Nissan Problems

The CX-5 is the one that gets The Tick. You should only go for diesel for heavy towing or if you drive more than 30,000km a year.

That the dealership staff had trouble using it I think you've got good justification for some help from Nissan. We understand there are issues with the Bluetooth function, so it's probably best to consult an expert in that area.

It's far better to have more ratios, since it keeps the car's engine operating at maximum efficiency for more of the time. Top-end car companies are now going for eight speeders, which are brilliant with diesel engines. But Japanese companies are turning to constantly variable transmissions, which don't have cogs - just adjustable belts that stop at preset ratios - and these are often disruptive and the operating software is poorly tweaked.

Injector wear is a problem with all common-rail diesels, not just the Nissan. You should be able observe rough running, perhaps black smoke from the exhaust, and high fuel consumption. The chip won't be causing your ticking noise; that will be a mechanical noise. You need to determine where the noise is coming from to be able to locate the cause. One thing I would be looking at the camshaft timing chain, they wear and sometimes break on the Navara, and that's one possible source of your ticking noise.

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

If you don't want four-wheel drive, save the money and get the front-drive Dualis. The Kia is better but not for average family use.

The great thing about the motor trade is that there are lots of clever mechanics that are able to fix problems that the carmakers seem to be unable to do. It's always worth asking a specialist mechanic for help.

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.

It's the Pathfinder for me.