2010 Avensis 2.0 D4d

[Jon Doyle]

Hi All,

The TB snapped two days before i was going to replace it on my 00 2.0 Avensis TD it was running perfect up until then. So i'm going to rebuild it at some stage down the line. Until then (due to the cost of motor tax on it and insurance and NCT stretch) I'm looking to buy the above Avensis very soon. However i have a budget of €5k, i might be able stretch it another 500, but if its NI reg, it would need to inclu VRT.

Being big into cars, i'd like some advice as to what to watch out for and what these models suffer from (i was also looking into the same year passat 2.0TDI) they have also horror stories of their own. So all help info you can give including personal experiences etc would be greatly appreciated and suggestions. I'm a carer for my dear mother, my better half an i have a 2-1/2 year old and i have emergency call out commitments to so need another car asap. I'm currently sharing my Dad's vw passat and it's just not working.

Hope to hear from a few of you very soon.
Cheers,

[Heidfirst]

some cars develop cracks in the front door skins by the restrictor stay/hinges.

The potential biggie (albeit very rare) is failure of the electronic brake actuator (usually due to water ingress) as this is a £1k repair. However, I understand that the Passat suffers from the same & tbh probably more so.

Other than that it potentially can suffer from any of the issues common to any modern turbo-diesel (DMF, DPF etc.).

The manual 6 speed gearbox can be a bit graunchy into 1st & 2nd, particularly when cold.

[Duggerz]

I looked at the Passat and asked my mechanic, and based on my research I would avoid pd or unit injector engines like the plague. Also the vws have had a tendency in the lower power units to self destruct, even with quite low mileage, search for bxe engine failure. The higher power common rail units are much better but also pricey. Compared to the Avensis the suspension and during will also need much more maintenance per information I gleaned from Taxi drivers who have used both. Would I have one instead of an Avensis? Maybe if cr not pd and being prepared for the higher running costs.

[Jon Doyle]

18 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

some cars develop cracks in the front door skins by the restrictor stay/hinges.

The potential biggie (albeit very rare) is failure of the electronic brake actuator (usually due to water ingress) as this is a £1k repair. However, I understand that the Passat suffers from the same & tbh probably more so.

Other than that it potentially can suffer from any of the issues common to any modern turbo-diesel (DMF, DPF etc.).

(The manual 6 speed gearbox can be a bit graunchy into 1st & 2nd, particularly when cold.)

Any partic models & years? I don't suppose you or anyone else on here has example pics of this?

Is there any uprated version on this or has any solutions to prevent water ingress an d frying the board? Yeah the Passat has it's gremlins, oil pump crapping itself due to manu engineers idiotic part designs. a eureka moment as a sure way to create more money from their vag costumers and failure of Injectors. Where did i read on here about cylinder head cracks? What model and year does it apply to and HG issues? 

Yeah same as the Passats

(like as if there was a slight feel of wear on the syncros graunchy)? That's factory feel or just wear and tear?

 

[Jon Doyle]

14 hours ago, Duggerz said:

I looked at the Passat and asked my mechanic, and based on my research I would avoid pd or unit injector engines like the plague. Also the vws have had a tendency in the lower power units to self destruct, even with quite low mileage, search for bxe engine failure. The higher power common rail units are much better but also pricey. Compared to the Avensis the suspension and during will also need much more maintenance per information I gleaned from Taxi drivers who have used both. Would I have one instead of an Avensis? Maybe if cr not pd and being prepared for the higher running costs.

Yeah, i'm staying clear of the pumpe duse crap and trying to settle on the CR. Yeah and partly due to the self destruct sh***y engineering of the oil pump between 80K-100k some even more have been known to fail.

When you say 'the suspension and during', what do you mean by during? Yeah i'm being drawn to the CR's due to being more reliable. Higher running costs mean more expensive parts?

