Questions from March 2013
Driving my Mercedes-Benz C220 in snowy weather is a nightmare. Should I buy an all-wheel drive car or buy snow tyres? I do a lot of driving on motorways and country lanes and the last few weeks have been...
I have a choice between a used Cadillac CTS and a used Mercedes-Benz S-Class - not sure whice is the best car of the 2. Both priced are around £4000, both luxury cars, fully loaded. I'm retired looking...
Can you recommend replacement tyres for my Kia Venga - presently Continental 205/55R16 91H. Specifically with less road noise?
I am 21 and have an Astra G 2004 1.6 SXI. I'm looking to update this with something similar with a £5000 budget, what would you recommend?
Do I need to use the dealer I bought the car from for the first MOT?
A friend has a Golf 1.9 TDi which is four years old. The Volkswagen garage she uses has advised her to have the timing belt changed based on the age of the car, not the mileage, which is not high.
Having...
I do around 30k miles a year, with about 19k being motorway work miles and the rest being a mix with mountain bikes and climbing trips etc.
Ideally I'd like a fairly efficient 4wd as live in a rural...
My 6 yr old fully serviced Nissan Note 1.5DCI, with 70K miles refused to start.
It has gone to the garage and the diesel pump has failed, pushing metal swarf into the injectors.
Is this a common problem...
Could you please tell me if the cam/chain belt on the Astra 1.4 Life petrol should be changed at 121k miles?
The seller says its a chain and will last the cars lifetime.
I do 33,000 miles pa mainly on my 110 mile per day commute along fast A roads and dual carriageway. I have a poorly left knee and am six foot tall with long legs so need a comfortable automatic.
I am...
My wife does 12,500 miles annually which is entirely urban short distances (community nurse).
I would like to get her a car which would cost me ideally as little as possible to run, but be a decent car...
Had two tyres destroyed by potholes (no compensation from council) and I would like to change to higher profile tyres. What sizes could I fit?
I took off the engine cover and behind it were items labelled 'Delphi'. Should I be worried, please?
The car has done 40,000 miles. The blow-plugs have been renewed yet still the engine is reluctant to fire-up first-thing in the morning.
It requires a long churn.
It starts briskly for the rest...
I have a brand new Hyundai IX35 that seems reluctant to steer away from the straight ahead posirion at normal road speed. At slow manouvering speed it's fine but on the motorways it just likes the straight...
I have fault codes u2105 (no comms with ECU) and u2139 (no comms with steering column). Any advice on locating the actual problem, as it needs resolving for the MOT?
More and more people are looking at tuning their diesels for more economy and or power.
In this day and age of ridiculous fuel prices isn't it time we had a decent investigation into the pros and cons...
I am one of those guys who do tons of research before buying a car, yet always regret the choice within few weeks. I have owned five cars and it happened five times.
I value comfort, smooth ride, luxury...
I own a 2009 Audi TTS, mileage just over 30,000 with full Audi service history. The nearside running lights (LEDs) have failed and I contact my local Audi dealership regarding a fix. The car is out of...
Last year I received a letter from my insurer threatening to cancel my policy if I failed to send them a copy of my V5C within seven days. I complied and asked for a confirmation. I did not get any further...
My husband and I have now retired at the age of 70 and would like your opinion on these two used vehicles, either of which will be the last we purchase: the Toyota RAV4 petrol or the Volvo XC60 Volvo petrol....
The passage of time has brought the wife (age 75) and me (age 78) to a point where the ease at which we can enter and leave the car is becoming paramount. I currently run a 1997 Passat 110 TDI now at 177,000...
I currently have two cars that I would like to amalgamate to one. The first is a Nissan Qashqai, which is used for everyday comfortable transport, and the other is a 1994 Isuzu Trooper SWB Duty used as...
I have been reading your letters page for many years, but have become increasingly frustrated by your toleration of the view that 'older' cars should be disposed of. Might I remind you that not all of...
I have just bought a 2012-registered Volvo V50 SE LUX which is on 205/50 R17 tyres. A little research has led me to believe that I would save 30 to 40 per cent on replacement tyres if I changed to 16-inch...
The clutch on my 2009 Honda CR-V diesel manual is slipping, not badly but enough for me to call into Honda in Northampton. They said it may well last for a few thousand miles or could fail soon (although...
