Questions from November 2013
I am 25 and I have just passed my driving test in the UK, although I am not a complete novice driver. I'm looking to buy my first car in the UK and I considered Ford Focus 1998-2004 in 1.6 Zetec trim....
I took my car to the local garage which they were going to sell for me. I parked it where they asked on their premises then left. The car was in perfect condition.
On Monday 25 Nov I went to the garage...
I am starting a new job and will need to commute 25 miles each way. I am looking for a new car that is very fuel efficient (my current 2005 Ford Focus guzzles fuel) and I also need removable air bags so...
My Ford Focus refuses to start. My friend checked the car over and found there was no spark from the plugs, but they worked ok in his car. Any ideas?
My 2004 Renault Scenic is due to have its clutch replaced and my local mechanic has recommended I replace the dual-mass fly wheel at the same time. Is this really necessary or is he trying to get more...
Has Volkswagen/Skoda improved their DSG box to prevent reliability problems? I am about to order a new Yeti 1.2 with the DSG box.
I have a two-litre Renault Megane Cabriolet, which I would like to sell. I know that the advice is "buy a convertible in the winter but sell when it's warmer" - but as the Cabriolet is a glass-top rather...
We have just taken delivery of a new Skoda Citigo and there is a fault with the radio - it doesn't tune into radio stations or keep its reception when on the move.
The dealer has acknowledged the fault...
I suffer with knee problems and I am looking for a vehicle that is not too low or too high. The car must have five-doors and two-wheel drive with a lift up tailgate. Can you tell me what I should buy,...
I have narrowed my choice of new car down to the Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI. I do mostly city driving, but a few times a month will go on longer journeys on faster roads. That said, my typical journeys are...
I am looking for a vehicle that has a boot size of 40-inches wide, 31-inches high and 28-inches to the back seat. I have £22,000 to spend, what do you recommend?
I am a GP and I work in the Chiltern area, around Goring and Woodco. We get snow that affects everyone getting around about 3 days a year however when it does snow we've got a large practice area to cover...
I am looking to purchase a used five door hatchback, with with a good torquey diesel engine that will return high mpg on constant speed (motorway) driving.
A high Euro NCAP rating is also very important....
I was recently involved in an accident which was not my fault. I was about to turn left from a main road into a house drive-way when I was under-taken on my nearside. There is damage to my front wing,...
I have a four-year-old Range Rover Sport bought new from a dealer. I have had all the servicing done by the same dealer on schedule. The vehicle has done 68,000 miles and the turbos self destructed, causing...
The CD player on my 2004 Nissan X-Trail has stopped working. The radio is ok and I have managed to buy a used Nissan radio with a CD changer, but I am unsure how to fit it. Can you offer any advice?
I have a three year old BMW X3, with 36,000 miles on the clock. I’m thinking about changing it for a new model, what do you think?
I am looking to buy a used car and want to spend £5000. I want something that’s cheap to fix/run and boasts good fuel economy. What would you recommend?
My wife has owned a Mk6 Volkswagen Golf DSG for nearly three years. She has loved it with one exception, the auto gearbox, which always shudders when moving off from stationary. I understand this was common...
My 2006 Ford Focus was broken into recently, with the thief slashing the wiring loom to get into the front passenger door. My local dealer has been unable to find the correct part, while Ford Customer...
I’m having some problems with my Rover 75. Recently it refused to change gear and now it won’t drive, with the clutch refusing to engage the gears. Any ideas?
I'm debating buying a 2010 Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi. I do a few odd trips across the country and want something comfortable, but dislike estates. However, I have two concerns:
1) Turbo failures with bills...
I parked in a free car park that states you must park within the bays. The bays were full so I parked where I was not obstructing and where it was not illegal to park. I have now been fined £60, do I have...
I've just bought a second hand Microcar, but I want to get is a workshop manual so I can do my own servicing. However, I can’t find one anywhere and Haynes don’t make them either. Can you help?
