Ask The Guide

The web is causing all sorts of problems because overseas situations are rarely the same as Australia. I have been in touch with BMW Australia and even though your car is 13 years old and has not been regularly serviced by BMW, the reply is positive. Company spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says: "The Cooper S has hydraulic steering and the overseas service campaign was with the electric steering on the Cooper. Nonetheless, if he takes it to a dealer we'll have a look and see what we can do."

I have been in touch again with Renault. Spokeswoman Melissa Cross replies: "Our customer service team is currently in discussion with Mr Gibson about his vehicle, which he has back. To ensure he wasn't inconvenienced while his vehicle was at the dealership, Renault Australia provided a hire car at no cost. Our team will continue to liaise with Mr Gibson to ensure he is satisfied."

The best idea is the latest generation of clear-plastic protective covering. Upscale companies including Ferrari and Porsche routinely apply this to the fronts of their press test cars and, from my experience, it works very well without damaging the car.

The S-Cross is not the best compact SUV I have driven but for short-haul work it will be fine and you should get a good deal if you can still buy a 2015 model so far into 2016.

So long as you are still driving the car regularly, and it looks as if you're covering more than 5000km a year, the tyres should be fine down to the tread-wear indicators. They are not sticky high-performance tyres or special soft-compound winter tyres that need special treatment.

There is legal action under way in Australia from some unhappy owners of cars with double-clutch gearboxes. Ford executive Stephen Kruk says: "We encourage customers to work with their local dealers on their individual circumstances. Ford is committed to providing its customers with top quality vehicles. We are equally committed to addressing potential issues and responding quickly for our customers. We have addressed the majority of our customers' questions and are pleased with our ongoing improvement in customer satisfaction levels."

Honda's Neil McDonald says: "The dealership tested the vehicle and no fault was found with the Passenger Side Airbag. They did, however, find the SRS light illuminated due to an internal failure in the seat belt pre-tensioner. Although this is unrelated to any previous concerns raised by the customer, Honda is covering the cost of this repair for the customer as a goodwill gesture."

What you bought is a 2012 model car, because that's the year it was built. Even if it is called an MY13, the clock starts from the day it was finished on the production line and stamped with its VIN plate. The confusion comes because lots of car companies now have specifications that change earlier than January 1, a practice that began in the US, and which they refer to as Model Year this or that.

Regardless of the engine work, the Viva is not a good car. For similar money, in a small wagon, I'd go every time for a Mitsubishi Lancer.

Call in at your nearest Mazda dealer and have them explain it to you. Without seeing it I couldn't tell you what it is.