Jeep Problems

The Navara and HiLux would be out, for me, because they are utes and you shouldn't be buying a truck just because it can tow well. The Grand Cherokee is a great drive but I also hear lots of complaints, so the Everest — engineered in Australia and based on the classy Ford Ranger ute — would be my pick as the smart choice.

You could go for a Mercedes-Benz GLC with similar features and save money. My choice — perhaps surprisingly — is the Jeep. Just make sure you find a good dealer.

You live in Victoria, so go the company's head offices in Port Melbourne in person and ask to speak to a customer assistance person. Phoning, e-mailing etc., just gives them a chance to avoid the issue, a face-to-face encounter is a different thing. There is no excuse for not being able to supply an oil pump, or tell you when they could supply one. Perhaps they haven't heard of aeroplanes and airfreight. Another suggestion now that the car is out of warranty and FCA clearly don't care about it, take it to an independent mechanic and get on the Internet and import the pump from the US yourself.

Based on the Chrysler claim for fuel consumption the diesel comes out in front by about $600 after taking into consideration the higher upfront cost and higher servicing costs.

Timely query — at the risk of repeating myself, the Sportage.

Your mechanic is wrong. The new Sorento has been out less than a year, has zero engine troubles and is the one I would pick.

A space-saver, by our definition, is a narrow temporary replacement, where a 245 is virtually identical to the standard tyre. According to Fiat Chrysler spokesman Andrew Chesterton: "The 18-inch spare is slightly narrower than the standard tyre but has a load rating of 110, which matches or exceeds the standard tyre's load rating. The circumference is also within an allowable tolerance. While the owner's handbook does not recommend towing with a 'compact spare' fitted to the vehicle, the factory-fitted spare we use in Australia is not of this variety."

Jeep is committed to helping you and company boss Pat Dougherty says the car will be fixed at no cost.

I could fill Roadside Assist for weeks with Jeep complaints, despite the efforts of managing director Pat Dougherty to get on top of things. They range from the rear suspension in the Grand Cherokee to electrical failures and general quality glitches, and include most Jeep models.