Questions from July 2011
You asked readers to let you know what the true fuel consumption they have experienced. Last December I purchased a Honda Insight hybrid having read about them in one of your articles. The car was nearly...
You are completely correct about EU regulations being driven by powerful lobby groups. May I respectfully refer you to this very short clip by Daniel Hannan MEP when he confirms your very point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q96H1FqDTbQ...
I spotted a 2006 Peugeot 1007 1.6 Sport automatic with 15,000 miles at a local dealer's for £2,500. I'm attracted to its electric sliding doors and internal versatility with sliding rear seats, and we...
I changed my car last year from a Zafira to a Peugeot Partner. The Partner is wider than the Zafira and as such I had a couple of incidents. To this effect I emailed you just before Christmas regarding...
I am at a loss at how to proceed. My 18 year-old son has just passed his driving test and no matter which approach I take, quotes are starting at around £4,000pa. I have tried multi-car policies (three...
Maybe you can point me in the right direction with this one, please. I drive a buggy at my local National Trust property, taking people to and from The House & Ticket Office. We use a standard 6-seater...
There are many parties to blame for motor insurance premium increases. In no particular order: A) Insurers, vehicle repairers, police, franchised dealers and breakdown companies who sell details of non...
Last week my July 2006 Skoda Octavia vRS had to go into the Skoda dealer for a recall to replace the ignition coils. On getting into the car after the work had been done I was immediately annoyed to find...
Unfortunately my BMW X3 M Sport came with 234/45 R19 (front) and 255/40 R19 (rear) tyres as standard. It was an ex BMW registered car (1500 miles on clock) loaded with extras and seemed tempting at the...
As a public servant shortly to retire after 40 years service, I quite fancied treating myself to a used convertible to go alongside the family car (a Ford Kuga). My best friend has a soft-topped Alfa Spider...
I wish to buy a car that will give me the maximum ride comfort for a budget of up to £20,000. I am retired and do only 2,500 miles per annum, and would prefer to buy secondhand to avoid the initial high...
On three occasions over the last year I have used the M1 between Junctions 15A and 32. On each occasion my Garmin satnav has stopped functioning in the vicinity of Nottingham and did not resume until it...
I have recently been caught for speeding at 108 mph on a motorway and am due to attend court on 1 August 2011. I have pleaded guilty by post already as I was stopped and spoke with the police officer on...
About 1 month ago my neighbour, living opposite, reversed her car into mine as she negotiated joining the road from her drive. The damage appeared to be slight. We agreed that I would get a couple of estimates...
Although it is entirely sensible to go after the other driver directly to recover losses arising from an accident for which you can prove you were not to blame, failure to report the fact of an accident...
An increasing number of letters featured in your column concern the practices of insurance companies. The problem it seems to me is that the insurance industry is now run by bean counters who have forgotten...
Is this an accident waiting to happen? I recently took delivery of a Skoda Yeti with which I am delighted. I had opted for factory tow bar preparation and my local Skoda garage recommended a company to...
I see that Jaguar no longer produce an XF with a 3.0 petrol engine. Is a new model proposed?
For over a month, I have rented a flat which included an allocated parking spot in the secure parking garage. When I signed the contract, the agency gave me a pass which I was to display every time I was...
Fiat Panda Cross (4x4) is no longer available. Is new Panda 4x4 version planned?
Just prior to the expiry of warranty on my MINI Cooper Convertible, the air conditioning failed. The car was due a service and pre MOT check therefore they looked at the problem just prior to its MOT....
My local Ford dealer advised changing the oil in my 06 Ford Focus at 12,000 mile intervals and the plugs at 33,000 miles. These seem very long intervals to me. My annual mileage of 12,000 is mostly 65...
I'm thinking of replacing my thirsty Vectra with a small car. Mostly town use but occasional motorway work so thought 1.1/1.2 engine best and must be 5 door with as much space as possible cos have children....
How do I replace the rear tail light bulb in the tailgate of a 2005 Citroen C5? I assume I have to remove the interior panel to gain access to remove the blown bulb.
Should I choose a new Volvo XC90 or a new Kia Sorento to tow my caravamn which weighs 1700kg?
I bought a Chevrolet Cruze, my first ever new car after 15 years, in June, pre registered on a 11 reg with 25 miles on the clock from Pentagon Chevrolet Rochdale. I was assured by the salesman that the...
