Expert answer

Hi George,

The 2012-2018 Santa Fe 2.2 used a timing chain. The model before that used a timing belt in its 2.2-litre diesel engine and the change intervals for it are 160,000 kilometres (100,000 miles) or 10 years - whichever comes first. If your car's belt has never been done then you really should look at getting it done as soon as you can.

Expert answer

Hi Mirza,

That's a really unusual one and you're best getting the car along to a good garage to have it inspected. There's a known issue with the original Peugeot 5008 1.6 diesel where the earth connection to the starter fails causing all kinds of random engine and starting issues, so this could be related, but either way you'll need a mechanic to fix it.

Best of luck

Expert answer

Hi Richie,

Yes, thanks to an odd quirk in our tax system, if you’re taxing a commercial vehicle for personal use (and a 110 Utility counts as one), then you revert to the old tax system, based on engine capacity, so with a 2.2-litre engine you’re looking at €951 a year. Pretty steep all the same, but a bit better than €2,350…

Expert answer

Hi Timothy,

The timing belt on the 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine (and hence the water pump) should be changed every 150,000 kilometres or six years - whichever comes first. If the belt on that car has never been changed, it really should be as soon as possible.

All other engines in that car use timing chains, incidentally.

Expert answer

Hi Razanne,

If this is the diesel version, it's possible that the issue has nothing to do with the stop-start system at all, as its engine is known to develop problems with the fuel injectors that could lead to poor running and stalling.

Otherwise, all we can suggest is that you read our Why won't my car's stop-start system work? feature to see if anything helps - and persevere with your mechanic to get to the bottom of the issue. An auto-electrician might be worth visiting, too.

Expert answer

Hi Bill,

We've had to change our original answer as BMW has now revealed an X5 xDrive25d version after all, powered by a twin-turbo diesel 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It thankfully retains four-wheel drive, but should help reduce the entry cost for the X5.

Read more details in this BMW news story

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

The Tourneo uses a 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine so taxing it as a private vehicle means using the old engine capacity tax system, which means €710 a year.

Expert answer

Hi Orla,

Get the Skoda. Trust me, as the father of two growing boys a Qashqai is just not big enough inside. The Octavia, on the other hand, has lots of rear legroom (crucial for people in rear-facing child seats or boosters) and a massive boot, especially if you go for the very practical Combi estate version. If you’re looking for other alternatives, stick within the mid-size estate market — they’re much more practical for families than a compact SUV, and usually cheaper too run too. Oh, and they’re not much bigger than the hatchbacks they’re based on, so parking etc. is still a doddle.

Good alternatives to the Skoda are the Ford Focus Estate, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon, the Hyundai i30 Tourer and the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. Click on those links to read our reviews of each.

Expert answer

Hi Anne,

Our information shows that the recommended change interval is 140,000 kilometres (about 87,000 miles) or every 10 years, whichever comes first.

Expert answer

Hi Geraldine,

Get it into your nearest BMW dealer as soon as you can. If the car is subject to a recall, then you should still be able to get the work done at no cost to yourself, as car makers are required, by law, to carry out recalls until all vehicles have been cycled through.