Please Read Before You Buy A 1.6 Valvematic Verso Petrol

[toyotapob]

Hi

I have posted multiple times on this forum and I would like to share my experience with owning and driving my first Toyota Verso (and last). It’s too late for me but this might provide pause for thought for someone else that might be browsing this forum thinking of buying a 2010-2013 Toyota Verso 1.6 Valvematic.

I bought a two and a half year old Toyota Verso 1.6 TR valvematic back in January this year. I thought I had done all the research thoroughly enough. Looked at reviews online and compared it with other cars such as the C-Max, Zafira and Touran. I decided on the Verso because it was very versatile and I thought it looked good.

It also had Toyota reliability (a 5 year warranty anyway) and its low emissions, fuel economy, 6-speed manual gearbox and safety features were very attractive too.

For me the Verso ticked all the boxes (on paper at least). Disillusionment quickly set in, and the car eventually had to go.

Driveability and performance was the biggest disappointment, followed closely by quality of the interior and external fittings.

Driving the car

Irritatingly the revs take an age to return to idle when lifting off the accelerator pedal. In fact they increased when changing gears (especially from first to second) so I was constantly trying to prevent the car from revving when lifting the accelerator to depress the clutch (this has been noted by other Toyota drivers of other petrol models). I have read on various forums that this is the result of ‘drive by wire’ as the throttle is connected to the engine management system and not directly to the engine. I’m told by Toyota that all new cars are like that (not true as I have test driven Hyundai, Ford, Peugeot, Renault etc and NONE have this horrible characteristic). It supposedly gives more economical driving by reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It might actually do that but I found it really distracting and potentially dangerous (it revved with no pressure on the throttle to 3200 rpm at times and Toyota say this is normal!) and a huge irritation in the Verso. Apparently (according to my dealer anyway) taking your foot off the accelerator well before you intend changing up a gear is the way to cure it (In my opinion this is called a bodge). I find this works well enough if you can drive around in a leisurely fashion but I often end up losing most of that concentration (and my rag!) in busy rush hour traffic.

It has been back to the dealer many times and I’m assured this is ‘normal’ I even drove another 1.6 Verso and it appeared to be the same. I definitely should have asked for a longer road test and read more reviews before purchasing. Funnily enough, I noticed that the performance
wasn’t particularly impressive during the test drive and the engine seemed to over-rev
strangely but I foolishly put it down to unfamiliarity with the car.

‘You will get used to it’ and ‘it will becomeinstinctive’ are the statements that get bandied about but nearly three months later and it certainly has not for me. Apparently most people do learn to live with these ‘characteristics’ though. If that is the price one has to pay for economy and Toyota's driving characteristics, then it is far too high in my opinion.

I have given up trying to live with the Verso’s apparently insurmountable ‘characteristics’ and have now offloaded it regardless of the financial loss.

I’m a driver with over 26 years experience. I’ve lost count of the numbers and types of vehicles I’ve driven, but the Verso would definitely rank pretty high on my ‘most annoying driving experience to date’ list.

Points to Note before you purchase:

1. The car WILL rev up “on its own” between 650 – 1100rpm above the revs you use to move forward (max revs I experienced were 3200 rpm) when moving in slow moving traffic/parking after you lift off the accelerator/depress the clutch.

2. When you start the car from cold the car will rev initially to 1900 rpm then slowly drop to 1100 rpm and finally after a short period of time 700 rpm.

3. However if you start the car on a downward drive and once the engine revs are allowed to drop to 1100 rpm the revs will suddenly jump up by 400 rpm as the car is allowed to roll down the drive with the clutch depressed!

4. Revs rise and fall depending on load on engine (air con etc)

5. The paintwork appeared to chip very easily

6. The seat material is black and shows wear/crease marks within a short period of time

7. The door trims started to come away from the backing where they curve, noticed others have done the same.

8. There appears to be some under floor insulation missing in the drivers footwell (checked other Verso’s and they are the same) this causes your foot to drop lower and increase the angle of your foot to the accelerator pedal.

9. The boot floor trim can be easily damaged where it folds.

10. The interior plastic scratches very easily and is of poor quality.

11. The panoramic roof will develop an irritating jangle above the drivers head, this is the metal edge trim that vibrates ( poor design)

12. There is no blind spot area on the drivers mirror.

13. The ignition key feels very cheap and nasty and when I accidentally dropped it on the drive it will came apart

14. The accelerator pedal is at a very odd angle and causes ankle ache after long driving.

15. The accelerator is way too sensitive and is the most on/off reaction of any car I have driven.

16. The Clutch has a very irritating switch (must put clutch down to start) that clicks whenever the clutch is depressed (possibly louder than the indicators – come on to this later)

17. All pedals are very cheap feeling and are vastly inferior to other cars I have recently test driven. It would be possible to inadvertently bend the clutch pedal as the metal is so flimsy.

