected to change...
My son recently purchased his first car which was written off three weeks later in a collision which was judged as equally shared responsibility. He was quoted an additional £30 as an in-year policy amendment...
While driving around Surrey and the South East I notice many direction signs at junctions and roundabouts have the left-hand side of the sign hidden by tree branches and bushes. Is this a nationwide problem?...
Several times recently you have recommended Airbagman, but they don't operate north of Oxford. There's a lot of UK up north. Any suggestions for us lot north of Watford Gap, please? My airbag light is...
I took delivery last summer of a one-year-old Land Rover Discovery 4. The turbos have repeatedly failed and been replaced by Land Rover, most recently for the fourth time. Land Rover modified the pipe...
I live overseas but return to the UK for a few months each summer. For the last few years I have investigated purchasing a classic car with the idea of putting the car into storage whilst I'm away.
Frustratingly...
I have just purchased a 2012 Kia Cee'd. I have had diesel for the past 15 years, all Volkswagen Group PD then CR. I find that this car has no response in any gear if you are sitting 1500 rpm or under....
I ordered an Abarth 595 Turismo on 2nd. August from an Abarth main dealer. Delivery quoted up to 12 weeks. Received a V5 for the car dated 28th September as registration date with my personal reg.no. The...
I want to buy a nice looking and practical family car for under £1000. I do very few miles but I want practical so I thought maybe a Mondeo or Vectra. Which would be more reliable and economical please?
I have bought a Honda Civic si 2010 plate, which does not come with a spare wheel. Ive purchased an exact alloy wheel and part worn tyre and went to put them into the well in the boot and they dont fit....
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