Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Diesel Problems

To fail engine mounts after 54,200 km is unacceptable, I believe Toyota should pay the entire cost of replacing them, not 50 per cent as they seem to be saying. Hit them for the lot. They should replace the fuel-injectors free of charge, they do wear out, and yours is not the only case we've heard of.

There was a problem with the engines when it they were cold, I understand that it was because of over-fuelling during the time of cold running. I believe Toyota was changing the injectors on complaint vehicles. The leaking injector seals I believe us something else, and the way we know of to check if there is a problem is to inspect the oil pickup in the sump for a build-up of carbon deposits. If the pickup has a carbon buildup the likelihood is that it would eventually block and stave the engine of oil, if there is no carbon present it is unlikely to have a problem. It's best that a dealer check the pickup by inserting a probe through the oil drain hole in the sump.

Toyota has undoubtedly tested the D-4D engine in Australia and on Australian diesel fuel and I am sure it would not sell the vehicle here if it there were a problem. As for keeping it alive I would service it religiously, and I would take note of the known problem with leaking fuel injector seals that has resulted in a recall in other parts of the world, and led to a policy in NZ of changing them every 45,000 km. Perhaps you should think about changing the seals as per the Kiwi recommendation.

Take the offer. Like all components fuel-injectors wear out over time and then need replacing. By offering you part payment for repairs Toyota has in effect acknowledged the issue and are offering to compensate you for it. Remember you've had 100,000 km out of the first set.

Your caravan is within Toyota's claimed towing capacity for the Prado, which is 2500 kg, so that's fine. You can tow the caravan in "Drive" on the flat, but pull it back into fourth when approaching a hill and don't let it labour in a higher gear. The gearbox will downchange automatically, but by the time it works out that it needs a lower gear you would have lost momentum and might actually need to go down to an even lower gear. Drive according to the terrain.

Prados and Hiluxes have a history of a knocking noise when cold and it was put down to over-fuelling while the engine is warming up. Our understanding is that Toyota fixed the problem by changing the injectors. Ask the dealer to request assistance from Toyota again, although I don’t fancy your chances given that the car has done 120,000 km and you bought it secondhand.

We were told of a similar issue with the turbo-diesel engine in the HiLux, which was claimed to be cause by over-fuelling during the warm-up phase and there was a revised ECU developed to fix it. Go back to your dealer and check the availability of the fix for your car.

I WOULD like to be able to confirm that the problem with the 3-litre turbodiesel engine has been fixed, but I can't. My attempts to get Nissan to own up to a fix have been a dismal failure. All it would tell me is it would take care of owners of any Patrol that had an engine problem. Read into that what you will.

YOU can bet your Toyota dealer is using the oil recommended by the factory, and it will be suitable for diesels. You should use a good brand oil suitable for diesels.