Toyota HiLux Problems

THE new Toyota HiLux has the best dials I have seen in recent times. The graphics were white on a black background, so there was good contrast and they were lit whenever the ignition was on.

YES you can have extra child-seat restraints fitted to the HiLux and Triton dual-cabs, but it must be approved by an accredited engineer to satisfy the authorities. Contact your state registration authority and they will give you a list of accredited engineers who could do the work for you. In all honesty, however, buying the Navara is a better way to go.

WITHOUT knowing the strength of the wind gust that caught the door it's hard to comment on your son's case, but we have had no reports of problems with the HiLux's body. We have had a few reports of clutch problems and this does seem to be an issue with the vehicle.

WITHOUT knowing what you do with your cars and how you drive them, it's hard to comment. But if you drive them normally, I would think you do have a claim against Toyota. Having to replace a gearbox at 40,000km, and even at 80,000km, is unacceptable under normal use.

TOYOTAS have a bit of a history of clutch-wear issues when geared for highway work, as is the latest HiLux. But usually the problem surfaces only if you're doing a lot of low-speed driving or towing. This could be an explanation in your case, but we'll wait for other HiLux owners to contact us and see what they have to say.

IT DEPENDS what you regard as incredibly thirsty. Four-wheel-drives tend to be thirsty. They're heavy and have to drag all that extra four-wheel-drive gear around, and the Rodeo's petrol V6 is a 3.5-litre unit. If fuel consumption is a key consideration for you, try a diesel. Fuel consumption will be much lower, and you won't lose too much performance.

IF IT'S coming in when the engine is under load it sounds like a diesel problem. It might be worth having the engine checked to make sure all is well under the bonnet, and check for displaced seals in the firewall that might be allowing the fumes to enter the cabin.

The manual will give you about 10 per cent better fuel consumption than the auto. I would expect you would get about 9 litres/100km on the highway without a caravan, but that would probably increase to 14-15 litres/100km when the caravan is on the back. The Hilux and Navara have similar fuel consumption. But I have concerns about the reliability of Nissan's 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine so can't recommend the Navara.

Unless you need a vehicle capable of driving over rough or slippery ground, I would buy a 2WD diesel ute. It will be more economical than a 4WD and will tow your trailer without problems. Your budget will get you an upmarket ute. Look at the Toyota Hilux or new Mitsubishi Triton. Also, there are good deals available on the Mazda Bravo and Ford Courier for much less. For little more than $20,000 you'll get a 2WD diesel with a tray and toolbox.