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Hi Julie,

In many ways, diesel would be the safe bet, but with your 90km per day driving pattern, I’d suggest that you’re potentially an ideal candidate for switching to electric. Certainly, a current Kia e-Niro or Hyundai Kona Electric would do your five-day daily commute on almost one charge (although realistically you’d probably top it up much more regularly than that). As long as you have a driveway where you can install a home charging point (and a charging point at work would be helpful too), then I’d say it’s well worth looking at electric. The savings on fuel alone will help to balance out the cost of purchase. 

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Hi Conor,

There is no specific mention of such a thing in the NCT testers' manual, but it does reference the bodywork and if anything is deemed to be dangerous to others, or even just potentially dangerous, it could get classed as a minor defect. I suspect a simple crack won't cause you a problem, but testers wouldn't be happy passing a car with bits hanging off it either, so you need to make a call on that.

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Hi Winstyon,

This sounds like your car has a very common issue associated with that engine. The fuel flow control valve, located on the high-pressure fuel pump, could be faulty and it needs to be replaced.

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Hi Mike,

Unfortunately, Revenue and the VRT process are inexplicably cruel in this regard. You have to pay the money before you appeal, but the good news is that more than 50 per cent of appeals are successful. It would be helpful to find some expert in Japanese vehicles (and I would suggest tracking down a garage that imports them regularly) to give you their opinion on the value, as Revenue is legendarily awful at coming up with reasonable values for unusual cars.

As for the NOx charge, I would ask for a statement in writing from the VRT/NCT office that you brought the car for inspection before January, but were told to come back afterwards. That might (emphasis on the might) get that waived when you make your appeal.

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Hi Mark,

This is unfortunately a common issue with Revenue, VRT and ‘out of the ordinary’ cars. Sadly, and infuriatingly, there’s no way to appeal before payment. You have to pay and then appeal. My advice would be to get some expert advice (possibly from an importer who specialises in GT-Rs, or possibly from an owners’ club) as to the true value of the car, which you can then present as part of your appeal.

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Hi Dave,

I'm surprised to hear that from a new truck where the battery will be in good condition, but stop-start systems regularly don't work as people expect. The system measures loads of variables before deciding whether the engine will be stopped, including the temperature of the engine and even the outside temperature. If it's cold weather, it may not work at all. If you're using items that are a big electrical drain, it may not operate. 

Read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature

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Hi Mary,

We're not aware of the issue you are referring to. If we've missed it and it is part of a recall, then Opel would be obliged to fix it for free, but if it is not part of a recall, then it is highly unlikely that Opel would offer to repair your car for free. It is well out of warranty.

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Hi Dan,

It should do, for the outer front passenger seat. Check at the point where the base of the seat meets the backrest for ISOFIX logos (a silhouette of a baby sitting in a car seat) and you should also be able to feel the steel anchoring points at the back of the seat base. 

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Hi Terry, 

The type of licence that you can apply for once you pass your theory test depends on your age. If you’re under 18 then you must first apply for your A1 licence and complete your Initial Basic Training (IBT) before applying for your driving test. 

If you’re 18 or older, you can apply for your A2 licence through Direct Access. As you’ve passed your theory test you can apply and start your IBT (modules 1,3 and 5) on an A2 bike. After six months, when you pass your driving test you’ll have a full A2 licence.

For the full A licence, you can apply post-theory test again through Direct Access providing you are aged 24 or over or through Progressive Access from age 20 and up. The same process applies with regard to IBT and your test.

You can find more detailed explanation on the RSA’s website here.

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Hi Maura,

God knows, the VRT and VAT system is byzantine at the best of times, but according to the Revenue handbook, the VAT charged on an imported vehicle is based on the price paid, converted into Euro. According to the handbook, under the heading ‘Purchase of new vehicles (New Means of Transport) by a private individual from a person in another country’ it says: "The VRT is calculated on the Open Market Selling Price (OMSP) of a vehicle, rather than the actual purchase price. The value for calculating VAT is the price charged for the vehicle, converted to Euro where necessary."