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Hi Padraig,

I'm afraid that's not an easy one to answer from afar. It could be a problem with the stereo unit or its connections, including the aerial's, it could be the speaker system too or of course it could be the radio signal in your area.

Best bet is to bring the car to a good local mechanic or auto electrician.

Hope you get to the bottom of it

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Hi Barry,

The Insignia's really nice and I do have something of a soft spot for it. A car that feels more sophisticated and more engaging the more you drive it. The Passat and Mondeo are nice choices too, but to be honest, the one I'd go for out of all of them would be the Accord. Comfy, smooth, frugal, nice to drive and above all it will almost certainly never break down. There's nothing quite so nice as the feeling you get from driving an utterly indestructible car.

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Hi Thomas,

Yes, in fact they're much better because they're smoother (thanks to direct fuel injection instead of the old Pump Düse system) and have much more sophisticated electronics to monitor their health. They don't seem to suffer from the old air mass sensor issues that plagued the 1.9 either. It's also a much more economical engine - figure on getting high-fifties mpg, rather than the high-forties of the old engine.

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Hi John,

At the time of writing, the Renault Kadjar pricing ranges from €24,990 to €33,990, the latter for the top-of-the range Kadjar Signature Nav powered by the 130hp 1.6-litre dCi diesel engine featuring four-wheel drive.

It's not currently possible to pair an automatic gearbox with that 1.6-litre engine though, so the most expensive automatic Kadjar is the Signature Nav powered by the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine with 110hp. That costs €32,290.

Read our review of the Renault Kadjar here

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Hi Paul,

Sometimes it can, actually. It's all a matter of doing your sums carefully. Yes, the drop in the value of the Euro has made things much more marginal, but the fact is that UK cars are often still good value compared to Irish equivalents. Just do your homework, don't forget to include travel and accommodation costs in your calculations and keep your fingers crossed come VRT inspection time.

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Hi Therese,

Ford's official guidelines for that car are 125,000 miles or 10 years, so the garage is perfectly in its rights to refuse to do the work. Personally speaking, I'd get it done a little earlier than the manufacturer says, say 115,000 miles or so.

Hope that helps

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Hi Michael,

I'd say, as a trade-in, you'll make somewhere in the high-thirties, probably €36 to €37k.

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Hi Nick,

It is a good buy as long as you're not planning to do big miles in it - it's a good bit less economical than the diesel you see, so regular long journeys aren't a great idea. The old Sportage is a good thing though - simpler and more rugged than the current version, and very practical. With four-wheel drive it has decebt off-road ability too, if that's any use to you. No major reported problems or unreliability black spots - just make sure it has a full service history.

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Hi Stu,

Not necessarily. Mileage is, to be honest, more or less irrelevant. It's all down to the condition of the car and its history. If it comes with a full service book, showing every stamp and receipt, and it's clearly been looked after and cared for then it should be fine. 

Just check to make sure that all the electrics are OK and that the cabin doesn't show obvious signs of abuse. Might be worth getting someone to look at the engine too - that 1.6 diesel has a fragile water pump and is prone to 'sludging up' with deposits of old oil. Worth getting it flushed and have the oil changed.

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Hi Moza,

You won't necessarily get more trouble from an 05 than an 07 - it's all down to the condition and history of the individual car. 

You're right to say that there are no major problems with the C4 - it's actually pretty well made - but check it for any electrical gremlins. The 1.6 diesel is shared with the Ford Focus (and several other cars) so any problems are basically identical - water pump and oil 'sludge' are the common issues. I'd say the Focus has a slight edge in terms of reliability and quality but it's a close run thing. 

If you want a 'better make' and reliability is your primary concern then you need to be buying either Japanese or Korean. Corolla, Civic, Almera etc.