Within 10 days of taking delivery of my wife's new Skoda Roomster in December the rear wiper failed. Skoda couldn't arrange repair in the week before Christmas, so it was booked in for 27 December when...
You quite rightly advocate running a turbocharged engine at idle for a minute or so after a vigorous run in order for the turbo to 'cool off', and my last car (Toyota Yaris Diesel - bought on your recommendation...
I have a 2007 Vauxhall Zafira that has very annoying squeal. It started in June 2012 and I hear it on almost every journey, intermittently. It appears to come from the driver front wheel. If I stop the...
I am interested in buying a Dacia Sandero as they seem very, very good value. Do you rate them for someone who only does 5000 to 6000 miles a year as a good investment please? Why are they so cheap? Any...
What do you think of a used 2009 Lexus IS250 SEi petrol from a Lexus main dealer at £14,000 compared to a 3-litre petrol Jaguar XF of the same year? Which would you buy?
I would be grateful for information on cars using diesel. I have been told that this is a good feature if you are doing a lot of distance driving, but not a good choice if the running is mostly local....
I am considering buying a 2009 Ford pick-up, double cab, Wildtrack 3.0 TDCI 4WD. It has 30,646 miles and is £11,991 plus VAT. It will effectively be the family car as I need the load space to cater for...
West Dorset is a rural and hilly area with three ways out of our village: two steeply upwards and one steeply down. During the recent snowy weather cars were skidding all over the place. I have winter...
Could you possibly recommend a small car, please, for an 85-year-old 5-feet 9-inches lady whose knees are beginning to go? Could be secondhand or new, but spending well under £10,000. It will be street-parked,...
I just filled the car up at Morrisons: an eye-watering £80. The attendant explained that it’s gone up three times this week alone. Yet again less money in our pocket and a bigger tax take for our self-serving...
I have a 2007 Vauxhall Astra SRI with a faulty ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS sensor. Vauxhall is yet to confirm that this part is in the car but the symptoms match. Can you help me as I understand you have helped...
A few weeks ago you mentioned a Skoda user's website. I have searched for it but can’t find one. Could you give me the web address?
I contacted George Stokoe at Airbagman yesterday, as you suggested, and fixed an appointment for this morning. He arrived early and 12 minutes later my problem was fixed at a cost of just his callout fee...
I currently have a 2005 2.0-litre Subaru Forester and would appreciate your advice of a replacement. I bought this car in May 2009 and chose an AWD as we were moving to mid-Wales and an estate for my husband's...
I bought a secondhand 2007 Octavia Scout TDI 1,968cc with 76,000 miles on the clock in May last year. It is my second diesel Octavia but the first with a DPF, something I had not heard of before I bought...
My son, living in California, has told me that, not only are car parks mostly herringbone there, but the regulations state that the spaces are "drive in, reverse out" and that cars reversing out have right...
I am noticing more and more vehicles with only one headlight working. Driving home one evening last week I counted 1 in 12 cars had faulty lights front or back. Why are motorists are not doing simple checks...
I have a 2007 Ford C-Max 1.6 110 diesel with 61,000 miles on the clock. My husband has a Ford Mondeo estate diesel 2.2 Titanium X with 60,000. We both now do about 6000 miles a year, a lot on short 4-10...
I saw your recent answer to a correspondent on reporting potholes. I emailed www.fixmystreet.co.uk on Wednesday 8.30pm. Received acknowledgement 9.20am on Thursday, and a further email at 11.20am on Thursday...
I drive 8000 to 9000 miles per year, mostly shortish distances. I have to replace my Honda Accord diesel. I would like a 4-door saloon or hatchback, petrol at about £10,000 without trade-in, not more than...
I need to replace my company BMW 3 Series soon and I now need a car that can take a large and growing dog. The cars I am interested in are the X3 18d SE, Audi Q3 Sportline, the Mazda CX-7 Sport, or for...
Recently a friend was in the front passenger seat with her feet up on the dash. Her husband (driving) had a relatively minor collision and the airbag deployed smashing both ankles of his wife. She‘s unlikely...
You commented that you don't understand the obsession with analogue speedometers. It is a well-understood ergonomic principle that an analogue needle display gives an indication of rate of change that...
Can you give me some advice and possibly point me in the right direction of which way to proceed with a problem with my 2009 Mini Cooper cabriolet that I have had from new. The car has been serviced by...
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