No VAT on used car but same price

I am about to buy a used Volvo V7 D5 Auto from our local Volvo dealer. I only drive about 5,000 miles per year, almost always on long trips (I ride a bike 90% of the time). It was first registered 2008,...

Is it OK to negotiate over the phone?

I am interested in buying a used Kia Optima. I have a specific budget, so is it reasonable to ask the dealer on the telephone if there is any movement on the price? (If I have seen something similar, or...

Is £90 per hour a reasonable labour rate for a car workshop?

I took my Ford Focus (a very nice car) to a Ford dealer for its first service on 12 October 2012 with 4233 on the clock and everything was OK. This week I went to the same Ford dealer for the second Service...

Thanks for your help with our mis-built Volkswagen Golf SE

Regarding our mis-built Volkswagen Golf VII, I wanted to advise you that Volkswagen UK contacted me within a few days of sending the letter to their MD. The MD appointed a member of his executive team...

Why is Vauxhall denying the existence of a water ingress problem on the Corsa?

You wrote: “This generation of Corsa can suffer water ingress because the brake master cylinder is bolted to a plate that is bonded to the bulkhead. This bonding fails, allowing water in". I spoke to...

Is my new Citroen C4 Picasso turbocharged?

I’ve just changed from Citroen Xsara to a new Citroen C4 Picasso VTR+ HDI EGS. My neighbour informs me that this model has a turbo whereas my dealer states not. How do you find out which is correct?

Why did a Volkswagen dealer try to charge to fix a fault on my Gold which was solved with WD40?

The passenger side door of my Volkswagen Golf Match TDI failed to unlock, and I contacted a VW main agent who informed me that there would be an initial charge for the diagnostic check costing £60, followed...

Why is oil so expensive from a dealer for my Volkswagen Scirocco?

Within a standard lube service for my wife’s Scirocco, using 4.3 litres of Castrol Edge, the cost was £90.30 (last year £57.54). For my car’s oil change, I have been quoted £91.42 (last year £40.49) for...

Why are independent garages able to work on modern cars when they lack the specialist experience?

Your correspondent in ‘Drain on Resources’ appears to be too simplistic in his views on independent garages and his preference to franchised dealerships. I have had some very bad experiences using dealerships...

Should I start my own car business?

I'm about to be made redundant and I am looking to start buying and selling cars as a small business. I have little knowledge or experience of the industry, and have no idea about legalities or where to...