18. The handbrake action is poor, after adjustment it quickly went out of adjustment.

19. The speedometer becomes unreadable in bright sun

20. The brightness adjustment ONLY adjusts the Speedo/Rev/Trip and NOT the remaining dashboard illuminated display’s ie Radio, heater controls, door illumination. Very poor implementation and again half baked design.

21. The 6 speed gearbox is terrible, it whines in first gear (checked others and they all do the same), is clunky and consistently proved impossible to select 1^st or 2^nd gear (change of oil helped but didn’t cure this issue!), and whines at approx 40mph.

22. The engine tapped occasionally (very slightly) on idle when warm, checked others and they all do this (20,000 miles).

23. You cannot hear the indicators once the car is moving and definitely not if you have the radio on. Far too quiet and easy to forget they haven’t cancelled.

24. The horn is rubbish and makes the poorest audible warning sound I have ever heard. Just a toy town beep!

25. Whoever designed the little black clips that hold all the external plastic trim together definitely had a bad day, they do not hold the trims together solidly and if you bang the front bumper in front of the wheel it all jangles and rattles (checked others and they do the same),
and you can definitely hear all this rattling din when driving over rough road surfaces.

26. Road noise is appalling.

27. The covers over the 12v power points fall off as they are only very cheap plastic.

28. The lack of storage in the front is again poorly implemented, there are very few storage cubby holes and very few items fit in the door pockets.

29. The headlights are very bright and give good visibility.

30. The steering is excellent, very light for parking manoeuvres and progressively gets heavier as your speed increases.

31. The driving position is excellent.

32. The seating arrangement is excellent.

33. The ability to carry a spare wheel and have seven seats is well designed.

34. The additional storage in the rear is excellent.

On a positive note I have only the highest praise for the Toyota dealership who always assisted me and couldn’t do enough to help during my time owing my Toyota.

To conclude:

The Verso is an excellent car in theory, but is marred by poor quality components, very poor design/implementation and falls drastically short of the build quality that I had come to expect from a Toyota.

Caveat Emptor.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Your experience doesn't seem to be supported by sites such as Honest John: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/verso-2009/?section=good

[Cyker]

There seems to be hardly any info on the car on HJ's!

[toyotapob]

I have to agree with Cyker, this review does not give a detailed review of the Verso whatsoever. It does however identify several faults.

I have never experienced such a poor quality car with unacceptable "characteristics", put simply the Toyota Verso 1.6 valvematic TR is a very poor buy.

On the other hand, so you don't think I am just Toyota bashing, I still have a 2001 Yaris SR that has now done 160,000+ miles and is bullet proof. The interior is still unworn and the engine, gearbox are still 100% perfect, no rattles, no crunching of gears, the air con still blows cold and it needed nothing for its previous MOT.

The most obvious tell tale difference to me is that the Yaris was MADE IN JAPAN, identified by the label in the windscreen.

People need to be honest and instead of 'putting up' with design flaws that are then dismissed as characteristics, clearly identify these issues on forums such as this one, so that other people can make informed decisions before they even test drive a car.

As I stated the car is not all bad BUT the faults it does have are in my opinion unacceptable and make the car a misery to drive and in certain situations could be dangerous.

The Yaris has been the best/most fun car I have owned but also will be the last Toyota I ever own (unless I buy another Mk1 Yaris SR).

[FROSTYBALLS]

If one reads and views (there is video content) the whole review on the Honest John website, it is quite comprehensive. The HJ reviews also include, within the Good/Bad section, feedback from owners, and the fact there is so little content in this section doesn't support the premise that there are loads of faults with the car in general, or lots of disgruntled Verso owners out there.

The Parkers review is similar - http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/toyota/verso/estate-2009/ - and does include one owners review of a 1.6 which tells a different story to yours - http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/owners-reviews/toyota/verso/estate-2009/review/20130426064249/

Obviously the vehicle didn't live up to your expectations - but these may not be similar to those of other owners/buyers.

