Questions from May 2012
I was served a NIP which I duly completed admitting that I was the offending driver. No other details were required nor any details of the alleged offence were offered.
Suffice to say that I was driving...
I have a 2008 year SAAB Convertible 1.9 TTiD with 80,000 miles on the clock. Almost all of the miles have been motorway on long jouneys but I am now giving up the job that demanded the high mileage and...
I am a 24yr old female looking for a small used car, which I will drive 80 miles a day down the A14/A1 so it needs to be fuel efficient. My budget is £2,500 and I'm interested in VW Golf, Polo and Fiat...
My Mondeo revs but does not increase in speed. It suffers very slow acceleration, but if you turn it off and restart the problem corrects itself for a while.
I have owned a brilliant Rover 200 for over 12 years.
Can you please suggest a replacement which is not more than six inches longer and, with the child seat removed and back seats folded down, capable...
My wife would still like a manual, and we've finally come round to the idea of a 5 series (Alfas before), and have found a 2010 525d with a manual gearbox. But the Internet is rife with stories about the...
My wife has driven an A Class Merc for several years, rising service costs and more shorter journeys means she would now like to change. What would you recommend of a similar size, comfort and build quality,...
Dear Honest John,
2 years ago I hit a pothole. It ripped the tyre wall and buckled the alloy wheel. I reported it to the local authority who said they had no knowledge of the hole so they weren't liable....
I purchased a used 58 plate Mazda 3 from RRG Mazda Rochdale in Lancashire on the 14th, March, 2012 and would like your advice on a water leak into the boot.
The leak was picked up on inspection prior...
I have just sold my beloved T4 in order to buy a more economical family car. My wife and I have both broken our backs at some point in the past and due to this, we are keen to get a car with higher seats...
Hi John
My local Independent Garage has diagnosed faulty motors on my A6 electronic parking break. It says both motors need replacing. This seems like a coincidence that they both fail simultaneously....
I have a BMW X1 2.0 diesel manual efficient dynamics model I have recently bought from a dealer. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 62.8 combined. I am driving it really carefully and changing...
The real world fuel consumption register is an excellent idea. However are drivers posting the figures from their computer or by keeping a check of fuel used and miles covered and calculating from those...
I'm considering a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee in dark metallic blue. Is this considered 'doom blue' in the trade like the flat blue paint that no one wants please? I'm wary of impact on resale values.
My husband received a £90 parking fine notice from UKPC recently. The signage in the retail carpark was inadequately displayed so that only the words '2 hours free' could be seen.
The notice he received...
We are thinking of buying a new BMW X3. What's your recommendation on the transmission to go for, manual or automatic? Most 4x4s seem to have automatic transmissions, why is this the case? After years...
The papers are reporting that up to 4,000 BMW vehicles will be used for the Olympics. Not all cars of course, but how do you expect BMW to dispose of 3 and 5 Series models after the event? What is the...
I just bought a 2010 bmw320d sport with low profile tyres and expensive alloys from main dealer John Clark Aberdeen. I have been offered tyre & alloy wheel insurance @ £349 for 3 yrs for accidental demanges....
Can you please recommend any large(ish) estates? I am looking for an auto with good rearward visibility. We drive 10k to 15k miles per annum. I am struggling to find anything as comfortable for 2 footed...
My 2003 Honda CR-V gives fault code po 132. All I know it is an O2 sensor but don't know which one.
I am a very satisfied owner of the much maligned BMW X3. The car is a 3.0d manual.
My question is: I have heard talk of swirl flaps failing and dropping into the engine causing untold damage.
Does...
My son drove onto a flooded section of road when a nearby river broke its banks. The engine on his Peugeot 307 stopped and he and the car had to be recovered by the RAC. A number of other drivers found...
There are many (mainly young male) drivers on the road with 'souped up' cars.
Is there a motor insurance hotline to report the car registration and modifications? With car insurance being so high for...
I'm buying a second-hand estate and have so far narrowed the field to an E-Class or 5 Series. I can only stretch to a 2004 vehicle and it will probably have 100,000+ on the clock.
It will be used for...
Long time reader and big fan. I am looking to treat myself and go for a Range Rover Vogue. Due to a budget of ess than 15k I am limited to around 2003 model and 50-80,000 miles (or km as I live in France...
