Ask The Guide

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says: "The issue has been, first, a coolant leak from the thermostat therefore displaying the low coolant level light on a slope. After this repair was completed the customer has started to watch his temperature gauge and found the operation different to what he has possibly experienced on other vehicles. The design of the cooling system has located the temperature sensor in an area where the coolant temperature does fluctuate as the thermostat operates. Stop-start operation can also influence this temperature variance because if the engine is not running no heat is generated. This is normal on the A-Class and has been documented from Germany for our dealers."

The Veloster should be fine and I have a nephew who has driven 40,000km in his and loves it. It's not a sports car but a stylish coupe that's practical as well. It gets The Tick from me.

I had never heard of the Goodride brand — although it sounds similar to the respected Goodrich in the US — so resorted to a Google search. It showed the parent company is Chinese. I have yet to drive on, or hear of, a decent Chinese tyre. Does that answer your question?

The news from Kia Australia's spokesman Kevin Hepworth is not what you want to hear: "That is a North American engine only. No plans for Australia." Sorry.

Your story is getting far too common and, trust me, it's not just women who are being taken in by some unscrupulous dealers.

The CarsGuide crew, among others, have highlighted road noise as a rare negative on a classy car that's also been a long-term favourite with Australian buyers.

Just because a new car is better than the old model does not make it right, as I've discovered from a flood of Mazda3 owner complaints.

Nissan told us that "like a number of overseas models, Nissan Australia has studied the possibility of introducing the Elgrand people-mover but, at present, local market demand for this model and its overall business case are insufficient to make the Elgrand a full-volume-compliance model in our brand's local vehicle range. It should be noted that the government requirements, processes and overall costs for a small local second-hand car importer to bring some used vehicles from Japan are different to those for an official full-volume vehicle importer like Nissan Australia."

You are assuming that the problems have come about as a result of the work done on the car under the recall. While it is possible that you are correct, you cannot be sure until the problems are diagnosed. If the problems are a result of something the dealer has done then they should be responsible for fixing it; if they are not caused by what the dealer did then you would be responsible. First, you need to establish the cause of your problems, and then you can deal with them.

Our information is that the 2010 XC60 diesel is a solid and reliable car, but you should consider the wisdom of buying a diesel. If you're regularly driving reasonable distances on the highway a diesel can be a good way to go, but if you're mainly driving short distances locally then it would probably not be a good purchase. As for the cost of parts the Volvo is comparable with other rival makes and models. The best course of action should you buy one is to pal up with an independent mechanic with Volvo experience. Volvo specialists have the diagnostic tools needed, and are usually able to buy parts at a more affordable price. Often they will be factory parts imported from places like America, and landed here at a much lower price than you be charged by a dealer.