Questions from July 2010
My Volkswagen Polo 1.4SE automatic hesitates when pulling away from stationary. It feels like the electronics are confused. This also happened on my Audi TT with the DSG gearbox. My garage is unable to...
I currently have a licence entitlement of C1 for up to 7.5 tonne lorries, but would like to upgrade to heavier vehicles, say up to 20 tonnes. Nobody can tell me how to do it and how much it will cost....
I am interested in buying either a new or nearly new BMW X1 1.8 diesel or Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 diesel. I am looking for a 4-wheel drive, 5-door car. Which one do you think would be better value...
I've had an Astra SRI150 CDTI leased from new since February. In 5000 miles the fuel consumption has gradually worsened by about 10 per cent. I'm now averaging 43.5 mpg and I know how to drive economically;...
I'm thinking of buying a car to use as a taxi. I've noticed a lot of drivers use the Skoda Octavia. I was prepared to buy a 2004 diesel model when a mate of mine who is in the trade told me they suffer...
I have a 2008 BMW 2-litre coupe diesel. At the time of purchase I also purchased the service package. The longlife oil has to be changed every two years or approximately 16,000 miles with my current driving...
I have recently bought a 2007 Honda Civic 1.8i ES, and have owned it for a week. I commute 40 miles a day to my workplace and, in an effort to keep fuel costs to a minimum, I try and be as delicate as...
I have a brand new KIA Rio (59) 2009 hatchback and I wish to sell it. Where can I do this?
I have a Ford Fiesta Mk6 1.4TDCi and, for the past few weeks, the car won't start on a morning. I have found air in the fuel pipe but no diesel is leaking out. When I pop the bonnet and pump the fuel around...
I have a 1998 Vauxhall Astra G that has a misfire on no.1 cylinder. I have replaced the coil pack, plugs and leads and still have a misfire. It has got loads of compression in the engine. Has anyone come...
I have ordered a car on the Motability contract hire, but the dealer wanted me to sign a car order form which had the price of the car on it - does that mean you cannot cancel the order?
I have recently had the turbo and actuator replaced on my 54-reg Ford Mondeo TDCi, although I now know that it was only a loose connection within the actuator which could have been re-soldered, costing...
I have a 2002 2.5 diesel Jeep Cherokee which has an intermittent fault under acceleration. It will sometimes cut out and you have to stop, turn the key off, then restart it. I've had injectors checked...
I bought a 56 plate Nissan Micra automatic 5-door 1.2 SE with 10,000 miles on it. The car is great, but one thing has puzzled me: the engine is very dirty when you lift the bonnet. I can't understand why.
What would be the car you would recommend for a 17-year-old to cheaply buy and insure?
In your FAQ at http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/what-is-intelligent-speed-adaptation the question is regarding "Intelligent Speed Adaptation" and especially the failure of the electronic throttle and brakes....
My two-year-old Subaru Outback diesel had a new clutch at 5000 miles. On two occasions thereafter it suffered from a temporary problem such that I had to drive for about 60 miles across Devon in third...
We recently had to disconnect our Vauxhall Astra's battery and the radio went off, unfortunately. When we looked in the logbook for the code we could not find it. We have now had the car for approximately...
My 2008 Ford Focus TDCi's air conditioning unit releases water when the engine stops. As far as I can tell the air con unit is generally working fine. Is this normal?
I'm looking at buying a Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.8 TSI 59 plate with 5000 miles from a car supermarket. They've had it in stock for some 3-4 months now and haven't reduced the price, which is £14,600....
My Peugeot 206 XSI 1.6 petrol has an anti-pollution fault and engine management fault light on the dashboard. It also went to reduced power with little or no acceleration available, but was able to drive...
I'm looking to buy a car that's not huge, but that will suit me and my German Shepherd in the back. I'd like something nippy (I currently have Skoda Fabia vRS) - possibly a small 4x4? I never have anyone...
I will be hiring a car in the US in September for one month. Exactly what insurance cover do I require and what should I say "no thanks" to? The jargon used by the companies is confusing.
I have had my Rover 25's head gasket changed not long ago, my water pump three months ago and once again my water tank is emptying very quickly and needs changing more or less everyday. Do you have any...
