Ask The Guide

The TZ Territory is generally robust and reliable, a car that gives little trouble and most owners say they would happily have another one. The problems that arise with them are minor and shouldn't put you off.

Toyota hasn't announced its future plans for the Aurion once local production ceases, but we expect the Aurion badge will be retired. The new imported Camry will be fitted with state-of-the-art safety technology.

There is a new Prado due in 2017, although we're not sure of the exact timing. We understand there will be some styling changes, but no major changes to the specifications that should affect your decision.

If you can hear the pump start running when you hit the tank then it could be an earthing or a connection problem, but it could also be a blockage. It's a good idea to refill your tank before the fuel level drops close to empty when there is a much higher chance of the pump picking up rubbish on the bottom of the tank.

Fuel pumps are a relatively common failure across many makes and models, but two in a year does seem too much. They shouldn't leak when they fail as they're in the fuel tank. Regularly running low on fuel can cause the pump to overheat and fail, it can also stir up any sediment that's on the bottom of the tank and could cause a blockage. You can try approaching Mazda, but I doubt you will have any success, as your car is 12 years old.

Regular 91-octane unleaded is the specified fuel for your car, but you could also run it on E10 ethanol or Premium unleaded as well.

You appear to have been given the run-around. Take the car back to the dealer and ask for a meeting with the service manager. Ask him for an explanation of what has happened and why, and then try to get a commitment to fix it, at their expense. You could also complain to the Motor Trade Association of WA about the work that has been done, they might be able to help you. You could also seek the advice of the WA Consumer Affairs Department, and as a last resort seek legal advice.

It's not unusual for diesel fuel-injectors to become noisy when they wear, I'm sure Subaru would have come across that before, and it's the same with all brands. The gearbox jumping out of fifth is also a fairly common complaint, one I'm sure Subaru has encountered before.

The steering failures are of concern, and should be of concern to Subaru, given that the steering is a safety item. That the parts are not stored here is nothing new, many carmakers rely on stores held in Asia for their parts, and bring them in as needed. That said, they should be available overnight given that we have jet planes these days and they no longer have to go by steam ship. You should not have to wait six-eight weeks for them to arrive. What that suggests is that Subaru does not care about owners of older models like yours.

Unfortunately you don't have any rights as such with the company, it's really down to your negotiating skills to convince them that they should come to the party and help with the cost of repairs. But with your car having done more than 200,000km I don't believe you would get anywhere on that front.

I would suggest you try an independent Subaru mechanic to repair it, and use second-hand parts, but more than that I would think about selling it.

You haven't given us the weight of the caravan you want to tow, which goes a long way to determining the best car for you. We'll err on the side of caution and go for cars with a towing capacity of at least 2500 kg that fall within your budget. It's always best to go for the latest model you can afford, which means around 2103 in your case. I'm guessing you're over the Pathfinder given your experience with the holed piston in your current car, but the Nissan is an option for you. So too are the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Mitsubishi Pajero, although the Pajero's rear suspension is prone to sagging when heavily loaded and I would rule that out on that basis. If you can stretch your budget a little you could consider the Landrover Discovery 4, which does everything you want well, but is the most expensive of this bunch. For me the pick of the bunch for me is the Toyota Prado, for performance, economy, and reliability. The only issue for you could be that the Prado's towing rating is 2500 kg, the lowest of the cars we mention here.

There no difference between the models that I can think of that would cause the later ones to vibrate as you describe. I would check the idle speed in Drive to make sure it's not too low.