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Honest John Ask Honest John » January 2017
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Trending topics in January 2017
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Questions from January 2017
I currently drive a 2011 Renault Megane but, due to a promotion, now drive into central London daily. The running costs of the Megane and the low mpg make it unrealistic to keep, only 70 mile round trip...
What is the status of the reports about Volkswagen Tiguan losing power after the EA189 emissions fix?
Looking to buy next car, needs to have good fuel economy and be relatively cheap to insure and tax. I do mostly town driving (to and from work, 16 mile round trip), a dozen or so motorway journeys a year....
The suggestion is that any VWG compensation will be paid per car to all the previous owners as well as the current owner of an affected vehicle. How will previous owners prove that they once owned an affected...
How do I store a car away for 6 months?
I currently own a Honda Jazz and have been very pleased with it. I am thinking of changing it either for another Jazz 1.3 i-VTECor a MINI Cooper. Either would be automatic. Which do you advise I go for,...
We have £15,000 to spend on a fuel efficient, reliable SUV. It's got to last 7-10 years and be cheap to run and service. Where would you put your money, a Mazda CX-5 or a Renault Kadjar?
I've just bought a 2014 Ford Ka for my daughter. It has 14,000 miles, however the clutch pedal biting point is quite high. Is this normal?
I just had winter tyres refitted to wife's car Toyota Yaris, which was returned without the position of each removed tyre being marked, as had been the case with the winter ones they've just put on. Does...
The washer pump on my Peugeot 207 is working but no water is coming out of the jets. What is the problem?
What's the best second hand automatic car for a tall man, with a tall family, that does a various distance of miles for work?
I've just had my Skoda Yeti serviced and they said my puncture repair kit had reached it's expiry date. They quotes £64 for a new kit, is it really necessary to replace it?
I have had a clean driving licence for 46 years, never been stopped or charged with any offence. I recently applied to renew my HGV licence and got a letter back saying my full driving license is revoked...
I am looking for a reliable diesel family car. It should be no older than 2013, less than 40,000 miles and we have an £8000 budget. Can you please advise what the best options for me would be? I have been...
I need a second hand car and my friend has offered to sell me his 2002 Ford Fiesta. He gave me the number plates but I’ve checked on the direct.gov website and it says the car has no tax or MOT. He doesn’t...
I would like to buy a smallish petrol hatchback that has a sunroof and navigation, between 1 and 3 years old. What would you suggest?
My parents bought my brother a 2005 Peugoet 107 in September 2016. The car developed a fault (horn sounding with no one pressing it) and was sent to the local mechanic to get it sorted. When he was fixing...
Can you tell me whether my 2007 Ford Ka 1.2 has a cam belt or is chain driven?
Do you think it is worth joining the class action against Volkswagen? I have nothing to lose apart from the lawyers' 30%!
I am looking to replace my 2009 Citroen C5 VTR+ Tourer 140 HDI with one that is 2 or 3 years old. I travel 8000 miles a year, 30% in town and the balance on motorways. I recently started using Millers...
I would like to ask for advice regarding the replacement of my Xsara Picasso with something similar in size and style. It should be an automatic car, preferably newer than 2010. The obvious choices would...
I do a bit of shooting and would like to buy a cheap 4x4 to enable me to carry my kit into fields and woods. This could involve a mile or more up tracks with ruts and deep mud so I want something capable....
9 months ago I had a new timing belt fitted on my 2009 Audi A6, 108,000 miles (the second belt I've had fitted). The bolt securing the timing belt tensioner failed and snapped off as confirmed by an Audi...
My old Honda CR-V is due a new road fund licence at the end of the month and will cost £265 for 12 months. However, the rate changes on 1 April 2017 to a cost of £140 for 12 months. Can I pay monthly for...
We currently have a 2014 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi, bought for towing a caravan. We’ve sold the caravan and now only do about 10,000 miles a year, mainly short local journeys, so are looking for a petrol car...
Why is there noise coming from the wheels on my Mercedes-Benz GLC?