I'm actually surprised on the faults from Toyota, seems as thought the quality and reliability has decreased a lot from such a high caliber jap company (me being a big jap head). They don't mke cars like they use to, which is why i'm going to rebuild my engine down the line.

[Jon Doyle]

Cheers to you both for replying, look forward to more on this.

[Heidfirst]

well, mine is a 2012 & it's developing a crack on the driver's door - awaiting Toyota's decision on warranty repair/replacement. Konrad has some pics of his (a particularly bad example imo).

We believe that the EPB has been addressed in production (later than 2010 though) albeit it's probably not 100% watertight but the obvious thing is not to go through deep water or jetwash under the body. As I said my understanding is that the Passat (& other VAG group cars) suffer even worse from this.

The head/head gasket issues on AD series engines should have been addressed in production before the cars that you are looking at (supposedly by end of Feb 2009) - again only developed in a very small % of cars, Toyota had a replacement programme to cover it.

It's just normal for that gearbox to be obstructive into 1/2 when it's cold whether Avensis T25, T27, RAV4 etc. .

[Heidfirst]

8 minutes ago, Jon Doyle said:

I'm actually surprised on the faults from Toyota, seems as thought the quality and reliability has decreased a lot from such a high caliber jap company (me being a big jap head). They don't mke cars like they use to, which is why i'm going to rebuild my engine down the line.

It has a couple of known issues but they stand out because they are about the only thing that goes wrong with them specific to the car (assuming that people don't buy diesels for use to which they are not suited). They don't have a litany of many different issues.

1 other thing worth looking into is afaik the 2.0 D4D didn't gain a DPF until mid/late 2010 so you may be able to find a car without one.

[Duggerz]

Hi Jon, for during substitute steering, sorry keyboard on this phone sometimes throws a curved one that I miss. Injectors have been known to fail on the 1AD diesel 2.0 but only with quite high mileage as a rule.

Generally they are extremely reliable, but we see just about everything that can possibly happen on this board, nobody posts to tell us that all is well! For example I have the earlier 1AD engine and nothing major had happened in over 200k, miles, original clutch, original flywheel, injectors, head gasket, etc.The taxi drivers I talked to had similar experience, but I do know there was one from Ireland on this forum that did have a hg failure on a 2AD 2.2 which suffers more from that issue.

[Jon Doyle]

On 1/25/2017 at 0:02 AM, Heidfirst said:

well, mine is a 2012 & it's developing a crack on the driver's door - awaiting Toyota's decision on warranty repair/replacement. Konrad has some pics of his (a particularly bad example imo).

We believe that the EPB has been addressed in production (later than 2010 though) albeit it's probably not 100% watertight but the obvious thing is not to go through deep water or jetwash under the body. As I said my understanding is that the Passat (& other VAG group cars) suffer even worse from this.

The head/head gasket issues on AD series engines should have been addressed in production before the cars that you are looking at (supposedly by end of Feb 2009) - again only developed in a very small % of cars, Toyota had a replacement programme to cover it.

It's just normal for that gearbox to be obstructive into 1/2 when it's cold whether Avensis T25, T27, RAV4 etc. .

Well, have you any pics of it? hAs Konrad pics of his on the forum?

I take there hasn't been an effort to resolve the water entering issue? Yeah the Passat's suffer from it also.

Hmm so if i tried for a late 09 one i'm safe then? In what way does the program work - who foots the bill Toyota?

Right and I take no one on here as done anything to prove their box? 

It has a couple of known issues but they stand out because they are about the only thing that goes wrong with them specific to the car (assuming that people don't buy diesels for use to which they are not suited). They don't have a litany of many different issues.

1 other thing worth looking into is afaik the 2.0 D4D didn't gain a DPF until mid/late 2010 so you may be able to find a car without one.

Hmmm yeah, maybe so....

So even a late 09 - early 2010 should be good? Must look that up now just to be sure.

