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Hi Padraic,

The general consensus seems to be that no, it doesn't. A lot of cars of the early 2000s had issues with dual-mass flywheels, but the technology seems to have matured to the point where it has become reliable. Of course, tread carefully and make sure that any Santa Fe you're looking at has a full service history and is in good condition, but it's worth pointing out two things - one, a 2010 Santa Fe still has a year's worth of its full manufacturer's warranty left to run and, two: you can get dual-to-single-mass flywheel conversion kits if you think it's going to be a problem.

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Hi Louis,

We thought it best to send this one to Toyota's tech people as they have more experience than most. Here's what they told us:

"It depends on the vehicle and how it's driven, but as long as the vehicle is in regular use and is serviced then the battery life is expected to be over 10 years. High mileage batteries can last longer than vehicles that do low mileage or are not in frequent use. Like any other battery type if it is in regular use and kept conditioned this will extend the battery life."

Hope that's of interest

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Hi Aoife,

We asked Toyota Ireland what it thought would be reasonable oil consumption, and though you haven't told us the age of your car it was suggested that a rate of a quarter litre of oil per 1,000 kilometres was normal. Toyota suggested that, if you suspect there is an issue, bring the car to a dealer and as for an oil consumption test to be carried out.

Hope that helps

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Hi Marion,

Yes, pretty excellent really. The A3 is nice to drive, exceptionally well built and holds its value well. That 1.2 TSI petrol engine is also excellent, as long as you're not doing mega-mileage. Just be careful that you buy one with a full service history and don't forget that you can buy a Golf, Octavia or Leon that is mechanically identical for less money.

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Hi Jim,

How long is a piece of string? Sorry, but it is actually a tricky question to answer because it kind of involves asking 'which Range Rover?' That is to say that Land Rover's build quality, while it has consistently been improving over the past decade, can still be a touch variable. Many Range Rovers will get through big mileages with no trouble, while others simply won't.

The good news is (and I'm talking about post-2002 models here) that generally Range Rover unreliability has gone from trouble with major items such as brakes and suspension to minor niggles involving electrical components. Basically, if you're buying a Rangie make sure all the buttons work as they should and then budget a substantial amount of money to fix them when they don't. Engines, gearboxes and other bits are generally fine as long as the car has been serviced fully and has history to back that up. You won't get the flawless reliability that you'd get from a Toyota Land Cruiser for instance, but Rangies are certainly more solid than some of the rumours would have it.

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Hi there,

Welcome to Ireland! I'd suggest you have a look for a Honda Civic 1.4 petrol automatic. That's probably the best balance between reliability (Civics are very reliable), economy and sticking within your budget. The higher road tax comes from the changeover to a carbon emissions based system in 2008. Prior to that cars were taxed according to their engine size, but the Civic's 1.4-litre petrol engine should keep your tax bills down to a reasonable level. Sadly, there's nothing you can do to change the NCT test - every car requires one every two years once it's more than four years old, and every year once it's more than ten years old. Again, the Honda will help here - they're really well built so less likely to develop problems that would cause you to fail an NCT test, as long as you look after it and keep it serviced.

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Hi John,

I'm going to be predictable and say you should get a Volkswagen Golf. A budget of €3k would definitely get you a MkIV 1.9 TDI model and you may even just scrape into a MkV, which would be even better again. Just track down one that's been looked after and serviced regularly and you should be fine.

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Hi Keith,

The areas you have to check carefully on an E60 5 Series are the suspension and electrics. If there are any nasty noises coming from underneath, or if the steering feels anything less than precise and solid, you've got possible trouble. The run-flat tyres can also cause trouble, suffering from little air leaks that play havoc with the tyre pressure monitoring system. The iDrive infotainment system can also be wayward, sometimes taking as long as 20 minutes to boot up, but apparently post-2005 cars are far better in this regard. Finally, check all the electrical and electronic systems to make absolutely sure that everything is working as it should be, and don't even consider a car that doesn't have a full service history.

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Hi Greg,

Yup, they're a good 'un. Ford's reliability record has been steadily improving over the past few years and there are no major reported issues for that generation of Focus. Just watch that a recall to fix a leaking fuel return pipe has been completed and, of course, make sure the car has a full service history. Oh, and as many of these cars will have begun life as company cars, that can mean that they've been well cared for and serviced regularly, but it can also mean that they've been abused by uncaring owners. Check carefully.

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Hi Mary,

I presume that's either a Laguna or a Scenic you're talking about? In that case, it looks like a very good price for a car with very low mileage. However, with that kind of small miles on a diesel you need to be careful of two things. 1 - make sure that the previous owners have been doing enough long, high-speed runs to generate temperature in the exhaust system to clear out the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and, 2 - carefully check the history of the car to make sure that the mileage is genuine. Renault build quality is generally a little better than you might think, but you still need to be more careful than with other brands. Check carefully that all the electrics are working properly, especially the windows, and make sure the car has a full and complete service history.