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Questions from November 2012
I will shortly be coming to the end of a four-year PCP agreement on my ML and am concerned about the potential penalty charges I may incur for alleged damage to the car. The car will be several thousand...
I need to change my diesel Octavia to a petrol version and a Skoda dealer is offering a 12plate 1.4 TSI Octavia Elegance DSG, 13000 miles for £15000 against £6500 for the 58 plate Octavia ambiente DSG,...
I bought a brand new Mercedes-Benz from the dealer at Croydon 10 days ago. Before the delivery I have noticed that this car could be a 2011 model as it was written in a small print on one of the documents...
I have just taken delivery of a new Tiguan 1.4 petrol. I know you are a passionate advocate of Shell V Power so I asked the dealer their views on using this.
Predictably, perhaps, they said no need...
My annual mileage no longer justifies a diesel, I am considering a two year old used Honda Accord or a BMW 3 Series, which would you recommend? Should I consider other cars.?
My Astra Sports Tourer is fitted with 18in alloy wheels, I've been trying to purchase a spare wheel from Vauxhall, but their customer care department say I can't have one as my car is fitted with 18in...
My good friend recently took delivery of a brand new Mercedes-Benz saloon car. With just 35 miles on the clock. Going down hill at 60mph and approaching a roundabout the engine, for no apparent reason,...
My wife purchased a SEAT Leon 1.6-litre a year ago. Recent MoT advised all tyres need replacing. Her annual mileage is 5000 miles with minimum motorway driving-max 10%. What size/brands would you suggest?
The car suddenly has no power but the engine does not stop. I have to pull over quickly turn the engine off and then wait about 10 seconds. When I restart the engine the accelerator revs as normal. Sometimes...
I wish to buy a nearly new VW Touran 2.0 TDI Sport and have found a September 2012 demonstrator that suits. The dealer says that VW requires him to have kept the car for three months as a demonstrator....
What is the law regarding cars parked on or across the pavement obstructing invalid vehicles and pedestrians?
I have up to £10,000 to spend on a BMW 3-Series E91 Touring Automatic so it'll have around 50,000+ miles on it. I won't be towing, I do about 10,000 miles per year, mixture of town and motorway.
In terms...
Just bought a nine yr old 1.3 Toyota Spirit with a seemingly genuine 62,000 miles on clock. Is it time now that the chain belt be replaced?
Are there any warning signs which might indicate when a...
My Honda Accord Tourer CDTi HFT has been serviced by the Honda dealer that I bought it from with the exception of a recent clutch change (£560 vs £850). I will probably sell it when I need to drive to...
I passed my driving test way back in 1964 and therefore can tow a Maximum Gross Train Weight (MGTW) of up to 8250kg. However, drivers who passed their tests on or after 1 January 1997, (allowing a few...
Is there much to choose between premium diesel fuels such as Shell V-Power, Total Excellium, BP Ultimate and Esso Supreme?
My Peugeot 308 has “System states: anti-pollution system fault” and engine light showing when I start the engine. Everything is working fine and the car is running with no problems. 30,000 miles on the...
Could you recommend a good small car suitable for an elderly, but as yet mobile, lady. It's to be used primarily for short journeys and town work - no preference for auto or manual. My budget is around...
I drove past a MINI dealership the other night and noticed something called a 'Clubvan' that's arriving in 2013. I've never heard of it before - can you tell me a bit about it? I'm a self-employed electrician...
My car has a digital reading of the average mpg. When compared to the real mpg which is calculated when I refill, the digital reading is higher.
This is not a surprise, since presumably the onboard computer...
I have just bought a new Sportage 1.6 GDi 2 based on the excellent reviews.
However after two weeks have noticed that the fuel consumption never gets over 35 mpg. The manual states 37mpg urban, 42mpg...
I'm thinking of buying a used approved 2007 BMW 330d from a main dealer. The last service was Feb 2012 with mileage recoeded at 50,002 miles.
The previous service was June 2011 at 52,000 miles, so alarm...
On my way home, I drive up a hill with a steady gradient.
Is it better for fuel consumption to drive up on a heavy throttle in fourth or on a light throttle in third?
Need a used car for my 70 mile each way motorway commute, £25k to spend. Have dog so would prefer hatchback or estate. Needs to hold value well. I like to try to buy with a mileage of about 10k on the...
On the subject of the road fund do you have a view as to where it is going?
I'm not a fan of road tolls for existing roads.
I feel it is now highly unfair with owners of new efficient cars paying little...