 

Cheers 

 

[Jon Doyle]

On 1/25/2017 at 3:29 AM, Duggerz said:

Hi Jon, for during substitute steering, sorry keyboard on this phone sometimes throws a curved one that I miss. Injectors have been known to fail on the 1AD diesel 2.0 but only with quite high mileage as a rule.

Generally they are extremely reliable, but we see just about everything that can possibly happen on this board, nobody posts to tell us that all is well! For example I have the earlier 1AD engine and nothing major had happened in over 200k, miles, original clutch, original flywheel, injectors, head gasket, etc.The taxi drivers I talked to had similar experience, but I do know there was one from Ireland on this forum that did have a hg failure on a 2AD 2.2 which suffers more from that issue.

Could you elaborate on that a bit more? No worries man, yeah i seen a cheap 08 iirc which had failed injectors having read web prices of around €2k new ones i said nah, no thanks.

Yeah, well i would expect a degree of reliability from Toyota. No i can understand that every car has their issues (some more than others). With your own one, you say nothing major had happend, can i ask what minor things had happened?

Yeah well i think i'll stay clear of the 2.2s as i just don't want to rish it and they're out of my budget (luckily enough)

Cheers 

[Duggerz]

All 4 well bearings changed, one rear light cluster changed because of leaking, the estate in particular seems prone. Light bulbs in the heater console all 3 and they are about a fiver each from Mr t. Sump had to be resealed because it was weeping oil. Had to tighten the wastegate actuator because it began to rattle. 2 metal clips on pipes of the intercooler rusted so I replaced with tie straps. Everything else has been regular maintenance like oil, brakes, filters, tyres, etc. Original Battery failed at 6 years old. Oh the mot tester told me I'll likely need a new rose joint on the offside rear next time, that will be the first suspension joint in its life at about 230k miles. I swapped the chra of the turbo then discovered it was the waste gate rattle, still cheaper than paying a mechanic. The mech who did the front near side wb stripped the hub nut so I had the drive shaft off for inspection when I heard the clonking due to the loose hub! Replaced the hub nut and had a different one replace the wb again. Neither of those last 2 were the fault of the car though. I'd hop in it and drive to Turkey tomorrow.

[Heidfirst]

8 hours ago, Jon Doyle said:

Well, have you any pics of it? hAs Konrad pics of his on the forum? 

I said that Konrad had pics on the forum of his,imho, particularly bad example.

I take there hasn't been an effort to resolve the water entering issue? Yeah the Passat's suffer from it also.

I also said that this had been addressed in later manufacture albeit it probably wasn't certified to be 100% watertight. However, sensible people wouldn't be driving their cars into water deep enough to reach the module or aiming jetwashes at it. 

Hmm so if i tried for a late 09 one i'm safe then? In what way does the program work - who foots the bill Toyota?

Nobody can 100% guarantee anything (apart from death & taxes ) but you should be. I bought another 2.2 so I expressed my confidence with my own money. Toyota paid for the programme (unlike many other manufacturers) but it was for 7 years/112k miles whichever came first (so actually a better warranty then the original 3 year/60k) but all affected engines should now be outwith those limits.

Right and I take no one on here as done anything to prove their box? 

Not sure what you mean by this?

Not sure  how road tax & fuel costs compare in the RoI to the UK but if they aren't massively differential then it's worth considering the 1.8 Valvematic. It typically gets ~40mpg & has no DPF, DMF, turbo etc..

Personally, I don't recommend anybody to run a modern common rail turbodiesel out of warranty.
 

 

[Konrad C]

2 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

 

Here is the paint cracking photo I took last year.

I have not done a proper repair yet, but put larger washers in place, and greased the door strap to reduce the force. There is less flexing of the door metal. 

I now have some metal which needs cutting and shaping, to fit area that will be reinforced. For now the doors are not a worry to me.

The Valvematic engine has been very good. No oil top up between changes and all the other fluids the same - no top up needed. Servicing is easy too. The main weakness if you call it a weakness, is the lack of low down torque compared to a diesel. Another issue is the engine can be fooled to revved by the ECU when trying to compensate for the lack of torque, is the clutch is pressed. I also stall the engine every so often.

