Trending topics in September 2010
Questions from September 2010
Why is the DVLA so difficult to deal with? My driving licence is registered to one of two addresses I live at. I thought for simplicity I would get the licence changed to the address where my insurance...
I have recently purchased a car with cruise control. What are the pros and cons of using this with regard to fuel economy. Will I gain or lose driving on cruise control over a substantial distance?
I have just started using Sat nav for the first time and have noticed that the speed reading on the Sat nav is usually 4mph less than on my speedometer. When driving at the speed limit which should I rely...
It amazes me when I read the number of letters you receive querying the use of the left foot on automatics. The surge caused by a fuelling problem you have talked about has happened to me twice. Once at...
The ABS warning light on my 2007 MINI Cooper recently lit up. I contacted Westerly Exeter, the supplying dealer, who gave advice and arranged for the car to be seen very promptly. When I went to pick up...
I have a 52 Mercedes C180 Kompressor, bought second hand, privately in May 2009. Six months later I was told (by Motoraid) all four wheel arches were rusted - the upshot of which was two new back arch...
I will definitely invest in some Autosocks and I have also noted your concerns about carrying bikes on a towbar. However, over the years I have already tried the alternatives of a flimsy carrier hooked...
I live in SW London and for the 2nd time in 18 months I have suffered an overnight theft (small, loose items only - sunglasses, parking change etc) from my 2003 BMW 320d saloon (parked on the street)....
I've done the deal and bought a 2010 Mondeo Titanium 2.0TDCi Estate. It has come on 18" wheels with 235/40R18 tyres. Given your advice on tyre sizes previously I'm considering going down a size or two...
I parked my 2010 Octavia Scout at work this morning as usual at around 08-15. When I returned to it at 18-30 all four windows were fully open. I expected to find the interior ransacked but it was exactly...
I have become an unfortunate member of the now infamous ESP light staying on problem with my beloved Golf. My problem started mid August 2010. The ESP light lit on my dashboard and on the switch. No matter...
Another visit to the auto left foot braking issue. Last week I read that in a test it was proven that a driver using left foot braking brought the car to a standstill in a shorter distance than a right...
In 1996, when the Driving Theory Test was first introduced, I was employed as chief invigilator at a central London Test centre which processed about 200 candidates per day and we had about 4 invigilators...
I am trying to decide between buying a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 530d or a BMW 5 Series Touring 530d. At the weekend, I need a car for trips to the tip and park with my labrador dog, wife and two teenage...
It is not only HGVs thart should be allowed to go at the same speed as other traffic on motorways. I know that you do not speak for the bus and coach industry, but I have long thought that restricting...
I have just had the unfortunate experience of being landed with an unexpected bill of £1,262 for a replacement catalytic converter at 72,000miles in my Ford Focus 1.6 diesel. On checking with some Ford...
Whilst recently on holiday on the Continent, I had cause to have the radiator replaced on my Mitsubishi Shogun SWB at a fully franchised Mitsubishi dealer in Germany. The total cost came to some £463,...
Another letter asking for your advice. I am an elderly lady, now the sole driver as my husband is not fit anymore. We have a 2005 2.0 litre diesel Skoda Octavia. We used to tow a caravan for which it was...
I recently attended a Speed Awareness Course (I had done 35mph in a 30 limit). Having checked the website I found that I would pay 50% more if I took it in South Wales rather than in Herefordshire. (£90...
To keep you posted about my issues with Warranty Direct, I had a telephone call from their claims manager last week and we were able to sort out the situation that had developed.
Importantly we were...
A correspondent recently wrote to you concerning the purchase of a used 2002 Mercedes S Class, both front wings of which began to bubble with rust in 2006, with the same problem occurring in 2008 on the...
During spells of hot weather, some front seat passengers trying to look cool (usually young females) put their up feet on the dashboard or even worse out of the window. In the event of a collision and...
We have had a problem with the steering column and ESP sensor of our 2008/58 Vauxhall Meriva 1.3CDTI. We bought the car brand new in February 2009. We first had this problem with the ESP light coming on...
Having recently hired a Peugeot 207, I found the car OK except for a strange complication that I fail to understand. Sitting in the car after approximately 3-4 minutes, the central display showed 'economy...
My daughter recently bought a Peugeot 206 from a garage chain. She has had some problems in the six weeks she has had it even though the car had less than 40,000 miles on the clock and she has driven...
