Daihatsu Hijet Reviews

My other mode of transport is a 400cc motorcycle. Chalk and cheese come to mind. Everything my bike is.. the van is not.

BUT with that in mind the MPV does what it says on the tin, it carries people/stuff/motorcycles OK, it doesn't go fast, but I have a bike for that.

I like the big open windscreen, get closer to the junction line and see further down the road to pull out.

Sadly general information/manuals are seriously lacking for these Hijets.. :0(

Overall rating I'd give it a 8 out of 10, 1 being bad.

Overheated on day of purchase.

Overheated many times since.

Alternator failed.

Door hinges wore & door dropped.

Wiring snapped where it goes into tailgate.

Paint is very thin, rust coming through everywhere.

Prop shaft failed.

Head gasket blew.

Very basic van with no creature comforts.

Much bigger than it looks, loads of room inside.

Very easy to drive & can be parked in the smallest of spaces.

You need a sense of humour to own & drive one of these.

A cheap van poorly made from cheap parts, that are very expensive to replace.

Not good to drive on motorway's.

Scary to drive fast.

Terrifying to drive on windy days.

Just some minor stuff. Hoses for the ATF didn't look like rubber anymore. they were more like plastic already. It was suppose to be the dealer's responsibility to make sure all is in good condition before they sell it (even though if these are re-conditioned units)

I love the ride. Practical & great at the same time. Although most Mini-vans or mini Pick-ups here in my country are Suzuki's, I could defenitely say that most if not all of the owners of Daihatsu Hi-jets are really satisfied wit its performance.

My family & I just recently went through a family vacation were in we had to travel for four hours 1-way. No hitches, no falters. It was all good.

1 thing this reliable machine needs though is a great air conditioning system to match the great engine. I do have a good cooling system, but it had to take more than the usual time & money to make it more comfy.

Engines overheat during winter period.

The vehicle is cheap to buy, but spares cost the same as racing components for normal cars.

The engine is Italian not japanese, and no service manuals exist so you can't fix it yourself.

The majority of garages would rather sell you a new engine than attempt to fix yours.

I have searched and can find no information on this cars diesel engine.When I bought the car it had never been on a public road as it was previously used for perhaps only a mile or two a day on an airport. Does anyone have any experience of owning a diesel one. Its noisy, but seemingly very willing.

Head gasket leaked ($2 replacement)

Front shock absorbers leaked (have yet to be replaced)

Sliding door latches broke.

Seat paddings worn down over time. Had the seats replaced by local upholstery shop. Good as new.

The Daihatsu Hijet has been in production since the 60's and has been one of the most successful Kei-trucks in Japanese history. It is still in production up to this day and has a strong following in the commercial "Kei-class" car/truck category. The van is a true workhorse. It's a basic van/truck and that's what you get. No frills, no fancy paint, no bells & whistles. Just a good, reliable and dependable work truck to haul stuff from point A to B. Daihatsu has been at it for over 50 years now and the Hijet is now on its 10th generation. With a track record like that I would think Daihatsu knows a thing or two about making good quality trucks for the masses.