I recently bought a new Fiat 500C. My query is that, amongst the huge amount of paperwork I received, I am encouraged in the event of an accident to contact 'Fiat First'. The garage where I bought it (Glyn...
Please let me once again extol the virtues of Liverpool Victoria insurance services. Having visited the recent Malvern Motorhome Show we fell in love with a 2006 Pioneer Jolliet, which we committed to...
There is an article in a recent ‘Economist’ magazine on a new generation of diesel engines. These apparently achieve better fuel consumption by reducing the compression ratios, enabling lighter faster...
Having just bought a BMW 320d xDrive Touring I am starting to think about winter tyres. BMW recommend I have 16-inch wheels against 17-inch fitted as standard. They are offering four steel wheels with...
A word of warning to motorists filling up at automated filling stations in France. I've just returned from a 2-week trip, and on checking my credit card account on line I discovered evidence of (apparent)...
I purchased a Peugeot 3008 in October 2009. Generally the car has served me well, but with one annoying defect. The satnav will not accept the full UK postcodes; only the first four or five digits. Consequently...
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Please advise what would be a suitable first car for my 18-year-old granddaughter who has passed her test? She wants to spend only about £2000. For that sort of money, what could be a fairly reliable and...
My wife complains that there is nowhere to rest cups or sandwiches in our Hyundai i10 when we stop for refreshments. I read Fiats are so endowed. Your comments, please.
Which cars in the 1.2/1.4 petrol category (manual gearbox) would you recommend?
My 2006 Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI PD Estate has just completed 150,000 miles, 145,000 miles in my ownership plus 5000 as the dealer’s demonstration car. The only major expense I have incurred was for a dual...
During over 50 years of driving experience, it has always been a puzzle to me as to why it is that, when parking on a level road, so many drivers attempt to pull the parking brake lever from its mountings....
The front ends of modern cars are subject to tight regulations regarding safety issues in the event of collision with other vehicles and pedestrians. Why, therefore, are agricultural vehicles and JCBs...
I have finally been able to talk to the owner of the garage that sold me a misdescribed car, and he said that I should have spotted the error when I took it on a test drive so it wasn't his fault. He has...
Whilst returning from our holiday and driving to Calais, we noticed that a car with just one headlight working had been following us for about 60 miles. For the next 20 miles or so, it started to tailgate....
My 2009 Citroen C4 1.6 HDI SX has just passed its MoT test. An Advisory item states, "Both front strut mount bearings partially seized". Should I be worried? The Citroen dealer has not been particularly...
My car insurance is due for renewal in the near future and I would be grateful if you would confirm the names of the top five companies in the latest customer care survey. I also own a 2009 Ford Focus...
I have an issue that I feel deserves public airing. It concerns the recent change in the law that allows pre-1960 cars exemption from an annual MOT test. As a classic car collector and restorer of my own...
In February 2000 I bought a 1999T BMW 528i Auto with 29,000 miles for £25,000. It has now done 141,000 miles and is still a pleasure to drive. The only obvious problem is the LED matrix on the dashboard...
What's the position where you are 'forced' across a red light with camera by a police car? It happened to someone in the lane next to me yesterday and could have been me. The police car came up behind...
Although you don't cover buses, I thought you may have some thoughts about the new double-decker London bus featured on a recent ‘Top Gear’ programme. All-British in design and manufacture, it features...
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...
I’ve received a detailed map regarding the deployment of speed cushions and a puffin crossing to be built as a speed calming measure, due to the fact that a new development is to be built in our village....
I have an Audi A3 2.0 TDI S-line 2008 and have been very happy with its frugality (some of it due to the driver) and gadgets. But the car is pretty hard on the road and two damaged tyres have cost me dearly...
More than once in your column I've seen complaints by readers that cruise control is a fuel waster. I was always under the impression that cruise control allows the engine management system to select the...
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