My biggest dislike apart from the EPB is the space saver. I now have a fifth full size alloy wheel. Look at the size difference:-

For other things about my car, read my posts.

 

Edited January 29, 2017 by Konrad C
additional information

[Jon Doyle]

On 1/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, Heidfirst said:

Well, have you any pics of it? hAs Konrad pics of his on the forum? 

I said that Konrad had pics on the forum of his,imho, particularly bad example.

You said initially in your own comment which i quoted below..... 

On 1/25/2017 at 0:02 AM, Heidfirst said:

well, mine is a 2012 & it's developing a crack on the driver's door - awaiting Toyota's decision on warranty repair/replacement. Konrad has some pics of his (a particularly bad example imo).

So i then asked have you any pics of it - meaning yours and i went on to ask you has Konrad pics of his on the forum.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, Heidfirst said:

I take there hasn't been an effort to resolve the water entering issue? Yeah the Passat's suffer from it also.

I also said that this had been addressed in later manufacture albeit it probably wasn't certified to be 100% watertight. However, sensible people wouldn't be driving their cars into water deep enough to reach the module or aiming jetwashes at it. 

Yes you did, and even though you said 'this had been addressed in later manufacture albeit it probably wasn't certified to be 100% watertight' i was asking if this had been resolved to where it was certified to be 100% water tight. Hope this sorts the confusion.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, Heidfirst said:

Right and I take no one on here as done anything to prove their box? 

Not sure what you mean by this?

Meaning if anyone on here has done anything to improve the graunchy obstructive gearbox in 1/2 when cold.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, Heidfirst said:

Not sure  how road tax & fuel costs compare in the RoI to the UK but if they aren't massively differential then it's worth considering the 1.8 Valvematic. It typically gets ~40mpg & has no DPF, DMF, turbo etc..

Fuel costs are probably around the same plus or minus a few pence or cents or 10 pence or cents here and there depend where you are. Motor tax on the other hand i feel as though we are being bent over a barrel....see attached image.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, Heidfirst said:

Personally, I don't recommend anybody to run a modern common rail turbodiesel out of warranty.

Well unfortunately, i may have no choice in the matter, i can't afford to buy an new one.

[Jon Doyle]

On 1/29/2017 at 8:50 AM, Konrad C said:

Here is the paint cracking photo I took last year.

I have not done a proper repair yet, but put larger washers in place, and greased the door strap to reduce the force. There is less flexing of the door metal. 

I now have some metal which needs cutting and shaping, to fit area that will be reinforced. For now the doors are not a worry to me.

Jaysus that looks fairly bad.....

 

On 1/29/2017 at 8:50 AM, Konrad C said:

My biggest dislike apart from the EPB is the space saver. I now have a fifth full size alloy wheel. Look at the size difference:-

For other things about my car, read my posts.

Yeah, i'd rather have a decent spare and a little hump in the boot mat (if it where to cause it) than putting on a moped wheel.

[Konrad C]

8 hours ago, Jon Doyle said:

Jaysus that looks fairly bad.....

 

Yeah, i'd rather have a decent spare and a little hump in the boot mat (if it where to cause it) than putting on a moped wheel.

The full-size alloy fits the well perfectly, with the under floor storage still in place. I could not use the polystyrene tool holder, so all the tools and jack are now in a canvas tool bag. Very happy with the solution. Having driven on the space saver, you have to drive a lot slower, especially on bends and when turning. I have seen people driving for days on space saver, which means that safety is not a priority, or they cannot afford or get the time to repair/replace puncture tyre. My brother who has a Renault Grand Scenic with puncture sealing kit and no spare, had a tyre ripped open by spike hidden in the ground at friends place in Devon. The friend had to drive him to a tyre place. Lucky it was during opening hours, otherwise he would have had to call a breakdown or mobile tyre service!