Can you please advise what brands of super unleaded fuel are still free from ethanol as I now understand Shell VPower contains an unspecified amount of ethanol and I do not wish to run ethanol in my classic...
I've had my passenger-side wing mirror completely smashed off.
Could you tell me are they all the same across the range or is mine because of the folding in business different. Also could you recommend...
I am in the US driving a 2000 Mercedes C230 Kompressor Sport. I had a frame weld, which the suspension is mounted to, rust so badly that it snapped in half. I am told there is nothing Mercedes-Benz USA...
I want to replace my 2000 Volkswagen Passat 1.8 petrol estate with something of a similar size. I need five seats plus room for a wheelchair, and it should be able to cope with regular short journeys....
I've just sold my car and I'm uncertain as to at what point it will legally transfer to the new keeper. I have prepared a handwritten receipt that both buyer and seller signed at the time of transfer....
Please can you give some publicity to the benefits of zip merging, which occasionally at long-term roadworks is encouraged with signage. But this is the exception to the norm. For example, when roadworks...
I am considering changing my 2009 Renault Laguna 205GT Turbo for a Renault Megane Sport Tourer GT. The 1.2-litre turbo injection engine seems an interesting and economical development and is road tax exempt....
I currently have a Nissan Primera P12 but am considering a change. The Nissan Qashqai looks interesting. Perhaps you could tell me if the 1.6 dCI engine is a Renault derivative and if it features chain...
I often see advertisements for new car sales with huge discounts. For example, I recently noticed a new Peugeot 207 CC for sale at £13,899 when the full price is around £16,500. It looks too good to be...
I thought your readers might be interested to know that when we were in Texas 2 weeks ago we saw a Fiat 500 Pop (1.4 MultiAir) as part of a promotion in a shopping mall. Interestingly the official fuel...
I bought a Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI Coupe in July 2009 on a Personal Contract Purchase and have to hand it back next month, having covered 34,000 miles. The alloy wheels have deteriorated to such an extent...
My son must sell his beloved 2003 Saab 9-3 petrol convertible with Hirsch performance upgrade. At 84,400 miles and with a full service history he’s been told that he should ask £4500, but so far he’s had...
My 17-year-old grandson is taking his driving test soon. He will be driving a 2004 Fiat Punto 1.2-litre model. The problem is insurance. Even being added to his parents' insurance policy results in a quoted...
I have a 2006 aluminium Jaguar XK4.2 on 19-inch rims fitted with Dunlop 'Sport' 245/40 ZR19 front and 275/35 ZR19 rears. Could you please recommend the best combination of rim diameter and tyre choice...
We are looking for a new car which our dog can easily climb into. We need something with an estate car-type seat arrangement, where the flat floor goes right to the front seats. We have a Land Cruiser...
Two weeks ago I bought a used car from a small dealer with a three-month warranty. I have just found that there is a split in the main turbo hose. I have informed the dealer who told me to contact the...
I have to replace my front tyres and am concerned about road noise as well as dry and wet braking. Can you suggest a tyre that will work well with my Honda Jazz 1.4 SE?
A word of warning for other readers. We took out a tailor made service plan for our then 3-year-old Peugeot 207 provided by our local dealer. The brochure boasts to take the stress out of vehicle servicing...
I'd like to change my car but I don't know what to go for. I currently drive a 2001 Mazda 323 2-litre diesel which I've had since it was six months old. I commute to work using A-roads, motorways and urban...
I have a Golf GT that is less than two years old. On two separate occasions, several weeks apart, it has been completely dead on Monday morning after being parked up without use over the weekend. I have...
I am looking to replace my car with a MPV. The two options I am considering are the Ford Grand C-Max 1.6 Ecoboost petrol or the 2012 Renault Grand Scenic 1.6dCI 130. My main concern with the Renault is...
We parked in Cumbria on Tuesday, Queen's Jubilee Bank Holiday, assuming the "Free parking for two hours with no return" restriction would not be in force. But we got a ticket. In general, aren’t Bank Holidays...
I have a 2009 Renault Scenic with an electronic parking brake. Recently the parking brake has started to intermittently malfunction. For no reason, the switch occasionally refuses to apply the parking...
I have recently purchased a 1986 R107 Mercedes-Benz SL. Unfortunately I have come to realise that I have made a mistake in buying such an old design, and would prefer something which I could reasonably...
My Subaru Forester's service schedule is every 12,000 miles or once a year. My last service after three years should have been the 36,000 mile service but, since I had only covered 19,356 miles, I chose...
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