2007 Toyota Hi-lux 4 door 3.0 D4D from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Rattle is driving me nuts

Faults:

A rattle has developed somewhere in the lower pillar, between the passenger doors. Very annoying. It rattles when I go over bumps or potholes, and sounds like it is related to a suspension component.

General Comments:

3.0 D4D engine is quick and responsive. I have never been short of power.

The driver's position is not very comfortable. I find the seat does not give good support behind the knees, and the steering wheel cannot be moved closer. The latter is particularly annoying.

The absence of stereo controls on the steering wheel in a eur40,000 vehicle is ridiculous.

The rattle mentioned above is very annoying. The truck is 5 months old, and has been minded like a baby. I do not get an air of invincibility from the truck, unlike the previous model as seen on Top Gear.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th June, 2007

8th Jul 2009, 18:06

Have Hilux 2.5 years now. 102000 km on clock. Going well, and no major complaints. That rattle above disappeared about 2 months later. Only noise now is engine knocking at around 1900 rpm, especially when engine is cold. Dealer replaced injectors under warranty, but no improvement. I believe it's common to all 3.0 D4D engines.

Overall, I'm very happy with the truck. I measure the fuel economy EVERY week, and get 34-35 mpg consistently. That is open road driving, mind you.

Only complaint, apart from the knocking noise, is the lack of a diff lock. My last car had one (Isuzu Trooper), and the difference it makes is huge. The Hilux has got bogged down a few times, and had to be towed out. The road tyres obviously did not help, so new mud tyres might improve offroad capability. Cannot complain about the road tyres though (Duellers) - I got 101000 km out of them (=60000 miles).

7th Sep 2012, 03:55

Update. The Hilux now has 200,000 km. Averaging 33-34 MPG, and going generally well. Some minor issues are starting to become annoying:

- Continuous squeaking in the rear suspension that the garage is unable to solve.

- 4WD light on dash flashes regularly, for no reason. Garage has never heard of such a problem. The worry is that the Hilux might slip into 4WD on a motorway, which would not be pretty.

- Tail lights, front parking lights and dashboard lights fuse keeps failing. I carry replacements, and can often go through 3 of these on a drive home at night. It's a total curse. There are no aftermarket components on that fuse, so don't know what could be causing it.

- Pulley bearings are going on the timing belt, most likely from the alternator, which will therefore have to be replaced.

- The water pump has already been replaced due to a leak, and because the garage thought it might be the source of the worn bearing noise on the timing belt. Cost 500 euro.

The above issues eventually add up and get you thinking that it's time to change. If they could be solved tomorrow morning, then I would happily retain the truck for a few more years.