Car repaired by main dealer 18 months ago - and now the same fault has reappeared

During a service in July 2008, the main dealer noticed oil in the expansion tank and the oil cooler had to be replaced and engine flushed (£800 of which I contributed 33%) They did'nt do the job correctly...

Audi Q5 or BMW X3 - which SUV?

We intend to trade in our Audi Q5 2.0 TDI SE soon. Although the car has been reliable, the unsettled ride and the DSG gearbox have made us think twice about owning another Q5. We have dismissed the Range...

What small economical 4WD do you suggest?

We've just moved to a rural area, where the twice daily school run involves 6-8 miles - each way - of narrow lanes, which are sometimes flooded and muddy. And they will be soon be icy and snowy too! We're...

Freelander gearbox failure - is this a known fault?

I was recently stranded after a sudden, catastrophic failure of the gearbox on my diesel automatic Freelander. It is five years old, has done a mere 56,856 miles and has always been serviced by Land Rover...

Buying new tyres for a Freelander

You have previously recommended Pirelli Scorpion ATRs for a 4x4. However, I find that these are not available for my Freelander which requires 235/65 R17 108V. What would your current recommendation be...

What do you think the chance is of a discount on a BMW X3 or Land Rover Freelander?

We are thinking about buying a BMW X3 or a Land Rover Freelander 2. There is £5000 off the old model, what discount should we try to get on a new car or a used one? Our trade in is very low, so a cash...

Is Britain's car industry recovering?

We have just replaced our Rover 45, after seven years trouble-free motoring, with a new Freelander 2. What a fantastic car! Before choosing the Freelander we visited many showrooms including Mercedes-Benz,...

Out of warranty Land Rover sat-nav repair

My daughter has a Land Rover Freelander which is one month out of warranty. The car has suffered a satnav failure and after testing the dealer declared the whole unit kaput. The dealer has quoted her...

Why have electric parking brakes replaced handbrakes when they are useless for slowing down in an emergency?

IB of New Milton referred to electric handbrakes. They may be more efficient as a ‘parking brake’ but, at a stroke, car manufacturers are disposing of a vital handbrake function: its use as an ‘emergency...

CR-V or Freelander?

Just read your review of the honda. I'm going to buy either the Honda or a Freelander, but I worry about the reliability and maintenance costs on the Freelander. Which would you recommend of the two?...