My Grand Voyager was overheating, the RAC said that the 2 two cooling fans were not working. Is it likely that it is a switch problem or the whole fan units. would any garage do or a specialist auto electrician?
I own a 2002 Peugeot 206 1.6i GLX and a anti pollution fault has come up on the dash, i have change the lambda sensor as indicated on the diagnostic test but after 3 weeks it has come on again. What do...
Can anyone advise the best route from Longleat to Glasgow leaving at Friday teatime. I will have a 3 year old in the car so don't want to end up sitting in traffic for hours. Would it be better to head...
I wish to buy a 4x4 less than 155cm wide (to replace a 'classic' Fiat Panda). Any suggestions?
Can you please point me in the right direction? Looking to buy a 2-3 year old MPV, Crossover or 4x4. Preferably automatic and preferably disesel (chain drive?), but petrol considered. Reliability is important...
I have a second car which I'm not using at the moment (I have a company car) and I want to lend to my brother for a indefinite period. Quite rightly he wants to insure it under his own name as he'll be...
I bought a 1.6 TDCI Ford Focus (Zetec) 110 Climate about 3 months ago it is a 2006 Plate and has 67k on the clock. I have notice that on starting when engine is idle it stutters a little (a bit like when...
I'm fitting a towbar & electrics to my Ford C-MAX 1.6 zetec petrol 2008 reg. Very confused on electrics! Is by-pass relay good enough or should I fit car specific wiring kit? Quite a price difference &...
Should my new Skoda Octavia, first registered in June 2011, have the daylight running lights operating or does it meet the legal requirements by just having them fitted?
My two tall daughters and I need a new(ish) car. I would like a hatchback with a good safety record (crash test) that is cheap to run where fuel consumption and repairs are concerned, is reliable, has...
3 weeks ago I bought an R reg Mercedes S500 from a second hand car dealer. I bought the car as it was fitted with LPG. The car stalls randomly on gas and has since I bought it. I now only run the car on...
My daughter needed a new tyre on her Hyundai i30 because of a puncture. All the tyres are speed rated as H (upto 130 mph).The tyre fitter at Costco when checking on his computer said that it told him it...
I am a recently graduated girl of 21 looking for a first car. I have previously driven a citroen C2 but am now looking for something slightly bigger, with a budget of around £4,000. The safety of the car...
The climate control on my 4 year old S- MAX does not emit cooling air. My local Ford dealer has done a standard air con service and re gassed the system and has now told me that the climate control pump...
I bought a Mazda 6 TS2 Diesel. Drives beautifully and quiet for a diesel engine. Engine light showed and I rushed for diagnostics and I was told by Kwik Fit that it is EGR valve that needs to be replaced....
I'm looking at used Mondeos, around 2008. Occasionally 100bhp, 1.8 diesels pop up, are these vastly different to drive from the more common 125?
I have 5 year old twins and am looking for a decent to drive mid size mpv that i will use mainly as a 4/5 seater with a decent boot and occasionally as a 7 seater. Looking to spend around £25k and get...
My car was being recovered by the AA (suspected water pump failure) when the AA truck and trailer, which my car was on, were struck by a 24 tonne lorry. It was, I understand the lorry driver's fault. He...
I have narrowed my search for a Diesel Estate to either a 08 plate Mondeo Estate Zetec 2.0L TDCi 6 speed manual with 108K miles on the clock, or a 56 plate Peugeot 407 sw 2.0L HDi Automatic with 73k on...
My Vauxhall Combo 51 plate will not go faster than 65mph on the motorway it takes a long time to pick up speed through all the gears any suggestions thank you
I noticed my oil light go on so i bought castrol 10w40 part synth. Soon after my service warning sign comes on. Have i put the wrong oil in also if yes will this create problems or do i simply get a full...
When remote locking the doors on our 2007 Nissan Note 1.4 SE there is a loud buzzing/rasping noise which seems to come from the drivers door. Is this an intentional audible confirmation of locking or is...
I agreed a good deal for a well - specced Volvo XC90 with a main dealer. We agreed the spec and the price by email. They took a large deposit over the phone. The next day they phoned to say that they had...
I am looking to purchase a 2009 or 2010 Audi TT 2.0 coupe but do i go for the petrol or diesel version, I do approx 15k miles per year and do i go for the full leather or half leather seats.
 

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