Condemnant quod non intellegunt

[toyotapob]

Frosyballs,

The review I have posted is a very honest review based on my experience of my car and of many other 1.6 Versos that were for sale that I took the time to examine and test drive after I started having issues with mine. They all showed the same characteristics and similar failings, so it was not just limited to mine. I have possibly carried out a far more detailed comparison of many Verso's than most people as I just couldn't believe the issues I was having.

I followed your Honest John thread and read the reviews (there appear to be 5 of them). It was interesting that one reviewer had to have the radio display changed (likewise), the leather steering wheel peeled and had to be changed (likewise), missed these off my list!

Yes it did not live up to my expectations, but I feel it is important for people to read my experience as there appear to be very few reviews that identify the problems with this model, but then again some people will put up with anything.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Whilst not doubting your experience, my comment that your view does not seem to be supported by other sites still applies.

[duncerduncs]

I remember owning a Vauxhall Astra which would pull to the left at speed. After many test drives with the dealer they were unable to resolve the issue, and the fault starts to play on your mind.

In your case (with due respect) there was no fault with the car, my car will rev independently of the the throttle position from time to time. There would be an issue if the car was still accelerating, but it's fairly obvious that's not the case.

You may not have enjoyed your Verso experience, but mine has been bullet proof and I would happily have another.

After all, I remember someone posting a couple of months ago..

it is perfect in every other way

[toyotapob]

Duncerduncs,

When I posted "it is perfect in any other way" other than the revving characteristic, it was. Then:

The leather steering wheel peeled, the radio display went out, the drivers seat back failed and needed replacing, the road noise began to be more noticeable (perhaps in hindsight the tyres would be wearing and this maybe the cause), the pan roof began to rattle and the handbrake went out of adjustment (after being recently adjusted by Toyota) and wouldn't hold on steep hills. This was just the beginning, but:

This revving business (with all due respect) is a design flaw in my opinion and no car should ever rev itself up independently (ever) when the throttle has been released (I have no issue with a slight increase in revs at idle owing to air con demands etc), don't forget ours would at times rev up to 3400 rpm on its own (for no obvious reason). This was totally unacceptable. It did this once when I was manoeuvring in 1st gear in a car park, negotiating a tight left turn/very tight space. I am not talking about 100-300 rpm increase in revs, I am talking about 1200-1400 rpm increase on its own. If I had let the clutch fully up in this instance the car would have lurched forward.

As for perhaps this characteristic perhaps "playing on my mind", you bet it did!

I test drove many other cars when I decided to get rid of the Toyota, no other car I drove had this revving characteristic, why then does the Verso? Even my 2001 Yaris 1.3 doesn't do it.

[schussboomski]

Hi all, Verso 1.6 valvematic bought new Dec2009, now has 55000miles. I've had the steering wheel and radio faults replaced without question under warranty too. Otherwise all has been well. I noticed a big change in driveability and mpg after using Shell v power for a few tankfuls. Well worth the few extra pence per litre. I get a regular 40 to 42 mpg now.
I also complained about the accelerator/revving when I first got the car, but to be honest I don't notice it now unless I hit the pedal in neutral. I have had no problems with the interior. I have had the discs and pads replaced all around.

I bought the toyota 2 year extended warranty for peace of mind. I will probably keep the car and buy another 2 years after that. You can't expect a 5 to 7 year old machine to be faultless. Toyota are magnificent at rewarding loyal FSH customers in my experience. They don't quibble about warranty work.

For what it's worth I have mates who have had nightmare money pits with Audi/VW refusing warranty work that Toyota would do without question.
I agree with the other folk here, that a sensible source of feedback is the Honest John site and the lack of 'Verso' problems is clear for everyone to see. Just look at the multiple entries for cars that have faults and that correlates well with the various consumer feedback surveys.

[reubicon]

We have just bought a second hand Verso of this type, 60 (2010) plate. We are picking it up on Friday.....

The first thing I noticed, and put down to me not knowing the car, was the revs when changing from 1st to 2nd gear; I didn't notice it at all when changing higher gears. Now I've read this review I'm actually quite glad it's the car and not me, but I don't see any negative in this. I'll adapt and get used to it. I actually quite like the fact that it has something I have to get used to. Wouldn't driving be a complete bore if all cars were the same? Design flaw? I actually don't mind if it is because perfection is boring in my honest opinion...!

We are absolutely delighted with the car. Despite being 4 years old the interior is spotless. No scratches on the dash, the black upholstery is in brand new condition and I drove it at 70mph on the test drive and the sunroof didn't rattle. It looks, feels and drives like a brand new car, which is impressive with 26,000 miles on the clock. Not an enormous millage, but over 5,000 per year says it's done a lot more than the weekly shopping trip and annual holiday. I repeat, the interior is spotless... Oh and there's no sign of wear at all on any of the trim. Anywhere. At all...... Maybe the second hand dealer decided to replace everything because it was in such bad condition...?

