Isuzu MU-X Problems

There are many SUVs that would fit within your budget. I would suggest you try a Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Isuzu MU-X, Jeep Grand Cherokee.

See if you see where the belt is stuck, that might give you a clue of how to release it. The easiest way is to call in to an Isuzu dealership and have them do it for you. It should only take a moment, and I’m sure they would help you out.

My initial thought is that 11 or 12 litres per 100km for an overall average is about what I would have expected. These are not small cars, they’re not light and they have fairly ordinary aerodynamics.

What you need to keep in mind is that the official fuel consumption figure is a number achieved on a very specific test cycle that in no way approximates a real-world experience. Car makers go to great lengths to nail a good number on these tests (for marketing purposes) often at the expense of real-world fuel economy. Yes, it does seem crazy, doesn’t it?

You also mentioned you use your car mostly for high-speed driving. What’s your definition of high speed? Thanks to the aerodynamics of vehicles like the MU-X an extra 10km/h at freeway speeds can have a huge effect on economy. Even removing a roof-rack when you’re not using it can save a litre per 100km.

No, we haven't managed to get Nedahl to spend time with the MU-X yet, but thanks very much for the suggestion. We'll try and make that happen soon.

Your towing needs will dictate a big car. Others you could consider are the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Isuzu MU-X, Holden Trailblazer, or Ford Everest.

None of the vehicles you’ve listed are exactly low-maintenance units. They all have complex all-wheel-drive drivelines (which will be appreciated when towing a heavy trailer across a wet showground) and they use the latest common-rail diesel technology which is fairly intolerant of poor servicing.

As for a power tailgate on a ute, I’m afraid you’re out of luck. But some of the wagon versions of these vehicles can be optioned with powered tailgates. The catch there is that these vehicles use coil sprung rear axles (as opposed to the leaf-sprung ute versions) so they’re not as adept at towing. The Toyota Fortuner, for instance can’t match the HiLux’s 3.5-tonne limit and makes do with 2800kg; not enough for your requirements. The Ford Everest (based on the Ranger) is a little better at 3000kg, but still trails the Ranger’s 3500kg towing capacity and is right on your self-imposed minimum.

It’s not a good idea to be towing in fifth gear into a head wind or uphill, or in other adverse conditions. If you do the gearbox will shift back to fourth, or lower if need be. I wouldn’t be too concerned about towing a larger van, providing of course it doesn’t overload the MU-X. You could upgrade the turbo with a chip or other device, but in my view you’re risking trouble by doing it.

Any odd or new noises from an automatic transmission are, indeed, bad noises Gavin. Squealing or screeching from the gearbox can be caused by any number of things, but none of them are good and none of them are likely to go away on their own.

To be honest, I’ve heard of more problems with the Isuzu’s manual gearbox, with the fifth-gear synchro dragging and making a dry-bearing noise. The first thing I’d do is interrogate the car’s on-board computer to see if any fault codes show up and take it from there.

The Jeeps are perfectly capable of doing the trip you are planning, and if anything did go wrong while you were away there are dealers all around the country who cold fix it for you. At 2000 kg your caravan is not particularly heavy and shouldn’t stress the Jeep at all. The Prado is the other obvious choice, and it too will do the job with ease. Others to look at are the Kia Sorento and Isuzu MU-X.

It would only be speculation on my part of I was to try and diagnose the problem; it could be any number of things causing it. The best thing is to continue working with your Isuzu dealer until the cause of the problem is found, particularly as the car is still under warranty. If the dealer can’t find the fault get them to call in Isuzu head office technical staff that should be able to track it down.