2001 Daihatsu Hijet Van review from UK and Ireland

The interior light bulb failed after 3 days. My dealer said the bulbs were on factory order. This situation remained for 2 weeks, until I bought the part from a local auto shop.

An exterior door handle broke when vehicle was 1 month old, The dealer also had to order this part, although it only took a few days. Other Hi-jet owners told me these handles break easily.

Ignition key broke for no obvious reason at 3 months. Dealer had to order the key which took another 3 Days.

The seats on this vehicle offer no support. Also being positioned immediately above the front wheel, you feel every pothole with a vengeance.

The driving position in general is very poor, the low line of the top of the windscreen means you have to drive in a hunched position. This, allied to the poor seats, led in my case to back and neck pain, and subsequent disposal of the vehicle after 6 months.

The fuel economy was pathetic. Even gently driven, 34mpg was the absolute best I attained. In normal everyday use it was between 25 and 28 mpg.

The engine is superb.