Trending topics in December 2009
Questions from December 2009
If an 11 year old car, worth say £200 or so, was damaged in an accident and would naturally be 'written off', would insurers pay out the £200 or £2,000 that the car would be ‘worth’ under the scrappage...
Please could you suggest answers to my needs? I shall be travelling all over Devon for my new job. I know and like the Toyota RAV-4 but would prefer something rather smaller. My base will be a place at...
In May 2009 I bought a Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 diesel from a VW main dealer. The car was first registered in August 2008 and had 14,000 miles on the clock. I was told by the salesman that the car had been...
I currently own a four-year-old SEAT Altea Stylance 1.9 TDi and am considering a change. I have been very pleased with the car apart from one on going problem that my garage has failed to correct. It is...
I have owned a 2005 VW Touran 1.9TDI for about 3 years, with no problems so far. Fairly low mileage-about 33,000. The ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Program) warning light is now permanently on which means...
My wife's 2005/55 BMW 120d manual is now four years old and has covered 42k miles. She has been delighted with it until now. However about 4 months ago the engine cut out without warning whilst she was...
My friend bought a V reg Ford Ka on 2nd March this year that had a current MOT dated from January 2009. A garage has told her that the car would not pass an MOT now, only 8 months later as -
1. the chassis...
My daughter has a TVR, 1999S, no power steering. She wants to sell it and I am wondering if you could suggest a good place to advertise and an appropriate price. It is in excellent condition with an up...
I am looking at buying a car in the £1,000 range - banger level. I have seen a Audi 80 estate TDI, 1995 on an M plate. Listed as having FSH, have seen the car in the flesh and looks OK for 148,000 miles....
My wife is a community midwife and drives a 12-year-old Toyota RAV-4. She loves the high driving position, ease of parking around town, spacious storage for equipment and reliability. However Toyota no...
My wife has severe osteoporosis and is now unable to drive. To help my wife's quality of life we require a vehicle that is easy to enter and most importantly has a soft, comfortable ride to overcome this...
I have been offered by a Mercedes dealer a July 2006 Smart Forfour 1.5 CDi Passion, 25,600 miles, used as a demonstrator and manager's car by them, for £5,495 including a new "supagard" coating and a one...
Can you advise me whether cruise control on a long motorway journey is more fuel-efficient than the right foot? I thought that as the fuel is being constantly monitored to maintain speed, then the computer...
Surprisingly, it looks as if my son's September 2003 BMW 320td ES Compact Auto could be written off following a slow speed shunt with a 4x4 equipped with heavy duty bull-bars. The BMW's done 48,000 miles,...
I am writing to ask for some advice regarding our brand new VW Polo that we bought 2 months ago as part of the scrappage scheme. I also
have an 05 plate Golf TDI with 100k miles and never any problems.
With...
Recently my wife and I were driving from Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh to catch a plane from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik (one flight a week). To our dismay we hit a pothole that we could not avoid because of an...
I read ‘Autocar’ and, as a reasonable enthusiast with three cars, I take some interest in cars. I remember some time ago you did list small cars with REAL autos, but I cannot find any reference to this....
I have a two year old current model Honda CR-V and Honda insists that the front brake discs require changing due to them being worn and rounded on a car which has only done 17,500 miles and rarely carries...
I have arranged a test drive of the new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo as I like the versatility of a hatchback but I also want comfort. Is there any other high quality hatchback that you can recommend because...
Some months ago you answered a readers enquiry about a car that was comfortable for sleeping in whilst touring but cheaper to run then a conventional type camper van. At the time I didn't need the information...
My father recently passed away and my mother (aged 80) now lives alone in an area that is prone to some snow in winter (maybe 4 to 6 inches). She does not drive and I visit her daily, I currently drive...
There has been a lot of airtime spent on the subject of large rises being imposed by the insurance industry on UK car owners. All the usual excuses have been aired from increases in young driver claims,...
I am a 48-year-old single mother of 4 and have just qualified as a nurse. I have got a job as a community staff nurse, which involves a lot of travelling. My present car is a 2000X Polo (bought 2nd hand...
I have just bought a second -hand 08 reg. Nissan Note from a branch of Evans Halshaw. After it had been to various branches of the company, and having completed all the paperwork and paid for it etc I...
Are Turbo-Chargers in petrol engines anymore reliable than those fitted in diesel engines?
