Expert answer

Hi Philip,

Mileage does matter, of course, but not half as much as service history. If it’s been properly looked after, then the Touareg is well-made and reliable, but the 2.5 TDI engine is prone to blowing turbos, and breaking its water pumps, and they’re very hard on tyres. Also, check carefully underneath for any signs of damage from over-enthusiastic off-roading.

Expert answer

Hi Yvonne,

The Qashqai+2 is actually a very nice car, but a proper seven-seater it's not. Those two seats in the boot are really for occasional use only and frankly I think you're going to have trouble wrestling a bulky, heavy infant car seat back there.

Of the other two, there are lots of Zafiras around to choose from so I'd be very, very fussy in choosing one with the colour and spec you like as well as a full service history. You can always walk away and find another one if you need to. But actually, of the three, we'd go for the Corolla Verso. It's not exciting to drive or look at but Toyotas tend to be indestructible and the space inside is simply cavernous.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Shane,

As with any current turbodiesel model, the first thing to check is the diesel particulate filter. Drive the car at a steady 2,500rpm in fourth gear for around 16km and see if the DPF warning light goes out. If it does, all is fine. The 2.0 TDI engine needs a cambelt change every 110,000km so make absolutely sure that's been done as it's an expensive job and a total engine failure if it goes when you're driving.

If the car has the MMI infotainment system then make sure that all the functions are working, as problems are apparently hard to diagnose and expensive to fix. Check the front passenger floor mat for dampness - the air conditioning system can sometimes flood with water draining down from the windscreen and leak onto the floor. Glovebox catches and (more worryingly) seatbelt anchors are prone to wear, so check both. Watch for tracking issues on S-Line cars with sports suspension. A dull thudding noise from the front might be a worn anti-roll bar drop link too.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Gavin,

Here's the checklist for a 2002 Volkswagen Golf (hatchback or Estate):

- Check that alloy wheels have had copper slip grease applied behind them at each service, or the alloy can react with the steel hub and cause corrosion.

- Make sure the headlamps are in good condition, as they're a bumper-off job to replace.

- The rear screen wash-wipe can leak and run into the lock, shorting out the alarm and central locking. The door locks in general can give trouble.

- Most Golf engines need a cambelt change every 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometres). Diesel engines tend to get through a lot of oil.

- Clutch release bearings can wear out easily leading to a hefty clutch action.

- Ignition coils can burn out.

- A whirring noise could be a water pump failure.

- Slow starting or engine management lights often mean a temp sensor has failed.

- A tapping noise on start up may mean you need a cylinder head rebuild.

- If the car has sluggish acceleration it could be a crank or camshaft sensor failure.

- And if there are any issues with any of the main instruments then he whole display has to come out and be replaced.

That's a long list, we know, but if the car you're looking at passes those tests then it's likely to be a good one.

Expert answer

Hi Jason,

UK imports are no more or less likely to be reliable or unreliable than are original Irish market cars. They're made in the same factory and road conditions are not so different. It could be said that we tend to look after our cars less well than our British cousins, and that prolonged exposure to Irish tarmac may wear out suspension components that much faster, but a careful inspection of any potential purchase should weed out anything suffering from either issue.

As for salt, we salt and grit our roads here now too, and as long as the car is washed properly on a regular basis, there should be no trouble. Again, if the underside of any car you're looking at buying is rusty, just walk away.

Clocking is, sadly, a serious issue and one could almost call it endemic. The best you can do is to check the mileage against the service record and have the vehicle checked by one of the car history experts such as Cartell.ie.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi David,

I'm afraid we need a lot more information than that to help you - and you've not sent us any contact details. Can you resubmit the question with the following information included please?

1 - What engine is this?

2 - How long in time and kilometres were between the services?

3 - Who decided to rebuild the engine and why?

4 - What exactly was rebuilt?

5 - What's the total mileage on the car?

Many thanks

Expert answer

Hi Frank,

This is a pretty solid buy in general, though insist on one with a decent service history and do a thorough check of the car. Electrics can have gremlins in them so check each and every switch and button. Likewise, if it's automatic, walk away if the gearbox is very jerky and holds onto the gears for a long time even when you've not got your foot down. Watch out for knocking in the suspension too, as that could mean costly repair bills.

Hope that helps

Expert answer

Hi Noel,

A few of suggestions here.

€5,500 gets you into a nice 2005 Audi A3 1.6 petrol Attraction three-door, from a dealer. Albeit it does have quite high mileage. Not necessarily a problem, but you would want to check and make sure all the paperwork is in order and the service record is complete.

Or, you could be really daring and go for a 2007 Daihatsu Copen two-seat cabriolet, with its zany combination of turbocharged 700cc motor and folding steel roof. Oddball but oddly appealing and we found one for €5,750 with 31,000 miles (about 50,000 kilometres) and a six-month warranty.

Going down the much more sensible route, how about a Fiat Panda 1.1 Eco? €5,950 (and you could probably argue that down a little), still fun to drive but very practical and more reliable than the reputation would have you believe.

Finally, and this is possibly the most sensible solution, a Honda Jazz 1.2 Sport, from a main Honda dealer, for €5,490. Spacious, comfy and as reliable as it's possible for a car to be.

If none of those work for you come back to us and we'll have another think.

Expert answer

Hi Kevin,

The first piece of advice we'd give is that, if you're not experienced in changing many different types of oil filters, don't do it. There are several things that could go wrong and cause engine damage.

Many oil filters are best accessed from under the car. Be prepared for oil dripping down from it once you loosen it, even if you have already drained the engine oil...

Expert answer

Hi Sandra,

Bit of a tricky one this as you haven't specified what kind of car you're talking about, but the fact that you want low emissions (which would suggest a post-2008 car to keep the road tax low) and want to keep the budget below €7,000 means things are a bit limited. So how about a Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi diesel hatchback for €6,950? That price includes a three-month warranty and the example I found has a full service history.

Come back to us with more information if you'd like us to narrow your search.