I am considering buying a new Volvo V90. I have read numerous reviews and had a test drive. I note that in addition to the standard suspension set-up there are two (cost) options available - rear self-levelling...
I have a 2010 Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI and it won't start. If it does, it starts and is lumpy for a short bit then dies, does not get over 1000rpm. The fuel is fine, as is the battery. Any ideas?
My 2009 Ford Fiesta 1.2 is losing coolant. There has been no overheating, fan kicks in and goes off as normal. Also no mix in oil and no water pump no noise. What is the problem?
We have just purchased a 2002 Volvo S80 and the battery keeps draining but we can't work out why as nothing has been left on. When we try to start it up it makes a clicking noise. We had read about problems...
Six months ago I purchased a 2013 Toyota Yaris Hybrid with 10,000 miles. The droning noise from the CVT was very irritating so I secured a good trade in deal against a high spec 2013 Skoda Roomster 1.2...
I read recently that some editions of the more modern Toyota RAV4 offer a 'conventional' automatic gearbox as an alternative to the CVT box. Is this correct?
My daughter has a large Volkswagen 4x4 to tow a horse box. She had Continental tyres fitted and they have only lasted 4600 miles. Is this unusual?
My 2010 Mercedes-Benz CL500 was making noise so I took it to local dealer. He called in a Mercedes-Benz dealer who diagnosed the ABC pump failing. The Mercedes-Benz dealer replaced the pump because the...
I've owned a Honda CR-V 2.2 EX for 4 years now and it's been great. I'd like to replace it with something the same size, certainly no smaller, but with a better quality, more upmarket interior. I like...
My Maserati Ghibli has a wheel judder issue when turning on hard lock. I read about the wheel judder on some Mercedes-Benz models also doing this. I have asked Maserati about this but they say it is quite...
I have had the update done on my Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI and on driving home the glow plug light started flashing, it got returned to the garage and they 'fixed' it by saying the software hadn't loaded...
My 2012 Hyundai i20 1.2, 41,000 miles on the clock is quoted an average of 57.6 mpg. Your website suggests that the real average mpg for this make and model is 46.9 mpg, but I’m averaging only 39 mpg!...
Is a 2003 Nissan Micra 1.2 with good service history and 133,000 miles good for a first car?
My insurance company has just notified me that my car has been written off by the assessors. The other party has sole liability. What sort of money am I looking at for a pay out for a 2009 automatic Vauxhall...
I want to replace my Toyota RAV4 with another SUV. It must be automatic and I prefer petrol as I only do about 8000 miles a year. What would you recommend to take golf clubs, trolley and occasionally four...
I've replaced ignition barrel and switch on my 2005 Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 petrol and it broke again 2 weeks later, is this common?
Why is there a leak in the footwell on the driver side of my 2002 Ford Focus?
I recently purchased a 2012 vehicle at the end of August 2016 which came with an initial 3 month guarantee and a 2 year warranty I opted to purchase. The car was marginally over 85,000 miles when I bought...
I left the screen reservoir lid in my Volvo V40 D2 off overnight. The front and rear jets now have a struggle to pump screenwash. Pumps sound as if they are okay and the reservoir is clean. Any ideas?...
Has the Land Rover Freelander 2 diesel got a cam belt or a chain? If belt, what is the change interval?
We have a 2015 automatic, 1.6 Volkswagen Touran TDI. It's driven approximately 8000 miles per year. Bearing in mind that we are in our seventies, what would our best option be for a non diesel multi fuel,...
Are these add-ons to my new Honda Jazz good value for money? The first is a Honda extended guarantee, including road side assistance, for £460 for one year. This is after the 12 month warranty which comes...
I have a Jaguar XF 3.0-litre diesel and I'm thinking of changing to an XE. However, with all the bad press that diesel is getting would you advise me to have the petrol engine? Are the modern diesel particulate...
I bought a new BMW M135i in June 2015, along with a service pack. As per your recommendations I had an interim oil service at just over 9000 miles, although 18,000 was the anticipated schedule. I have...