Avensis Diesel Buying Advice Pls

[Dave1701]

thinking of buying a Avensis diesel, prob 04-08 age of car, is there anything i should have to look out for, any common faults ?

Any help would be great thanks.

[frankie406]

How many miles do you do? Would a petrol suit you? If not the 2.0 d4d 1cd-ftv engine seems to be bullet proof.I've only done the general services and  new clutch and dual mass flywheel.these can be changed to single mass so you only need to change clutch rather than both which are expensive .the egr valve gets clogged but easy to clean.some have suction control valve problems.

Good luck with whichever you choose.

[Greydog]

As with any car purchase there are no fool proof guides (even new cars can be problematic, though are better supported by the Dealer) other than take your time and check everything twice. If you aren't mechanically minded take someone who is or arrange an AA or similar check, budget for a Warranty.

As for the Avensis here is my experience for what it is worth. In January my X5 needed some open heart surgery, I was given a 3 series to run around in very nice but impractical for a man who works Pointers and shoots. While waiting for them to find an estate car for me a friend told me of an Independent Dealer who had taken an Avensis estate in part exchange long story short I became the owner of my first Toyota, my first diesel and the first manual I have driven since the early 80's.

The car was soooo cheap I couldn't turn it down, the only big issue was a rubbish heater which with some guidance from here and good old Google we fixed at home. Bearing in mind I brought it as a temporary cheap dog wagon it is a little gem that gets used by one of us daily.

The car is a 2.2 D4D Avensis estate on a 55 plate it had been a Taxi and had 180k on the clock, however it did come with an absolutely massive and comprehensive history 90% Toyota and a few independent services. The previous owner clearly cared about the tools of his trade lucky for me.

It is such a tidy car with plenty of room for the dogs that when the X5 was back on the road I kept it, it is now a family car for use when the kids visit or friends are staying. Mileage is now nearer 190k it doesn't drip any fluids on the drive, it doesn't burn any oil, it starts first time and drives really well at the last MOT there was 1 advisory "nearside Gearbox mount" my boys and I will do that and come August when the MOT is due I can see no reason for it not to pass. It does appear Toyota's are as tough as they are made out to be.

So buy with your head make sure all the history is sound and all the essential recall work has been done and get a warranty. Good luck and enjoy your Toyota

[Dave1701]

Thanks for your advice guys, I've been looking at a 2006 2.2 Avensis T Spirit, one owner from new 106,000 miles, hope it's as good as they seem.

[Heidfirst]

Body/transmission etc. wise they are very good. The 6-speed fitted to the 2.2 (& I presume the 2.0 AD) can be quite obstructive into 2nd when cold.

Headlights are not great with standard bulbs but but can be improved with uprated bulbs. Condensation/water ingress in both front & rear lights not uncommon.

Brakes as standard are not the most confidence inspiring - again can be improved with non-oem pads & discs.

If looking for a Tourer check the mounting lugs on the tonneau cover as they are known to commonly fail & are not available as a spare part on their own - a new cover is £hundreds.

 

The 1CD-FTV engine is pretty much bullet proof but is belt -driven so that requires changing according to schedule.

AD series engines (1AD=2.0, 2AD=2.2) are chain driven common rail turbo diesels & like any of these can suffer from EGR & DPF (where fitted) issues.

Replacing DMF/DPF/injectors/turbos is not cheap & obviously more likely to be required on higher mileage cars. Water pumps weeping not uncommon.

Also, a small % of AD engines fitted to Avensis pre March 2009 may suffer from a head/head gasket issue* caused by carbon build up. This seems to be more prevalent on higher power output engines than lower i.e. 177>150>126bhp. Toyota did have an extended goodwill scheme for the issue for up until 7 years old (or 112k miles, whichever came sooner) but pretty much all cars will now be outwith that on age. The Toyota-sanctioned fix for them  (essentially an exchange engine minus ancillaries) these days will cost  you more than the car is worth.

 

*look for coolant spotting around expansion bottle/discoloured coolant (should be pink), bubbling etc. .

 

[Dave1701]

Thanks Scott, comprehensive advice !

ive seen a 2006 T Spirit 2.2 D-4D Hatch, one owner, 104k, that seems ok, anyone know if T Spirits had sat nav fitted as standard or was it an extra ?

[Heidfirst]

would have thought so but a 10 year old satnav is stone age ....

Iirc 2006 was mid-life facelift year - is it original or  facelift (indicator repeaters on wings= original, in wing mirrors= facelift)?

[Dave1701]

Good point about sat nav, my iPhone is prob better, definitely post facelift, wing mirror indicators are there, pre facelift T Spirit on there to compare, no indicators on wing mirrors, looks like they got rid of the cassette slot as well.