Questions from March 2012
Following recent experiences with a motor insurer who advertises a lot in motoring magazines, please can you indicate which insurers are best thought of, in your postbag, for private buyers?
I suffer with back problems and drive a Vauxhall Agila, which is fine, as was my brother’s Zafira. However, he now drives a Skoda Yeti in which I am often a passenger and, whilst his car is generally great,...
I am looking to buy a 2007 Toyota Prius that has done 136,000 miles but comes with a full service by Toyota for £4700. The car is in very good condition. Are there any pitfalls of buying a high mileage...
My wife and I own a Passat turbo diesel estate and a diesel Shogun, both of which we are very pleased with. We are now retired and wish to only have one vehicle. We live on an un-adopted road, which is...
I have a Lexus 200 Sport that has been extremely reliable. The only problem that I have with the car is excessive wear on the inside edges of the front tyres. The car is on 215/45ZR 17 tyres. I have had...
In your reply to PJ you intimate that he would avoid any increase in his insurance premium by undertaking a speed awareness course. Is this in fact the situation as it appears, that PJ was in fact speeding...
I received an early present on Christmas Eve, a £60 penalty for overstaying by 35 minutes on the pay and display at Waterhead car park in Ambleside recently. I hadn't even realised I had taken longer than...
We have a Renault Laguna Initial Estate that we have had from new. It’s now six years old. The last two winters in the Highlands have been very severe. This winter we decided to garage the Laguna before...
Honest John is spot on when he says that “wobbling cyclists and London traffic will never mix.” A wobbly cyclist should be given training. But MW of Chatham is wrong when he asserts that cyclists are given...
My District Council has leased two Nissan Leaf electric cars as a contribution to a cleaner planet. Nissan calls it a zero emission vehicle with a range of 109 miles. The 'zero emission' is questionable,...
My wife's car is a 2005 Toyota Corolla. It has done 54,000 miles, but in the last two or three years it has been used mostly for local driving with one long run every few weeks. It was serviced recently...
I have an Audi A4 TDI 96 plate. I've had the battery and starter motor changed and still can't start it.
When the key is in the ingition all the lights on the dashboard come as normal and then go off...
The turbo failed on my C4 Picasso. The car is 4 months out of an approved used car warranty and the dealer has told me they have received notification from Citroen that the problem is due to a known fault....
I have owned my 03 Berlingo HDi from new, now done 125000 miles. The horn works with the ignition off perfectly, but will not work with the ignition on! Clearly an MOT failure but my garage - an independent...
I am at a loss which car to buy!
It is either Hyundai ix35 or Kia Sportage (which has been my favourite) or the Ford Kuga for its ride quality - but I really object to the mark up on the extras with the...
My mother-in-law has big problems with her 1996 Astra. A couple of months back the woodruff key in the crankshaft timing pulley wore and sent all the timing up the wall.
After fitting a new pulley and...
We have just acquired a 59 plate Galaxy TDCI automatic which has a complete mishmash of tyres on it with about 4mm tread, and I'm looking to put a matching set on. The current size is 225/55/R17.
What...
I visited a main dealer this week. Told the salesman what I wanted - nearly new. He phoned me later, offering a car registered Feb 2012 with delivery miles, for £9999.
Yes please, I said, and gave my...
We have the opportunity to get a lease car from work so we don't need to worry about tax and maintenance, etc.
What is the most economical car that could cope with two adults and three 10-13 year olds...
When should I change the timing belt on a 2009 (59) Audi A6 2.0TDIe, when the service book says 114,000 miles? My dealer says 75,000 miles. It is after-all still under warranty, so if it snapped wouldn't...
I have a Nissan Micra K11, what are the torque values for the rocker cover bolts, because of a leaking rocker cover gasket which I am going to replace.
I was recently hit from behind while stationary. At the time I was towing a trailer which was badly damaged. The accident also damaged the tow bar of my van. I contacted my insurance company who where...
I have paid and insured my daughter’s insurance with the same brokers since you received it as a 17th birthday present (lucky girl and she knows it).
Anyway, in January she was driving down to Wales...
How does the new 1.2TSI engine compare to the "old" 1.9TDI 105pd with acceleration and load pulling in a Skoda Octavia? The dealer claims they are comparable. Is the 1.4 a better choice?
Planning to take car to France this summer. I know it runs on 5% ethenol fuel that we have here, is similar fuel availale in France or has it a higher ethenol content?