Is there a standard list of accessories which don't have to be declared as modifications to the insurance company? I added a rev counter to my Aygo as my 17 year old is being taught how to change gears...
The coolant fan on my car always runs even after a 10 minute drive.. It also runs after I have turned the ignition off for about 1 minute.
Although the Temp gauge is showing what is apparently the perfect...
Can you advise on which 5 seat car would be the best option as a small family car? We have heard good things about the Ford 1 litre 3 cylinder engine, and wondered if we should wait for when the Fiesta...
I owned a Ford Fusion a few years ago. The Owners Handbook had the usual section on the tyre pressures for the car, normal and heavy load. To my surprise there was also included a “Comfort Ride” tyre pressure...
Your response to RH, Royston suggests BP Ultimate as an option. Our local BP garage has four pump units, each with three nozzles on each side. Each side has a petrol nozzle, a diesel nozzle and an Ultimate...
I have owned since new a 1996 automatic two-door RAV4. After 15 years and nearly 100,000 miles I want to replace it with a small car for ease of parking. I'd like a 4x4 to cope with winter conditions at...
In December 2010 I parked outside a shop very early in the snow and ice. When I came out the car park was empty. I reversed back, but could not see properly with ice on my rear window. I heard a noise,...
I've been a longstanding and loyal Direct Line customer for many years with two cars currently insured with them. As my children became of age, they were added to one car or another as named drivers, without...
A friend recently attended a Speed Awareness Course and said that they had been told the average time stopped on a motorway hard shoulder before being hit from behind is 25 minutes. Is this correct? If...
I am looking at a BMW Z4. What should I pay for a 2008 2.5-litre Si Sport with 29,000 miles privately? The books seem to suggest around £11,000 but that seems a lot.
From 1 January 2012 the MOT changed, requiring airbags to be present and working if fitted as standard. So what will the police do, as they remove front air bags from motorway patrol cars? I have also...
I decided to enter my car in a well-known car auction in Newcastle. The car is a 2003 2.0-litre diesel, 86,000 miles, one previous owner, in excellent condition with a full service history, and current...
Every three years my wife purchases a brand new car. She saves each month from her hard-earned salary and trades her car in to make up the total amount. Every three years we have the anxiety of trying...
It seems Swindon is piloting the Spanish system of speed sensitive traffic lights, which you have often championed in your column.
One day I am going to write an article about how car design is wholly wrong in environmental terms. We are scrapping cars at 7 to 10 years old when the vast number of components would last at least 20....
I've had a Shogun for a couple of years and it’s been faultless as a family runabout. I love the size, the 4x4 capability, comfort and the fact that everything works perfectly and always has. However,...
The time has come for me to part with my 2003 Rover 75 CDTi Tourer, probably the best car I've ever owned, and I'd be very grateful for your opinions on a suitable replacement. Occasionally I need a capacious...
A large transporter belonging to the AA parked in our drive, extending a hydraulic ramp to load a neighbour’s car. After they had left we noticed damage to our drive. The combined weight of the vehicles...
You printed a letter I sent you regarding larger wheels fitted with low profile tyres increasing exhaust emissions, and pushing vehicles up into the next VED band. In your printed reply, you mentioned...
My son owns a 2005 Volkswagen Transporter T28 TDI. On a Friday morning at a temperature of -8 degrees centigrade, he started up to warm the interior and clear the windows etc. Returning after about 20...
In November of 2010 I purchased, despite knowing the risks, a 1998 Renault Safrane 2.5-litre Automatic with 80,000 miles on the clock for just £400. I got it as a second, occasional use car from its only...
I read with interest PH's email regarding getting only 20,000 miles out of the front tyres of his Mondeo. I've just changed the front tyres on my 2008 Mazda 6 Estate and the car has done 40,000 miles on...
My wife I are now in our 80s and we have a 9-year-old Focus and a 5-year-old Fiesta. I am no longer allowed to drive due to poor eyesight so we propose to sell both cars and buy a new Fiesta as my wife...
I was up and out at 8am this morning to beat the kids on their sledges so I could try the winter tyres on my X5 on virgin snow. The verdict: absolutely brilliant. I bought a set of BMW 17-inch alloys off...
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