Expert answer

Hi Vincent,

That really sounds like you were sold a set of discs that are not up to standard. Bring the car back to where you had the work done for them to look at it. It may be possible to skim them.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Jim, 

I am not going to make my answer easy. I would want to drive the Passat every day, but after four or five years I would want to be trading in an Avensis. It really depends on how important pain-free motoring and good residuals are to you.

We can't decide for you Jim, so you must go with your head (Avensis) or your heart (Passat)!

I hope this (sorta) helps. 

Expert answer

Hi Elizabeth,

i would expect you to get offered around €6,500-€7,500 for this as a trade-in. If you were selling this privately you could get €7,500 - €8,000 given the low mileage. A car dealer may be willing to buy this car from you as it would be very sellable. 

I hope this helps. 

Expert answer

Hi Louise,

We put this question to official vehicle records experts, Cartell.ie, and this is what they said:

"Ideally, yes it would be advantageous to have CAT D on the logbook. However, in the UK, only CAT A to C is shown on the logbook as these cars require a Vehicle Identification Check (VIC) post-repair and before being used again on the road. The fact that the vehicle passed the VIC will be shown on the V5 (UK log book). In Ireland there is no legal obligation for insurers to notify the Department of Transport (DoT) of the write off. However, Cartell has been working with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) since 2007 to bring about legislation requiring insurers to notify the DoT. Cartell also introduced the Motor Insurers Anti Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR) Ireland, which allows insurers to notify the DoT using a Category system which had not been available until MIAFTR came into operation. The proposed legislation may well have CAT D (the lower of the write offs) put onto the log book. Cartell wrote a report on Irish write offs in 2007 and UK write offs in 2008 for the RSA and subsequently all imported cars now have to undergo an NCTS inspection (not a full check). Furthermore, if the V5 has a CAT stamped on it then this will be transferred to the Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) or Irish log book."

Hope that clears it up?

Expert answer

Hi Tia,

We can try to help, but if you've had it checked by an expert then we may not be able to do anything for you and the best bet might be to change car...

So, can you login and then add comments below, telling us if this is a noise from the engine or elsewhere, plus when it happens (at what speed, is the car cold, etc)?

Thank you

Expert answer

Hi Dave,

There is no simple answer to this - but as a rule of thumb, on a new car (average Ford Focus or Golf) you should expect to get around €700-€1,000 off the new price if buying straight. Much more than this is unlikely unless it is a Renault, or a luxury car! Shop around and don't be afraid to look outside of Dublin for the best deal.

Expert answer

Hi Dee,

We have seen a lot written abotu problems with the diesel Mazda6 and some of it founded and some of it is plain fiction. What we would say is that like most modern diesel cars, when the mileage is high the cost of changing something called the Diesel Particulate Filter can be quite high and this is what is being reported quite a lot about the Mazda6. We get asked a lot about going back to petrol cars. We love petrol cars here and the simple fact is that if your mileage is pretty low it won't cost you all that much more to run it and there are massive savings to be made. These days, don't expect it to be worth much in a few years though, because most people are turning their back on larger petrol cars for good. But if you intended to get proper use out of it then it could be a super buy. 

Expert answer

Hi Blake,

Your brakes really shouldn't be sticking having had all those components replaced. Does it feel like they are sticking or is it just a sound? Best bet would be to bring it back to the garage that replaced the parts to give it a once over.

Without seeing the car we couldn't know for sure if there is something else wrong.

Expert answer

Hello Jose,

The Toyota Avensis has been a top seller in Ireland for years because it has always proven to be reliable and good value to run, so you are safe enough to assume that this 2008 model would be the same. Obviously as is the case with any use car purchase we would recommend that you buy from a SIMI-registered dealer or even better, to do a Cartell.ie check on the car's history as this can add peace of mind. Given that you do 12,000km a year, which is well below the average, then the petrol model should be fine for you, as a diesel model would most likely cost you a lot more to buy in the first place. Here is an example of a really good one with low mileage. You would pay around €2,000 more for a diesel and you might not get it back over the course of your time with it.

I hope this helps!

Expert answer

Hi Leeianne,

There are a few things this could be. The simplest, and cheapest to fix, is a stone or something stuck in the brake calliper. It'd take a mechanic five minutes to sort that out for you. However, it could be that your brake pads are worn down to the metal as well, which is more serious. Either way, the sooner you get the wheel off for someone to look at it the better.

Hope that helps.