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Questions from January 2014
Our Yaris Verso auto is getting long in the tooth and we're thinking of downsizing to one vehicle. Our other car, a Kia Cee'd SW auto is perhaps a bit light for towing our 1295kg caravan, although it is...
My Mazda3 1.6 diesel is due for its second annual service shortly and has done 7300 miles.
The garage says that Mazda recommends a bacterial cleanse of the ventilation system for £24.95 and a brake fluid...
I received a breach of contract notice and a £60 fine from my local NHS hospital trust, which where I work. Several spaces were coned off for line painting works. I parked in the next bay which was not...
My son has recently bought a 2003 Nissan Micra SX. When we test drove it we noted a marked noise/vibration through the car when you hit 30-40mph. He has now collected the car but despite the garage saying...
I have a Citroen C3 that's now way past its best. I need to update and fancy the new 2014 Ford Fiesta. It will be used primarily for school runs and local shopping trips with occasional trips within a...
The Continental tyres supplied with my Volvo V50 (205/55-16) now need replacing. I have always bought Michelins in the past and have never had less than 30,000 miles from a set.
Now I have been quoted...
We bought a used Ford Focus from a dealer one month ago and now the turbo has failed. We’ve been told the repairs will cost £1600. Where do I stand in refusing the car now and asking for money back or...
We bought a used Citroen C8 two weeks ago on the understanding that the cambelt had been changed and that proof of this would be forthcoming. However, the garage has still not provided this, plus the day...
I am considering buying a 2009 a BMW 318d estate, 120,000 miles, FSH for £8000, do you think it will be reliable?
I have been offered a 2010 Volkswagen Passat estate diesel, with 82,000 miles and full service history from a family member for £6000. Do these cars suffer from lots of problems?
I have just ordered a new Kia Cee'd diesel and propose to sell my 2007 Peugeot 207 SE HDi 90 privately. The car was bought from new, has full service history and has covered 53,000 from new. However, it...
I'm looking for a car to suit country driving and a tall driver. I also do a fair bit of motorway driving too, and need the capacity to transport three passengers (all over 6ft), a golden retriever and...
The turbo on my BMW 1 Series does not function when started in the morning. Yet, when stopped and parked for a while, the turbo performs normally. What's going on?
I recently bought a 2010 Renault Scenic Privilege (petrol, automatic), and I am fairly sure that I found a means of adjusting the suspension to give a more economical performance. I can't remember how...
If my tax had run out at the time of an accident, will my insurance claim be void if it had full a full MoT and insurance?
I'm looking for a second car with higher than average ground clearance to help negotiate some road flooding we frequently get. I'm not particularly interested in it being 4x4 though I will consider one....
I have just purchased a new Honda CRV via 'drive the deal'. I can honestly say that in 30 years of either buying or taking delivery of company cars this was the easiest and oct straigtforward transaction...
My Skoda Octavia has given me a fault code 17965p1557. Do you know what it means?
My Vauxhall Astra (2005) starts and drives fine; however, every 2/3 days I'm having to top up the engine coolant level and there's a strong smell of petrol/fumes when I use my heater for any longer than...
My Ford Focus C-Max (2004) has developed a fault where the battery drains and needs to be jump started. It happened during the colder months last year and has started doing the same over the last week.
I...
The ECU on my 2006 BMW 3 Series has failed due to water ingress caused by leaves blocking the drain holes. My warranty company has said the problem is not covered because they class water as a “foreign...
I have been (without success) trying to get a test drive of the Range Rover Evoque. I’ve phoned two dealers and filled in numerous online requests, yet no one has bothered getting back to me. I am a real...
I am looking at buying a 2004 Volvo XC90 for £6900, which includes a trade in for our 2010 Ford Mondeo Titanium. Do you think this is a good deal?
I am looking to buy a 2010 Honda Civic 2.2 diesel. It has covered 34,000 miles and the dealer wants £10,695. Is this a good deal? What sort of mpg should I expect?
What current production car would you suggest as an alternative to the Honda Legend?
I like the technology but the fuel consumption is out of fashion. Is there a direct equivalent with the reliability?
