Nissan Problems

I wouldn't recommend the Captiva but the Dualis gets The Tick and is good value. 

An auto club report would not force anything from a dealer but would alert you to any problems you need to raise before the warranty expires.

We've also heard complaints about the Jeep but the new Pathfinder is impressive and gets The Tick from me.

If the Pulsar is in good condition, as you seem to indicate, it might be best to repair it. A mechanic should be able to work out if it's a head gasket problem or a cracked head and from that give you a cost to repair the engine. It might be better to spend a few hundred dollars on repairs than spending a similar amount on another old car that might itself have problems. Trade-ins are generally passed down the line, from dealers to used car lots, until they are no longer viable and they are then scrapped. Check local used car yards. If they don't have a car for you give them an idea of what you want and they might be able to source one. There are also plenty of websites offering used cars for sale, and they are probably the best place to start shopping. If you need help using the sites, get a friend or relative to help. 

The Ranger gets The Tick and is a clear winner from the Amarok. The all-new Navara is not even close. But we're expecting a new Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux in the first half of 2015, so check back nearer then.

It's a difficult one and you have to decide how much time and energy you want to put into resolving this issue. To start with the car is nine years old and well out of warranty from Nissan, second it would be hard to argue that the normal consumer laws that relate to defective products would apply because the fault is a cosmetic one relating to the appearance of the car and not the function. You could try to negotiate with Nissan on the basis of goodwill and what they have done in the past for other owners with the same problem. If you were successful I would expect Nissan to cover part of the cost of the repair. The other course of action you could take is to take them court as suggested and in my view you would face the strong possibility of losing.

Nissan spokesman Peter Fadeyev says: "Since the late 1980s, all Nissan vehicles have had a timing chain fitted, not a belt. This chain does not need replacing as a service-related item."

It's the Pathfinder for me.

The kilometres done are about what you would expect a vehicle of that age would have done, but the price is high. I would think $13,000 to $15,000 is more reasonable. With a 3000 kg towing rating it would comfortably tow your caravan. The things to be aware of are low clutch life and high cost to replace them, and failures of the cam timing chain. The latter is generally put down to poor maintenance, so make sure yours has a credible service record showing regular oil changes.