Mazda Problems

Underneath the BT-50 is virtually the same as the Bravo it replaced, so you should be familiar with its capability on and off-road. The diesel engines are new to the BT-50 and more powerful than the Bravos, the manual gearbox was beefed up to handle the increase in torque, and it will tow 2.5 tonnes. I would think it's fine for what you want.

YOU'RE right to be concerned because the higher the mileage the greater the chances of major problems. Your car has done almost twice the average ks for a car of its age, so you need to be wary. The Mazda 323 is generally a robust and reliable car and I wouldn't be concerned if it had the average 150,000km or so. Make sure it has been serviced by the book, with regular oil and filter changes, and it should have had two cam belt changes by now. When you start the engine listen for any rattling, and watch for smoke from the exhaust. When you drive make sure the gears engage smoothly without any baulking, and that there are no noises from the gearbox. If you're not sure have a trusted mechanic check it, or the RACV if you don't have anyone you feel you can trust.

A CARS such as the Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic will tow a small box trailer comfortably without overstressing the engine, and will be more economical than your Commodores were. But because you have found getting in and out of the Corolla difficult you need to try other cars to see how they stack up. Alternatively, try a compact SUV such as a Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester. They are higher, which may make them easier to get in and out. You should be able to get a two or three-year-old model within your budget.

START by getting a second opinion. If that is that the noise is not acceptable then approach your dealer to have something done about it. Hopefully you reported it to the dealer while your warranty was running, that way you will have more clout when it comes to a claim against Mazda. If your dealer is unhelpful then go straight to Mazda.

GOOD information. It's possible you are correct.

I'D GO for the later model with the lower kilometres. Five years from now the Liberty will be 10 years old and probably have 125,000km on it, but the Mazda will be six years old with about 110,000km on its odometer. The Mazda will look much more attractive to buyers.

BUY a small car with a four-cylinder engine, and if you stick to the well-respected brands, such as Toyota Corolla or Echo, Nissan Pulsar, Mazda2 or 3, Hyundai Getz, or Honda Civic he should be a winner. Buy the car with the lowest odometer reading and in the best condition that fits his budget.

THE price is average for that model and year, but you'll have to pay for registration as well anything needed to make it roadworthy. Add the body damage and it's starting to look less like a bargain. The low mileage is attractive, but find out how much you will have to spend to get it back on the road with a full year of rego. If it's more than $1000, think twice about it.

NO, YOU can have it serviced anywhere as long as they stamp the book as having done the service according to Mazda's recommendations.

INTERMITTENT problems are always hard to track down, but I doubt it's the plugs or leads. I would be looking at the engine sensors and making sure they are working correctly. I would look closely at the crank angle sensor. That can cause a problem like the one you describe.