Arguably Zimbabwe’s most popular vehicle make – Toyota. Know for its reputation of reliability it easy to see why its one of Zimbabwe’s most popular vehicles (probably just slotting behind a Honda fit taxi!) but these vehicles can and do show up with problems especially in older and higher mileage examples.
Oil Leaks
Oil leaks, leaving a dark stain on your driveway that’s difficult to remove. Common areas for these to leak are crankshaft oil seals, camshaft oil seals & valve cover gaskets.
Timing belts
Typically on a Toyota engine your engine timing will be driven by a toothed belt. These toothed belts are often left neglected here in Zim yet they are relatively straightforward to replace.
- Typical service life of 100,000km or 10 years. (However check manufacturer guidelines)
- Can cause catastrophic damage if failure occurs.
If your timing belt snaps or slips it is often followed up by expensive & time consuming repairs. A timing belt failure on a modern interference fit engine will generally bend or break valves, can cause piston damage or snap camshafts in some instances.
Suspension
Suspension on Toyotas again are quite well engineered and long lasting however on our roads we see numerous ball joint & steering arm problems. Things like shock absorbers are also frequent failure points and the front spring seats on the Toyota Hilux are known failure points. Common problems include worn ball joints, cracked bushings, and leaking shock absorbers.
Electrical
Toyotas electrics are generally good however with all aging vehicles wiring can become brittle or rub causing shorts. Places where wires are required to flex such as doors and boot lids are frequent points for wiring issues. Also vehicles which are used off-road and see wading in higher water have a high chance of corrosion in electronic plugs. ABS sensors, whilst sealed from the elements often suffer if they are exposed to water often. Typical electrical issues include warning lights, dead spots in accessories, and battery drain.
Conclusion
A well maintained Toyota can easily last 3 to 500,000 kms without much more than routine servicing which is why they have such an excellent reputation of reliability however like all vehicles they should be maintained, serviced & inspected on a frequent basis.
If you have a Toyota, Isuzu, Lexus or any other brand of car we would love to take care of your servicing needs. Come to mechanic.co.zw and get a qualified mobile mechanic in Harare to service your vehicle at home, work or somewhere convenient to you.
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