I currently own a 2005 SAAB 9-5 saloon 2.2 TID Auto. It has just over 43,000 miles on the clock and has been reasonably reliable, except for the boot release that failed twice. Would you be kind enough...
We are reducing our two cars to one. I have a BMW 1 Series, three years old; my wife a Peugeot 205, five years old. Can you advise of any car about the size of the 205, but of the same quality of the BMW....
Over the years I have read your columns with interest and enthusiasm, but I always felt uncomfortable with your negative stance over speed cameras. Feeling that I am nearing the end of my life, I took...
I am a private punter thinking of buying a 2002 - 2003 Mercedes A Class at auction (probably Westbury) when one comes up in the listings. Any tips? Or would I be better off going to a dealer through eBay...
My parked RAV-4 was hit by a car that did not stop. Fortunately the incident was witnessed and on being confronted the driver admitted responsibility. I wished to take my vehicle to my local Toyota dealer,...
I have had a good look around for cars now for over a month and I am looking at spending £4 - £6k on a second-hand car. I would like something with a bit of a kick to it, and medium size. I am heavily...
No 1 daughter is due to produce No 1 grandchild the turn of the year and we are looking for a four/five door replacement for the reliable 12 year old Toyota Starlet which has given its only owner (the...
There's an old Court of Appeal spot hire case called Mattocks v Mann (mentioned in Clark v Ardington actually) where a woman hired for a year and recovered all the hire charges because the insurers took...
I bought a lovely 1991 Nissan Figaro earlier in the year from an import company in Bristol, they gave me very good service and I have no complaint, however they advised me to go to a Classic Car Insurer...
I have just taken delivery of a new Toyota Yaris and I cannot make my mobile (Vodafone 625) work with the Bluetooth. I think it is a compatibility problem? I have asked Toyota to supply a list of compatible...
My VW Passat V5 is registered Dec 1999. It's a V registration. I have had it for 7 years now. I bought it in 1992 and it had 2 previous owners and 10000 miles on the clock. Apparently it had a bump in...
I am looking for the best place to buy a 7-seater LHD Land Rover
Discovery or Range Rover at about 2 years old. I live in Lancashire but do not see any problem in buying one anywhere in the UK as it will...
A question you were asked the other day was: Could a man drive his wife's car after her insurance policy lapsed, using his own policy which allowed him to drive any car not owned or hired to him. You said...
I am about to purchase my 8th Volvo and it will be my first diesel powered car. The model is a V50 2.0D with Powershift transmission. I drive between 18,000 and 20,000 miles of mixed motoring per annum....
I have read your column for some years to gain some insight into the motor world. I just thought that I might amuse you, and possibly your readers with my new car purchase. I am approaching the magic 60...
We live overseas, but intend coming to UK (mainly Scotland) each summer for 3-4 months and possibly a further 2 weeks later in the year. A car is essential, but is there a more cost effective way other...
My parents (73 yrs and 69 yrs) would like to buy a small automatic diesel car or small 4wd with up to £7,500. They used to have a Suzuki Vitara (diesel auto) - something perhaps a little smaller would...
There seems to have been a lot of hype over the new Golf R. Probably justified hype. However, with a starter price of £28,930, it will be at least £3,000 more than a discounted Audi S3, which was itself...
I would be grateful for your thoughts on the following. I have a 2004 Corolla Verso. It had a main dealer service and oil change at 90,000 miles 7 weeks ago and 2,000 miles ago. Today, after driving locally...
I am concerned about the previous ownership of my car after reading a recent newspaper report (Daily Telegraph article by Jon Swaine 15th September 2009). I assume that you are aware of this article? In...
I had an Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport on a company car scheme through Leaseplan. At the end of 3 problem-free years, it was available to buy for what seemed a very reasonable price considering it had only done...
I have a BMW 335i with 255/40 (rear) and 225/45 (front) run-flats. Both sets are original fit and have 23k miles on them. I still have 4mm plus on the rears and 5mm plus on fronts. I will change the rears...
We want to replace our from new 'T' reg automatic Rover 400 because of rust spots - roof, wheel arches and bonnet. Our daughter has mobility difficulties and we need to carry a wheelchair from time to...
I've bought another vehicle, and need to sell the old one, but I need temporary insurance to cover taking the prospective buyers for a test drive, etc. It will not be used on a daily basis, merely for...
I have been reading your column for many years and have noted the frequency with which the problem of poor quality European components crops up, particularly with respect to front suspension and speed...
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