You have run several e-mails from readers who have been persecuted because their parking tickets dropped from the tops of their dashboards. My Skoda has a plastic clip on the drivers windscreen which is...
I got stopped in the week by a police ANPR patrol. It turned out some idiot at my garage had missed one digit when he replaced a cracked rear number plate. The police soon cleared matters up. While I was...
Please could you re-state the currant law regarding speed camera detectors. I have a unit that detects fixed cameras and a plug in unit that detects radar laser mobile cameras. What is allowed?
I don't see how the left foot can hit the brake pedal quicker than the right foot unless the left foot is suspended above the pedal waiting to hit it, as one would do during a comparison test like the...
Someone drove into the back of my wife's car and is fully responsible. Direct Line then passed me onto Drive Assist for a rental car while her car was in for repairs. They are delivering it on Tuesday....
I wonder if you have had any comments about the double clutch automatic gearbox that Ford is fitting in place of the conventional epicyclic gearbox with torque converter. I recently bought a Ford Mondeo...
Further to your response to CS of N19 regarding a collision with a police car, you may like to know that - certainly for Metropolitan Police vehicles - most (if not all) are fitted with a data recorder....
About a week ago, I checked my tyres and decided that the fronts would last another 3 to 4 months before changing. The wear was fairly even, and a good amount of tread remained. Last Saturday, I decided...
I'm confused over two cars. Which is the better buy / value for money and economy? Golf Plus SE 1.4 TSI 122PS man 6-speed 5-door Cash or 0% finance £18,275. Golf Match TSI 122 PS 6-speed 5-door Cash £17,965...
I have been following your various comments over the years on left foot braking and was interested to see the one headed "Science friction". You stated, "everything was scientifically measured.” But what...
We have a 2006/56 Nissan X-Trail. Due to the weather last winter I am considering obtaining a set of winter tyres to suit the vehicle. Should I purchase a set of steel or aluminum rims? Then the tyres...
I was driving home to Ewhurst in Surrey where I live, travelling along the A3, when I noticed a cop using a hairdryer type speed gun. I thought no more of it until I got a letter saying I was to be served...
Please tell me John, what’s the value of an RAC inspection? I ask you this because every car dealer I visit invites me to get an RAC inspection on the car I am looking at. Sorry, no reflection on your...
I write in connection with my son's recent claim on his own fully comp insurance policy (he is aged 34). Someone drove into the back of him. Liability was agreed, the car was repaired and his insurer gave...
I have just had the dreaded ESP light come up on my Ford Focus 2005 2.0TDCI. Fault code C1288. New part from Ford £1,300 plus VAT. Can get the abs unit reconditioned for £350? There are a few others online...
I have just retired and am spending a few months of the year in Spain, where we have a flat (near Barcelona). I would like to buy a car to leave there to be able to travel around more to explore the country.
What...
Bizarrely, I received a letter from an outfit calling itself "Service Claims" in which it stated that my car (it quoted the correct registration details) had been involed in an accident in May this year...
In October last year a car drove onto the near side of my Aston Martin from a side street while I was on a dual carriageway. The driver of the other car and the third party insurer admitted liability....
I have a Skoda Octavia 1.6FSI Ambiente estate manual. How effective are winter tyres over summer/all-season tyres in snow (if possible, in terms of percentage roughly)? I want to buy an extra set of wheels...
I like smooth quiet automatic cars and only do about 6,000 miles a year. I am thinking of buying a 5 or 6-year old Toyota Prius with 100,000 miles on the clock to keep the purchase price down. What do...
I've recently had two tyres ruined (sidewall damage ) and a Celica T-Sport rear spring broken. I can't pinpoint the exact event of each but I drive regularly along a badly pot-holed public road. I have...
I am now retired but I did spend most of my career dealing with motor litigation for an insurer, a large proportion of my time with cases in litigation conscious Liverpool and Manchester.
Your reader...
Please could you direct me to the location on your website where you have given advice to readers who have been involved in an accident, in which the damage to their vehicle is entirely responsibility...
My wife and I have an '07 Diesel Toyota Avensis 2.2. The front passenger seat is not adjustable for lumbar reshape and seat flatness, but only back tilt and seat height. Is it possible to have a fully...
Having read your horror stories about insurance scams here's one on the other side. A few weeks ago in my Golf I was run into from behind stationary at a roundabout. (Pouring with rain, I was watching...
Elsewhere on 
