1999 Toyota Hi-lux 4x4 SW4 review from Brazil

Problems of the car, which came already, from the manufacturer with ten problems:

Noise from all the parts of the car

Spots in the painting

Knockings from the steering wheel

Noise from the right front wheel

Trepidations from the steering wheel

Noises from the brakes

Noises from the front suspension

Noises from the rear suspension

Noises from the trunk cover

Noises from the dash.

The list of all problems of the car, with the odometer reading:

500 - Noise from the gearbox when hooking the second gear and reverse.

800 - Tyre and wear noise

1.200 - Sunroof leaks

1.800 - Air-bag disabled

2.600 - Front speakers broken down

3.700 - Battery replaced

4.500 - Stereo broke down

5.300 - Reverse light not work

6.200 - Driver's seat faulty and causing a noise

7.000 - Headlamps blown, and replaced

8.000 - Engine overheated

9.400 - Turbo hose pipe blew

10.000 - Steering pulls to the left

10.800 - Clunk in the wipers

11.400 - Handbrake not holding

12.300 - Rear tires deformed

14.000 - Right external mirror crashed by a bus

15.800 - Front electric windows failed and refused to go up

17.800 - Alternator replaced

19.000 - Seats started to wear badly

20.000 - Key got stuck in the ignition and refused to budge. Whole lock set and keys replaced

22.600 - Thermostat replaced

25.000 - New steering column fitted

26.400 - Front shock absorbers replaced

27.000 - Speedometer broke

29.200 - Alarm system failed, generating constant detonations

30.000 - Electric locks failed and keep unlocking by themselves, rear electric windows failed and oil leaks from the carter

31.800 - New clutch

33.400 - Drive train broke down and was replaced

35.000 - Gearbox replaced

36.200 - Fuel tank replaced

37.000 - Oil leaks coming from the gearbox

40.000 - Dashboard illumination replaced

42.000 - Exhaust blowing, squeaky from the steering, an erratic idle and stalling

43.500 - ABS system failed disabled

45.000 - Steering rack replaced, coolant level indicator on, water pump replaced and engine compressor faulty

46.000 - Head gasket blew.

Watch out, with this car! Looks good, but it's a real load of junk!

For the price I paid these problems are unacceptable. Toyota believes this number of problems is normal and says the probable cause could be a "bad use of the vehicle"... So Toyota has to create a new owners handbook called, "How to drive your Toyota Hilux SW4".

The warranty is a quite joke; from all those problems shown above only eighteen were resolved under the warranty.

There is one of those problems which I considered the most grave, it was the problem of the air-con compressor which caught fire, when I was at Via Dutra coming from São Paulo to the Rio de Janeiro, when I felt a smelt burning, so I stopped the car out of the way and I opened the hood, and the engine was in fire; fortunately I was with the fire extinguisher to hand and put the fire out. Then I called for help at the Via Dutra road service, next I took the car immediately to the dealer.

Oh I almost forgot! Don't trust in Toyota dealer service, avoid any dealer, they know nothing! They just want to see you spend more and more money for very poor services. For example: of the ten problems which the car came with already when I bought it, only four were solved, the other six stayed without a solution and to fix the alternator, it was necessary to visit the dealer seven times to fix it.

About the car? Well there are another better deals like the Chevrolet Blazer.

The Hilux SW4, it's not a good car, unreliable, bad handling, underpowered, noisy, diesel guzzler and very uncomfortable.

My advice? Don't buy a Toyota!