Is £676 a ripoff price (dealer) to replace a clutch that has burned out on a Toyota Corolla?
I am buying a Vito van for a campervan conversion it has a 2.2TD engine.
Is this a good engine and does it have any faults that I should look out for? It has done 160.000 miles but it had a new engine...
Shortly trading in two RAV4's (one 5 door, one 3 door). I specifically want a 4x4 replacement with a full size spare tyre contained within, or on the rear of, the vehicle - not purchased separately and...
We bought an ex demonstrator from Arnold Clark yesterday using PCP to finance it.
When we returned home and put the two seats down in the boot we noticed the parcel shelf missing. I checked the spec...
I live in Cornwall, so cars here are expensive. My nearest professional auction houses are in Bristol. I want to know what I need to do to become a trader, so I can register with these auctioneers who...
This, I think, is exactlty what my wife is looking for . . . Drive the Deal quoting £10450 for this vehicle (down from £17k). It is a 2011 model, so it's a new car or pre-registered.
Are there any drawbacks?...
While fitting a new lambda sensor to my Skoda Fabia last week, the threads broke, requiring a new section costing nearly £700. They wouldn't pay for it, even though it happened whilst in their care, despite...
Bought a second hand car 3-2-12. Was in for repair 4-2-12, needed new brake switch - garage paid full fee. Bulb needed replacing - paid for it ourselves.
Now it needs something else, I think its new...
I am another poor soul who mis-fuelled his car at Shell - due to their V-Max marketing. I used a pump which was coloured red, white and black to fill my diesel car. But the pump contained unleaded.
Shell...
In your list of CO2 emissions for cars I notice that the petrol Skoda Octavia vRS with DSG emits less CO2 than the manual version. Why should this be with exactly the same engine? Even more strangely,...
I am going to buy a new car in the near future and have been advised by the dealership that I should take out a PCP in order to take advantage of a £1000 manufacturer deposit contribution and a cut price...
Which is better - Clio automatic 2001 or Clio 2003 with qs5 semi auto?
I am losing coolant fluid, but have kept it topped up and not overheated. Land Rover have had the vehicle for investigation and perfomed two compression tests but can't find the source of the leak. I have...
I recently bought a 5 year old Mazda 6 TS D 121 to replace my 14 year old Toyota Avensis petrol 1.8L.
I find the ride on the Mazda is nowhere near as smooth and comfortable as the Toyota.
Every tiny...
I have a Jaguar S-Type 2.7 Diesel Automatic, 05-plate with 77k miles.
There is a shaking/vibration from the transmission when it is accelerating between 40 to 50 MPH.
Once the car has reached between...
I have had two tyre pressure sensor valves fail in the last year (cause seems to be corrosion)- great inconvenience but no blow-outs so far.
I am concerned about long term safety of these devices -...
Am seeking insurance for son aged 17.5, one month qualified. Cheapest quote on confused.com was £3,500 (Admiral - way too much). Have heard you can get limited day insurance (max 180 days p/a) which is...
A local dealer has had a 2003 Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6 on his forecourt for at least 12 months. It has done less than 30,000 miles, and in that time it has been reduced from £4995 to £3995. Would all this...
I realised my 306 TDI was not accelerating beyond 100km/h. On arrival, the car had some difficulty starting.
My mechanic then recommended we replace the following -
Fuel filter
Fuel Pump
Serviced the...
I am buying a Seat Leon SE Copa. I drive no more than 10,000 miles per year so is it better to get the 1.2 tsi or 1.6 diesel engine?
Who do you recommend to give me a check-up on my driving abilities, now that I am 82?
The RoSPA, I believe, do it for £50. I'd rather spend less.
And, of course, I don't really think I need one!
My 2002 1.9 TDI Passat estate 130 occasionally cuts out when started from cold (usually on pulling up at the traffic lights) and is slightly heavier on fuel than it used to be.
Now get around 37 per...
I've got a 2009/59 Mondeo diesel - 140hp 2-litre, manual, Titanium X. I bought it from TC Harrison in Peterborough at 10,000 miles; they had previously owned it as a directors' car. It now has 34000 miles.
At...
I recently purchased a very expensive motorhome from a dealer. Before completing the purchase the dealer agreed to rectify an engine manangement warning light, completely valet the vehicle, touch up some...
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