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Hi Auden,

Assuming that the condition is good and the history is all up to date, I'd say you could expect around €4,000 on a trade in.

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Hi Brendan,

We asked Volkswagen's tech people about this:

"I've never heard of a complaint like this before, but I'm guessing it's something in the adjustable lumbar support feature fitted to the seat that may not be operating correctly or secured correctly. Depending on the specification of the car this may be manually adjustable or electrically adjustable.

Without any knowledge of the mileage or previous use of the car it is not possible to determine if this is manufacturer defect or from an outside influence.

We would recommend the car is brought to a main dealer for inspection and advise on recommended repair."

Sounds like good advice to us Brendan. Here's the Volkswagen dealer locator.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Nicola,

The best we can suggest is to have a good long ring around and a trawl through t'internet I'm afraid. Clearly, a car with GT in the title and 140 horses under the hood is going to flash alarm bells with any insurer when you give them your age. Quote Devil seem to be a good starting point for young driver insurance these days, but with a car that grunty you're going to be getting big quotes wherever you go, especially as you're still on a learner licence.

So, shopping around, lots, is really your only option. Either that or trade in the Golf GT and get a 1.0 Micra...

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Hi Keith,

Sadly this story is all too common these days. Many components of a modern diesel car are not designed for low mileage use and this should be explained to buyers by the dealers, though in fairness, buyers right now still think they should have diesel, even if the don't do high mileage. I'm not blaming the dealers.

We wouldn't call it a defect, as such, more a limitation. To prevent such things happening again we'd recommend low mileage diesel drivers to regularly take their car for an extended motorway run holding the revs higher than normal (using a lower gear). This should help prevent the build up of deposits in components like the EGR valve and even in the particulate filter in the exhaust.

It's a shame you didn't know to do that before being hit with this expense.

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Hi Veronica,

Depending on the condition and history, I'd say about €13-14,000.

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Hi David,

All I can say is go for it. The CC (I still always start to say Passat CC even though the Passat name has been dropped) is a fabulous car - smooth, comfy and good to drive and really quite devastatingly handsome. Problems are few and far between, but make sure that the service record is up to date (at only a year old it certainly should be) and check that the seals around the frameless door glass is in good nick and keeping out the rain. Other than that, I'd say you can't go wrong.

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Hi Gary,

We rate the Scirocco very highly indeed. It's peachy to drive, quietly handsome and surprisingly practical for a coupé. The 1.4 TSI petrol engine is actually fine in the Scirocco, although it can't really cash the cheques the body is writing. It's got more than decent performance, but if you want some proper thump, then the 2.0-litre 140hp diesel is definitely the better choice. Best of all though is the 2.0 TSI with the engine from the Golf GTI. It can get a little thirsty if you drive it like it begs to be driven, but as an all-rounder, it's very hard indeed to beat.

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Hi Matt,

I'm afraid €22,000 doesn't seem to be a high price for that car any more. In fact, it's right in the general ballpark for the Passat for a 2012 diesel. The problem you're looking at is one currently facing a great many used car buyers - used values have risen significantly since 2009, because of the scarcity of good cars in the market, a legacy of the collapse in new car sales following the financial meltdown. In some cases, values have risen by as much as a third, and with both Volkswagens in general and diesel models especially being highly sought after, you're shopping in one of the most expensive categories in the second hand market.

Sorry to not have better news!

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Hi Nicky,

OK, I think you have a couple of options here. First off, assuming you have a friendly, trustworthy mechanic who looks after your Yaris, it's worth having a word with them to find out how much life they realistically think is left in it and how much money you'll need to spend to keep it going. If the omens are good in that respect, then there's nothing wrong in the slightest with sticking with what you know and keeping your current, faithful steed.

If it's a poorer prognosis then I'd suggest sticking with what you know and simply upgrade to a newer Yaris. The model that's just been replaced was a fine car, sturdy as ever and really quite nice to drive. You won't go wrong. As an alternative, have a look at a Honda Jazz. They are usually a little more expensive than an equivalent Yaris but are more spacious inside and a little more technically advanced, so well worth a look.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Paul,

Bluetooth was not standard on that car. Volkswagen introduced it as standard in 2012.