After test driving several MPV's, a further two that we sat in and didn't even bother with a test drive (Zafira is most notable for the latter), we decided the Verso was definitely the right car for us. For us it was about getting the balance between car and people carrier absolutely perfect. We wanted a car that carried lots of people, but still drove like a car. A car that gave us a little extra height, but didn't make us feel like we're driving a tank, or a bus (Citroen C4). Above all we wanted an MPV that was safe and able to carry 7 adults in relative comfort. We got that, and as I've read several times, the steering is effortless. Pretty impressive achievement for a 7 seater...

Several gripes I have with this review, but fundamentally, why would you tell literally ANYONE not to buy this car because you have any issue with it? I think reviews should be informative, not scathing and..... totalitarian, especially when so many of the points are based on personal preference. I mean really: "You cannot hear the indicators once the car is moving and definitely not if you have the radio on. Far too quiet and easy to forget they haven’t cancelled"...... I hate loud indicators and I can't think of a time when I forgot my indicator was still flashing when it shouldn't be. Maybe that's just me thinking about my driving too much and not getting engrossed in the radio to pay attention to the safety of other cars and pedestrians (how silly of me)... Just a single example of many opinion based statements, which to me shouldn't be a foundation for such a bold statement as to say.....

"I have posted multiple times on this forum and I would like to share my experience with owning and driving my first Toyota Verso (and last). It’s too late for me but this might provide pause for thought for someone else that might be browsing this forum thinking of buying a 2010-2013 Toyota Verso 1.6 Valvematic.

Put simply “DONT!”"

Simply cannot wait to get behind the wheel of this car on Friday and start getting used to driving it, enjoying the effortless steering, the comfort, space and having our family, plus friends and their children, driving off in comfort and safety. All in the knowledge I have renewable warranty from a manufacturer renowned for reliability and fulfilling it's warranties without question....

Reubicon...

ps... The paint work is also spotless.....

[korat102]

Have to say I was quite surprised by that review. My Verso, admittedly a diesel, has been pretty good so far. It's a little more rattly inside than I'd like but that's probably only noticeable because it's otherwise so quiet.

The gearchange from 1st to 2nd is a bit notchy and needs more concentration that we're generally used to these days for gear changes but otherwise it's been fine. I soon found it was necessary to fully depress the clutch to change gear without a nasty crunch but that's just me getting used to driving a manual after a couple of decades of auto's!

The interior isn't in the BMW class but then neither is the price. It seems hard wearing enough for me. Haven't managed to cause any damage yet in spite of using it as a car, a people carrier and a small van!

Don't think I could live with the engine changing its speed like that though, glad I couldn't find a petrol version when I was looking for a Verso! I can't imagine why Toyota think that's a good idea.

Externally it does look a little suspect, have to concede that one. All the plastic trim (bumpers, etc.) can be pushed around with your little finger, just doesn't feel very solid at all. Having said that, nothings fallen off!

I'm happy with my Verso so far. Probably wouldn't have been so happy with a petrol version if the engine speed changed at odd times like that though.

[G6-R]

I olso have a 2010 1.6 Verso and i luving it. Every car has his faults when they are not a big isseu i don'nt mine

[Cyker]

I also like the fact that I can fold all the seats flat and then sleep in the back at full stretch :D

[korat102]

I also like the fact that I can fold all the seats flat and then sleep in the back at full stretch :D

hehe I just had to go out to check mine. I'd have to sleep diagonally though, don't fit otherwise! Harder than expected surface too :)

[Cyker]

You must be a giant!

(Well, compared to me :P)

But yeah, a sleeping bag is useful there too :D

[GJS1]

Looking at getting a 1.6 verso myself. Coming from the 2.2 d4d I am worried that I will miss the torque and power from the diesel engine. Has anybody made the same move?

[APS]

I like the detailed 'review'. What I would take issue with is the blanket Don't Buy recommendation.

As long as the car functions as designed everything else is subjective.

Don't take reviews like these personal. The reason someone writes a review like this is because he or she cares about the make and wants to let the manufacturer know that it has failed to meet their expectations. I wrote a looong letter to Toyota when I got my corolla years ago.

