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Author: James Foxall

I’ve been writing about cars and motoring for more than 25 years. My career started on a long-departed classic car weekly magazine called AutoClassic. I’ve since pitched up at Autosport, Auto Express, the News of the World, Sunday Times and most recently the Daily Telegraph. When I’m not writing about cars and motoring, I’m probably doing some kind of sport or working in my garden.
CCTV mounted over an English main road. Focus on the camera only with car blurred
Driving

Can I request CCTV footage of my car being damaged in a car park?

CCTV is an increasingly common part of our lives. If your car is involved in an accident, there’s a good chance CCTV footage will capture the moment and possibly even…

By James Foxall19th August 202322nd August 2023
image showing volkswagen dashboard with air vents
Mechanical

How much will it cost to fix leaking air con on my car?

Leaking air con is quite a common thing. A small amount of water always drips from car air con. Rather than this, we’re talking about the sort of leaking air…

By James Foxall17th August 202317th August 2023
image showing a uk street at night with cars parked on the kerb, showing dropped kerbs and driveways
Driving, Main feature

Is parking across a driveway illegal? What can you do if someone blocks your driveway?

Parking across a driveway isn’t just inconsiderate to the owner of the house, it can be dangerous and restrictive for pedestrians and wheelchair users. But is it an offence to…

By James Foxall16th August 202320th September 2023
image showing different bottles of prestone coolants
Headline feature, Maintenance

Which engine coolant do I choose for my car?

It’s important to know which engine coolant to choose for your car. Coolant is vital to keep your car running properly so it’s worth checking and if necessary topping it…

By James Foxall15th August 202315th August 2023
french speed camera
Headline feature, Motoring admin

I was flashed by a speed camera in France. Will they track me down in the UK?

Our reader was driving their UK-registered car when they were flashed by a French speed camera. But they could easily have been in Belgium Germany, Spain, Italy or Norway. They…

By James Foxall14th August 20236th September 2023
tyre tread patterns
Tyres

Is it illegal to mix tyre tread patterns on the same axle?

Our reader wants to know if they can have different tyre tread patterns on the same axle, meaning one kind of tyre on one side, a different one on the…

By James Foxall21st June 202327th July 2023
parking rules for ev charging
Motoring admin

What are the parking rules for using EV bays on council-owned and private land?

Ever-more drivers are using electric vehicles (EV) meaning there are an increasing number of charging points which require their own parking bays. Our reader wants to know what the rules…

By James Foxall14th June 202329th June 2023
mis-selling car finance
Buying + selling

Is mis-selling car finance really as bad as the PPI scandal?

There have been rumours for a long time that car finance was the new payment protection insurance (PPI). Mis-selling, it was said, was rife around borrowing to buy used cars.…

By James Foxall7th June 202329th June 2023
mis-sold car finance
Buying + selling

I bought a car and later found out I had been mis-sold car finance. Can I claim any compensation? If so, how?

Our reader bought a car in 2019. He later found that he was paying an unreasonably high APR on the PCP. He eventually had to return the car before the…

By James Foxall31st May 202329th June 2023
replacement brake pads
Maintenance

My Audi dealer says company standards insist on replacement brake pads at 10mm of wear. What is the legal minimum for brake pads?

Our reader was horrified when he took his Audi A5 into a dealer and it said he needed replacement brake pads. It then revealed that his brake pads had 10mm…

By James Foxall24th May 202327th July 2023

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