How can I tell if my brake pads need changing?

At the last service (33K) my front brake pads were replaced and the rears reported to be 70% worn. Given the previous rate of wear, the rear pads will need replacing at a little over 43K miles; it's now...

Which brake dust repellent?

I have bought some Simoniz brake dust repellant alloy wheel cleaner 2-in-1 formula. It is a spray. A friend has advised against using it as he says it will ruin the brake pads. Is he right? I have thought...

My Porsche Carrera 997 is suffering from serious corrosion to the brakes - is there any recourse?

I've just had a call from the Official Porsche Centre which is servicing my 2006 997 Carrera S. They tell me that the nipples on the brake calipers are corroded to the extent that they cannot remove them...

Ripped off by a 'Good Garage'?

I took my 1993 Mazda MX5 for a service and got a phone call to say that the left front brake caliper was leaking brake fluid and needed to be replaced at a cost of £130, so I went ahead with the repair....

How do I bleed the brakes?

How do I bleed the brakes on a Citroen C5? I have replaced the front caliper.

Our Nissan Micra has developed an ABS fault due to corrosion - should Nissan repair this?

My wife has just taken her 2008 Nissan Micra to the local Nissan dealer because the ABS light was on and has been told that the ABS system needs replacing, due to corrosion, and has been quoted £2771 for...

Volkswagen Polo is wearing brake discs and pads very rapidly - why?

Last year I purchased a brand new Volkswagen Polo under the scrappage scheme. In the first 18 months a distance of about 8500 miles was driven, mostly school runs, around town and the occasional 100-mile...

Why does Volkswagen Auto Group exclude shock absorbers from its warranty?

We started a thread in the Backroom (/www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/posts/?t=93339) complaining about VAG excluding shock absorbers from its warranty and giving only six months (as with brake pads etc). Can...

Why does the stop/start system only work with the foot brake?

I have the stop/start system on my Honda and am reasonably satisfied. But why does it only work on the foot brake? At traffic lights, etc, I want to engage neutral and apply the hand brake.

ABS diagnostic fault on my Volkswagen Golf GT - what could be causing it?

My car is a Golf GT Sport TDI and it is three and a half years old. The ABS light came on and I took it to my garage which did the diagnostics tests. £170 later I was told it was the ABS controller unit....