Open and shut cases

1: We have owned a 2007/57 Skoda Octavia from new, now with 44,000 miles. The windows sometimes have been known to open all together, once I found them on my drive open in the morning and it had rained...

Wagging the dog

We wondered if you could offer your thoughts on the following please. My partner's company car (currently 9-3 Sportwagon) is due for renewal in September this year, and he is looking for another diesel...

Global warning

I am fed up with not being able to go out in my car when it snows. Living in a country area and 250 yards from a made up road (and being in my 70s) this winter has been difficult. I have therefore decided...

Keeping distance

I commute 50k per year (90% motorway) and need to replace my current car, a 2003 Mondeo TDCi Zetec S with 168k. I’m looking for diesel/reliability/mpg/re-sale, budget: approx. £10k -/+ part exchange of...

VAGabomb

Does the latest 1.6 diesel engine in the Audi A3 and VW Golf have a belts or chain cam? It seems to me that aside from the risk of a belt failure, the fuel savings over a 3-year period are negated by the...

Losing a peel

I have a six-year-old Audi A4, which is a super car. Unfortunately I have a major problem with the paintwork. For some reason the lacquer is peeling away and not just from one area. It is flaking off the...

Taking Abarth

I'm due to retire shortly and my Audi 3.2 quattro lease goes at the same time. I'm looking for a replacement second car and I'm looking for something small, practical but fun and speedy. I thought about...

VRS ting

I have a 52 plate ex-police force Skoda 1.8T with around 95,000 on the clock and service evidence would suggest the mileage is correct. Recently, though, the engine warning light symbol has come on and...

Wealth and efficiency

I bought my Ford Focus Ghia in January 2001, a size of car that would enable me to take my sick husband out and about. Fords had always been popular with us and this certainly proved its worth and, serviced...

Big dripper

I am faced with a bill of over £600 for a replacement ECU in my wife's MKI 2004 Skoda Octavia VRS, as it failed due to water ingress. Is there some sort of design fault that has caused this? Surely an...