My sister currently has a 2006 Fiat Punto 1.3 diesel that is getting a little unreliable and costly to run. She covers 12,000 miles a year and would like to replace the car with £6000 to spend. Which vehicles...
My car was supplied with the front suspension transit blocks still in place. At the second service, they were spotted and removed. Up to that point, was the car safe and legal?
I bought a 2005 Range Rover Sport two weeks ago, but the car was sold without any road tax. However, as the car was registered with the DVLNI (Northern Ireland) the Post Office did not have any details...
We have two small boys (three and five five years old) and have another on the way. Obviously, we want to buy a car that can carry three baby chairs in the back. What cars should I consider? I prefer automatic...
My daughter has a 2009 Yaris with the automated manual box. She usually changes gear with paddleshift to avoid the well documented jerky progress with these transmissions.
Last week the engine management...
I’m shortly moving to a new job, relinquishing a company car and looking to purchase one of my own. I need a decent sized family car with luggage space so am focussed on a five-door hatchback.
I am not...
My fiancée is learning to drive at the moment in an automatic. What small car would be best to get as a first car? Budget is £3000 and ideally would like a car under six years old. Have considered the...
I want to buy a new car and am considering a used Kia Cee'd SW or Skoda Octavia (2009-2010), but I'm concerned about the price of parts. What do you suggest I buy?
What is the basic difference between a hatchback and an estate car, other than the size of the boot? And why are estate cars more expensive?
I am looking to buy a new Skoda Octavia Estate. I do very low mileage - small local town trips – and need an estate car to transport my dogs. Will a 1.2 TSI 105PS be powerful enough?
Does using the 'HOLD' switch on the Subaru Forester's auto gearbox reduce fuel consumption? And is there any downside to using it other than reduced acceleration?
While driving my MINI the other day, I noticed it started jolting violently. The garage did a diagnostic investigation and said that the gearbox control wasn't controlling the gears properly (either too...
I have never owned a car with cruise control, but I now find that long trips cause me discomfort and I am thinking a vehicle with cruise control will help. But never having driving a car with this system...
I have two cars that I want to sell privately. Both are currently SORN'd and un-insured (stored on private premises). I insured one of them (a 2002 Volkswagen Golf TDI Anniversary) for a day to get an...
The new Ford EcoSport EcoBoost engine produces 125PS, but is not available as an automatic. Yet, the 1.5 Duratec has lower power at 112PS is used as an automatic. Is there a logical reason for this?
Then clutch pedal on my 18 month old VW Up has started to make a 'clucking / clicking' noise when it is depressed and released. The dealership has said there is no fault and that upon referring it to...
Having recently sold my Subaru Legacy Tourer, I am looking to replace it with a new or used hatchback or small estate car suitable for carrying my spaniel dog in the back. Which vehicles have the lowest...
I purchased a 1.8 manual Chevrolet Orlando with 10,000 miles on the clock in April 2013 for £7500. However, I’ve just heard that Chevrolet is planning to pull out of Europe so how will this affect me?...
I am looking to purchase a second hand lwb panel van to convert into a camper van, I have decided on one of the above vans as the rear van body is the same as you know.
I am struggling to make a decision...
A few weeks ago, whilst enquiring at my local Mazda dealer about a CX-5, I was informed that there would be a £200 price increase in 2014 and also a newly introduced £200 supplement for "Stone" leather...
I have a 2003 BMW M3 I want to put into storage for three months. What are the best tips for leaving my car for long periods of time?
I paid for a parking ticket at a ferry port, which was to be displayed on the dashboard (non-sticky). When I got back from a two day trip a parking charge note was attached as the ticket had slipped down...
We're considering buying an estate or 4x4 with an automatic transmission. So far we’ve looked at: Audi A6 1.9 TDI 130 SE Multitronic (2004 - £2900 - 79k miles); Volvo V50 2.4i SE Geartronic (2004 - £2895...
I’m in the market for an 8th generation Honda Civic. Can you tell me if there have been any changes to the suspension and ride quality during the model’s history? Also, are there any reliability issues...
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