Bottom line: humbly keep sharing your views and seek input from others

Sent from my iPhone

[ToyotaAuris]

I have a 1.8 Verso with just under 120k miles. The car is perfect, could do with 6 gears. I have no problems with the rev or anything. Its probally one of the best family cars I have owned with its bullet proof engine. Only thing is that it burns alot of oil.

[toyotapob]

Hello all,

Its been nearly a year since I traded in the verso. Its very interesting to see my post is still doing the rounds!

In hindsight I have to agree with some of the members who have posted that it was not my place to post 'don't buy this car' as has been quite rightly pointed out that what is unacceptable to one is acceptable by another but it has kept the post current.

The responses to the posts are all very interesting:

That Reubicon also noted the revving issue that happens between 1^st an 2^nd, and yes they may ‘get used to it’. But it was the random times my car chose to rev close to 3500rpm (foot off the throttle) that was totally unacceptable (typically when carrying out tight manoeuvres in a car park) and you definitely wouldn’t want to get ‘used to it’ under those circumstances.

I also found a posting in the Yaris forum that someone was experiencing the same revving issue on a 2008 Yaris and they also found it unacceptable, so not alone there.

Korat102 also mentions having problems with gear change from 1^st to 2^nd . Mine simply wouldn’t go in to 2^nd sometimes and 2^nd to 1^st was a real nightmare. Please bear in mind my car had been back to Toyota for a full check and they ended up changing the flywheel/clutch/gearbox oil and that made things a little better, but not to an acceptable standard.

I had a service technician describe the Verso gearbox as agricultural! Not the most reassuring comment to be made when experiencing gear selection problems.

On reading the posts I have to say that I would never make a personal dig such as was made by Reubicon on the 13 August 2014 - 11:34 PM

" Maybe that's just me thinking about
my driving too much and not getting engrossed in the radio to pay
attention to the safety of other cars and pedestrians (how silly of me)... Just
a single example of many opinion based statements, which to me shouldn't
be a foundation for such a bold statement as to say..

My personal experience with the indicators was that it was far too easy when changing lanes in heavy traffic,
with the low sun shining on the dashboard indications (you cannot then see them) not to notice that they had not automatically cancelled (whilst watching for cyclists, cars, pedestrians). As for the radio, well I didn’t realise it wasn’t to be listened to when a vehicle is in motion!

Also I found on the forum

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/134014-verso-panoramic-roof/

So others have experienced problems with the pan roof like mine.

ToyotaAuris – Aren’t all 1.8 Verso’s automatic. If so then they can’t over rev as I have described as whilst in
drive there should be no way of disconnecting the transmission from the engine (like putting the clutch down in a manual). This is not a dig at anyone just an observation.

My current car is a ford C Max 1.0 ecoboost (turbo petrol), and in my opinion is put together far better than the Verso and the Ford turbo petrol is quite remarkable (46mpg on average and loads of torque, unlike the Toyota 1.6 V-matic which felt very sluggish and underpowered).

However: The Verso boot arrangement was far better, the storage under the boot floor is sorely missed, as is the flat boot area and the retractable load cover.

I just think that Toyota has lost its way regarding design/quality and that there appear to be far too many recalls for things that should have been ironed out in early design testing stages. This is resulting in poor software/hardware/mechanical development that requires the owner having to ‘get used to a particular quirk of the vehicle’.

Yes Toyota will fix almost any issue that arises with your Toyota but unlike other manufacturers where it is often the unexpected failure or occasional recall takes your vehicle to the main agents for repair, with Toyota's it now far too often an occurrence.

Well that’s enough for another year.

All the best to all

[ToyotaAuris]

Hello all,

Its been nearly a year since I traded in the verso. Its very interesting to see my post is still doing the rounds!

In hindsight I have to agree with some of the members who have posted that it was not my place to post 'don't buy this car' as has been quite rightly pointed out that what is unacceptable to one is acceptable by another but it has kept the post current.

The responses to the posts are all very interesting:

That Reubicon also noted the revving issue that happens between 1^st an 2^nd, and yes they may ‘get used to it’. But it was the random times my car chose to rev close to 3500rpm (foot off the throttle) that was totally unacceptable (typically when carrying out tight manoeuvres in a car park) and you definitely wouldn’t want to get ‘used to it’ under those circumstances.

I also found a posting in the Yaris forum that someone was experiencing the same revving issue on a 2008 Yaris and they also found it unacceptable, so not alone there.

