Trending topics in April 2010
Questions from April 2010
If your garage returned your car after servicing, by special truck, and damaged it, what would you do? The car: a Bentley. The damage: Scraped the entire front wing and part of the driver's door. First...
Is there an alcohol test meter you would recommend, please? I seem to remember there was one described in your column only a few weeks ago. What was that one, please, and is it the one you would recommend...
I currently run a BMW 3 series, now 8 years old. Both my wife and I are in our 70's and find it increasingly difficult to get into our car because of the sill. We are contemplating a change of and are...
I have a Volvo 2004 Volvo V70 estate D5 diesel bought pre-registered from a Volvo dealer in early 2005 with 10 miles on the clock. Always serviced on time by the same dealer. The cambelt tensioner has...
I am thinking of trading in a 57 Mondeo (10k miles) for a smaller 4x4 with good reliability and good performance and road holding. Suggestions would be welcome.
Is it still true that we will forced to drive in daylight hours with our headlights on at all times, even in bright sunlight? Seems to be more EU control freakery. One result will be more battery failures...
One evening last week I hit a large hole in a road in Burnham, Bucks with the result that one of my alloy wheels has been buckled and must be replaced. The impact felt so severe that I have booked the...
Further to RB’s problem, I have also just changed to an iPhone and had Bluetooth problems. I run a 2004 BMW 330 convertible with integrated Bluetooth hands free as part of the factory fit satnav. Previous...
I must admit to being relieved that the scrappage scheme is near the end and that normality should return to the car market. Although it seems to be a win-win situation for owners of older cars and the...
Thanks for information about the 2000 – 2004 Mercedes Benz Valeo heat exchanger issue. Interestingly, MB did fit a new torque converter last January (50/50 contribution), it seemed to improve for a while,...
Boxing day 2008, a neighbour damaged my car, a Jaguar XJ8 by reversing into it. He admitted liability. I think my insurance company and certainly Rybrook Jaguar of Chester recommended letting an accident...
My sister bought a 1998 Rover 200 (1.8 engine) less than 2 weeks ago. The car had 105k miles on clock and she paid the sticker price of £995 and received a trade in of £250 on an old Transit van she had....
I am hopefully about to get my licence back after a 3-year medical layoff. I could get a new car on the Motability Scheme which would cost approx £7,500 all in over a 3 year period for a relatively small...
My 2007 Hyundai Tucson CRTD CDX 07 diesel has been showing a flashing amber warning light. The handbook says "emissions system check particulate filter.” The advice given by the dealer is to run at sustained...
Are there any specific places in the UK where one can practice driving on the right, prior to taking my car abroad?
I would be grateful for your advice on the following matter. I have noted that on occasion you have highlighted the problems and associated remedial costs caused by failure of diesel particulate filters....
Just out of interest to Motorhome owners it is worth noting that whilst the main recovery agencies are happy to take your money most of them will not recover Motorhome over 6 metres long (which most are)...
Regarding your report about a driver being stuck in France with a Skoda Octavia that had a clutch release hose fail, apart from the follow up with the UK dealer, as reported it is the experience that damns...
I have just replaced my 156,000 mile 1994 Volvo 850 auto estate with an almost identical 1998 V70. This is the 4th consecutive Volvo estate I've owned since 1975 - all second-hand. I've followed your advice...
Emma Wall (Your Money, January 30th) attributes rising motor premiums to fraudulent claims and uninsured drivers. I suggest that the third reason is the increasing involvement of accident management companies....
When my husband died I was left with his 10-year-old SLK Kompressor and my own Abarth. An ideal combination. Unfortunately a recent illness has made it impossible for me to drive anything other than an...
Last July, just before my car insurance came up for renewal, I was side-swiped on a dual carriageway by a motorist trying to pull out to overtake parked cars without looking. There were no witnesses. The...
I am looking to buy a used car in the next few months. In the long term when I come to sell the car, will it be of greater value if I wait until March to buy it and it will be one-year plate older? Also,...
My 4 year-old Fiat Punto with 14k miles on the clock was recently put through the MOT test and failed. I was contacted by the garage (Arnold Clarke, Newcastle under Lyme) and advised that it required new...
Following advice from you the other day I'm looking to get a 2nd hand Ford Mondeo Estate. I've narrowed the choice to two 2.0 TDCi versions - they're both at the same price. One is '05 reg, 48k miles,...
