Toyota Land Cruiser Problems

All of the vehicles are worthy choices, but you need to be careful about the towing ratings of them. The Kia Sorento, which would be my choice, is rated at 2000kg, which is right on your towing requirement. Others, such as the 2WD Everest, are rated to tow much more. Others, like the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado, are full-on 4WDs, and would seem beyond your needs.

Most 4WD utes are able to tow two tonnes or more, and they will deliver the fuel economy you appear to want.

You have to consider what type of four-wheel driving you want to do. If it's heavy-duty then go for an older Toyota Landcruiser or Prado, if it's less taxing then a lighter model might do for you. I would suggest a 2006 Toyota Landcruiser Prado or a 2007 Mitsubishi Pajero.

Both are perfect for what you want to do. The LandCruiser has a well-proven record, but it’s heavy and can be costly to run. The Defender, while also a proven off-roader, is more expensive the service and repair and there aren’t Land Rover dealers everywhere, like there are Toyota dealers.

It’s clearly not well and needs attention, so take it to a mechanic and find out what is wrong with it. Any number of things could be wrong with it, from a simple as needing a service to being worn out.

You could jump in and drive away, but I would recommend you take the time to run it in before putting it to work, particularly if you're planning on going on a long caravanning trip. Run it to the first service before doing any heavy towing with it.

200-Series owners commonly report the vibration you are experiencing. There was talk of revised engine mounts, but it's unclear if anything was released. We'll check with Toyota.

I would take the Touareg over the Discovery but the real outback towing champion is the Toyota LandCruiser — which gets a big tick from me — because of its bulletproof reliability and Toyota's service network. The badge is not as prestigious and it will cost more for a fully luxury package but the 200-Series 'Cruiser is still The King.

The Carsguide price guide puts the value at between $28,876 and $49,990. Here's the link. With a relatively low odometer reading for its age yours would probably be priced towards the top end of the range, but it does also depend on its condition.

Was it a Toyota unit or an aftermarket one? If it was a Toyota one I would request the dealer to update the maps to then latest available, and I would expect them to do that at no cost to your son. If it was an aftermarket unit fitted by the dealer then Toyota is not responsible for it, and you have to talk to the dealer as the person who installed the unit.