Korat102 also mentions having problems with gear change from 1^st to 2^nd . Mine simply wouldn’t go in to 2^nd sometimes and 2^nd to 1^st was a real nightmare. Please bear in mind my car had been back to Toyota for a full check and they ended up changing the flywheel/clutch/gearbox oil and that made things a little better, but not to an acceptable standard.

I had a service technician describe the Verso gearbox as agricultural! Not the most reassuring comment to be made when experiencing gear selection problems.

On reading the posts I have to say that I would never make a personal dig such as was made by Reubicon on the 13 August 2014 - 11:34 PM

" Maybe that's just me thinking about

my driving too much and not getting engrossed in the radio to pay

attention to the safety of other cars and pedestrians (how silly of me)... Just

a single example of many opinion based statements, which to me shouldn't

be a foundation for such a bold statement as to say..

My personal experience with the indicators was that it was far too easy when changing lanes in heavy traffic,

with the low sun shining on the dashboard indications (you cannot then see them) not to notice that they had not automatically cancelled (whilst watching for cyclists, cars, pedestrians). As for the radio, well I didn’t realise it wasn’t to be listened to when a vehicle is in motion!

Also I found on the forum

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/134014-verso-panoramic-roof/

So others have experienced problems with the pan roof like mine.

ToyotaAuris – Aren’t all 1.8 Verso’s automatic. If so then they can’t over rev as I have described as whilst in

drive there should be no way of disconnecting the transmission from the engine (like putting the clutch down in a manual). This is not a dig at anyone just an observation.

My current car is a ford C Max 1.0 ecoboost (turbo petrol), and in my opinion is put together far better than the Verso and the Ford turbo petrol is quite remarkable (46mpg on average and loads of torque, unlike the Toyota 1.6 V-matic which felt very sluggish and underpowered).

However: The Verso boot arrangement was far better, the storage under the boot floor is sorely missed, as is the flat boot area and the retractable load cover.

I just think that Toyota has lost its way regarding design/quality and that there appear to be far too many recalls for things that should have been ironed out in early design testing stages. This is resulting in poor software/hardware/mechanical development that requires the owner having to ‘get used to a particular quirk of the vehicle’.

Yes Toyota will fix almost any issue that arises with your Toyota but unlike other manufacturers where it is often the unexpected failure or occasional recall takes your vehicle to the main agents for repair, with Toyota's it now far too often an occurrence.

Well that’s enough for another year.

All the best to all

not all verso 1.8 are automatic, mines manual. Never had any of that over revving either. I get from 58 MPG to 62 MPG motorway miles, I really like the car, especially the grip.

[jonnyf]

i kinda have to agree with toyotapob the quality is not the same as uk or french built cars the problem i think is the plant in turkey and thats my honest opinion as i sell a lot of toyotas it seems to be the versos that come back with niggly problems but of late iv had 2 very fresh verso with gearbox problems.

[Nigel Grant]

Bought a 2016 1.6 petrol manual in 2019. 4800 miles. Clutch exploded on the motorway at 9800 miles. Linings on one side were fine, but had disappeared and shredded on the other. Been driving for 50 years and never had a clutch fail. Pride myself on careful, mechanically sympathetic driving and have written commendations. Toyota garage who replaced the clutch said wear and tear was not a problem

Toyota GB rejected my warranty claim out of hand. Really poor. Sold the car in 2022 with 21k miles. No sign of clutch wear. 

Not a fast driver, but found the Verso miserably and dangerously underpowered. Very stressful in town or open road. No more Toyotas for me. The Honda CR-V I've moved to is hugely better in all ways.

[FROSTYBALLS]

19 minutes ago, Nigel Grant said:

Bought a 2016 1.6 petrol manual in 2019. 4800 miles. Clutch exploded on the motorway at 9800 miles. Linings on one side were fine, but had disappeared and shredded on the other. 

Toyota GB rejected my warranty claim out of hand. 

As you bought the car as used, no one will know how the car and clutch were treated before your ownership. So any damage could have been caused by the previous owner/s. 

With any new car warranty (eg. Toyota's 5 year/100,000 mile warranty, Honda's 3 year/60,000 mile warranty, etc) there is limited warranty coverage on the clutch, and the majority of new car warranties provide cover for manufacturing defects, not wear and tear. If the car was covered under an extended warranty when the clutch failed, the extension may not have covered the clutch.

As with any car, it is important to know what any warranty (new car warranty or extended warranty) covers.

[Hornet3D]

I had a CRV until recently, which I loved but it no longer suited our lifestyle.  I had purchased the extended warranty which cost me around £850 for three years but that did not cover the clutch.