I have valid VW Road Side Assist and VW Extended warranty for my 8-year-old VW Passat and the car is parked outside on my driveway. Unfortunately my Alarm system suddenly took on a life of its own and...
I am thinking of buying a 2nd hand Toyota Prius but almost all the driving I do is on the motoway - usually between London and Wales. I have been driving an old SAAB 900 automatic, which I need to get...
I know you have spoken out about clutch/dual mass flywheels before but the problem is very widespread. How can something be done about it? Is it fair that customers are still having to fork out for mechanical...
I have a Yaris Semi Automatic and hate the lurching effect. I had decided to buy the new Jazz and now discover from the article in last week's Motoring that they are adopting the same semi auto. So now...
I have a 2000 Corsa 1.7D GLS that doesn't look too tidy and with a high mileage but which has been very well maintained, with FSH and serviced every 5,000 miles. Everything works, it still drives like...
Last August 09 I sold my car to a main dealer. They took the Logbook, MOT, etc. and they signed the V5 slip along with me and I sent this to the Royal Mail. In November I had a letter from the DVLA saying...
I am 79 years old and currently own a 2000W Nissan Micra Celebration and a 2002 X-Type Jaguar 3 litre automatic with £1,000 outstanding finance. Don't ask how I finished up with these two cars - it's a...
Last summer whilst I was parked at our local hospital, the car in front reversed into me as he was about to leave. We exchanged details and I had my car checked the following day but other than a small...
My May 06 Octavia 2.0 TDI has just been diagnosed with the failure of the ABS unit [G201 fault code]. I note your recent comments about VW covering the cost of replacing the pump, but from other comments...
I'm sure you are aware that, with the increasing automation of many car functions, many modern cars have an Automatic option for their lights such that the sidelights and headlights come on and turn off...
Here is an excellent example of how VOSA as a governmental organisation can, and does help, motorists:
Dear A.R.,
Thank you for your note to VOSA's webmaster unit, which has been passed to this branch...
We have just bought a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, which we're very pleased with. We allowed my granddaughter to sit in the front passenger seat. She is now tall enough not to need a booster set. A friend...
Not sure if you know much about www.webuyanycar.com , but I thought I'd pass on my experiences. My girlfriend got a quote from them for her old Punto. Slightly less than market value but we went anyway...
I wonder if you can help me with Volvo? I have a 2002/52 V70D5 registered. I am the first owner. Mileage is 77,526. It has been driven carefully and the MPG average over the whole 77K miles is 51+. The...
My Nissan Terrano is 8 years old this year and has done 58,000 miles. I am a golfer and we live in a remote spot 700 feet above sea level so a 4wd has been very useful over the years. The vehicle has been...
While in the local depot having new tyres fitted I spent the waiting time looking at the discarded tyres in their disposal cage. It was quite illuminating to see just how many had severe damage to their...
It was clear to me that when speed humps started to be installed on our roads, that nobody thought about snowploughs. The avenue on which I live has full width speed humps along its length, and during...
I saw the letter on 23rd Jan from a 2006 RAV-4 owner needing disc replacements. For your files you may wish to note that my 2006 RAV 4 (diesel 2.2) suffered the same problem at just over 3 years and 26,000...
I purchased my Nissan Note Acenta 1.6 just two years ago and have used it for 16,700 virtually trouble free miles. Its recent annual service has revealed tyre tread depths of 3mm rear and 4mm front and...
I am a lady driver and am hoping to buy a new car within the next few months. I have looked at the Mazda2, VW Polo and the new Fiesta. I have a low mileage. I am mindful of CO2 emissions and ideally...
I would like your help/advice. Last September my daughter bought a new Corsa 1.2 Active 5 door, at the time the salesman said the car would get 48 to 60 mpg. The car has covered 4,000 miles and the best...
The following scenario reads like an extract from you website, under the heading of "what to watch for" in Mercedes-Benz W211 review. "On 07/09/2006, I entered into a Hire Purchase agreement with Royal...
My wife has a 1947 MG TC, which was restored in 1995.The insurance has an agreed valuation of £19,000, based on the cost of the restoration. The car is used very little now and my wife reluctantly thinks...
My wife and I have reached an impasse when trying to choose a new car. For most of the year, we live in Gozo: a wonderfully old-fashioned, sunkissed hideaway, one of the Maltese group of islands - with...
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