I have a Ford Fiesta Mk6 petrol and it runs and drives great, but every now and then the car will not start. It turns over fine but struggles to start, so I turn the key off and try again and it starts...
I am trying to work out what it would cost to drive from London to the Dordogne. Would you agree that 20p a mile is a good guide to petrol costs? Also, how can I work out exactly what the toll routes will...
My 2006 Ford Focus 2.0TDCI has recently developed a juddering/vibration when I reach speeds above 40mph and is worse around the 60mph area. My throttle pedal also vibrating. My local garage has checked...
Can the middle row of seats in a Mitsubishi Grandis be taken out of the car?
At the age of late 60's it's time to move out of the mould and buy something 'different' (for me). So, should it be a BMW 320d or a Mercedes-Benz E220 or what? My budget is about £20,000.
I'm considering a Vauxhall Insignia but have always kept away from belt cam engines. I will buy 12-18 months old with up to 20,000 miles and keep it for five years, doing 7000 miles a year. Regardless...
Can anyone throw any light on an annoying problem I'm having with my '51 Polo Match. It's a 3-door and it's usually just myself in the car, but I've noticed that whenever I fold the seat forward and have...
Recently I asked you whether it was legal for someone to park opposite a solid white line on a main road. I was grateful for your advice which advised me that it was not legal if passing cars have to cross...
Last Sunday you suggested that someone doing low mileage and short trips should not buy a car with a particulate filter. I do about 8000 miles a year- a mixture of fairly short journeys and also some fairly...
My daughter had an accident where the insurers wrote off her car. We were under the impression the car was being scrapped, but it turns out a dealer has rebuilt it and sold it on and we are now being hounded...
I have a 51-plate Vauxhall Vectra with an Isuzu diesel engine. Can you tell me what other cars over the last few years have also been sold with Isuzu diesel engines?
I purchased a car today. I am really happy with it, though the "full service" he stated was only a quickie and I have a tyre on the legal limit, and just as I left the dealership he mentioned that the...
My neighbour has a 2004 MINI Convertible. The electronic roof made an almighty bang while she was retracting it and one of the rods has snapped. The local Sytner garage has quoted £4000 for repair, which...
My Citroen Xsara has an intermittent 'Stop' warning and temperature light coming on. This only seems to happen when I'm driving in town. When driving on the motorway, there's no problem. I notice the temperature...
I have a Peugeot Partner Combi 2003 and have a knock when going onto a rough road and turning. There is only one knock but it happens every time I turn on rough roads. Just taken it for an MoT and it passed,...
We paid the deposit for a car over the phone and overnight had second thoughts about whether we wanted to go ahead. We told the dealer this the next morning, but they say we will lose the deposit. We haven't...
My 1994 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet clicks in reverse gear. I want to take it to a garage but all the other gears are ok and I do not want to be pressured into a new gearbox. Can anybody give me an indication...
I purchased a classic car privately, based upon the description provided by the seller. Following the purchase, I had the car transferred to a specialist who has indicated that there is severe rust on...
We recently purchased a Ford Fiesta 1.4 diesel and had an AA check done on it. We now find that it needs a new fuel injector and two new alloy wheels, neither of which are apparently covered by the expensive...
Just noticed when pulling away and changing up the gears in my 2009 Hyundai i20 that, as I try to accelerate in second gear, there is a knock from the engine when driving up a gradient. Is this normal...
Myself and a colleague today received parking charge notices for exceeding a two hour limit at a motorway service station. We feel disgruntled on several fronts; we were paying for food and refreshments,...
I bought a 2004 car last week and it seems fine except that the written list of the car's features prepared by the dealer - and shown to me before before I bought it - said that the car had cruise control....
What are the quietest motorway cruisers that do 0-62mph in 8.5 sec and less? Is the Honda Accord 2.4 any good?
My horn and radio steering wheel controls no longer work and I'm struggling to identify the correct fuse to replace using the information in the handbook. Can you help?
Our 51-plate Ford Mondeo has just started making tapping noises and there's a lot of smoke from the exhaust. I have been told to replace the hydraulic lifters - could it be anything else, and is this going...
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