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Fin-S

Sealiner
Took one for test drive on Thursday that involved a bit of off road work, a tow and retrieve of the boat. (comparing it with 3.0 Ranger)
First impressions.
It looks bigger than the Ford, wider and higher, although it is actually easier to get into thanks to the low seat positioning. Rear space is good, an adult can sit without being too squashed. Dual zone a/c is nice, as is electric 4x4 control and diff lock - all at the push of a button. Seats are comfortable and everything is well laid out.
Bakkie.
It will take a full size pallet between the wheel arches however it is 5cm shorter than the Ford. The tailgate is opened by the central lever, which is good for one handed operation, and the gate itself can carry up to 250kg. The bakkie is rated to carry 1.2 tons.
Handling.
I found it quite skittish on loose gravel with the rear lifting under heavy braking. The scuttle on corrugations was not good - although the level of noise and panel shake were very good. On road handling was predictable with a bit of understeer. ABS and EBD all worked without a fuss.
Performance.
It has a very short first gear and quite a long second. This means that driving it is not as smooth as it should be. It is easy to stall in second and first is really only a pull away gear - this would be frustrating and I think is a major shortcoming. Once going the vehicle is very smooth, mid range acceleration is good but it is not the performance vehicle that marketing would make you believe - twin turbos, 400NM ETC. It does have 6th gear, which is great for economy but it is too pap for overtaking.
Towing
Pull away was effortless, although again the short first gear made keeping momentum critical - too long on the change meant speed and revs dropping, so that by the time 2nd was engaged, a stall was imminent. Once on the go, the weight (2.4t) was hardly felt and the vehicle pulled smoothly up minor hills. Towing visibility was good and the vehicle was stable under braking. It pulled the boat out of the slipway on low tide without a problem although the engine was screaming in first by the time we got to the top of the slip.
Overall - a very nice package somewhat spoilt by the gearing. I would spend my 400k elsewhere.
 

WWFisherman

Senior Member
Fin-S wrote:
Took one for test drive on Thursday that involved a bit of off road work, a tow and retrieve of the boat. (comparing it with 3.0 Ranger)
First impressions.
It looks bigger than the Ford, wider and higher, although it is actually easier to get into thanks to the low seat positioning. Rear space is good, an adult can sit without being too squashed. Dual zone a/c is nice, as is electric 4x4 control and diff lock - all at the push of a button. Seats are comfortable and everything is well laid out.
Bakkie.
It will take a full size pallet between the wheel arches however it is 5cm shorter than the Ford. The tailgate is opened by the central lever, which is good for one handed operation, and the gate itself can carry up to 250kg. The bakkie is rated to carry 1.2 tons.
Handling.
I found it quite skittish on loose gravel with the rear lifting under heavy braking. The scuttle on corrugations was not good - although the level of noise and panel shake were very good. On road handling was predictable with a bit of understeer. ABS and EBD all worked without a fuss.
Performance.
It has a very short first gear and quite a long second. This means that driving it is not as smooth as it should be. It is easy to stall in second and first is really only a pull away gear - this would be frustrating and I think is a major shortcoming. Once going the vehicle is very smooth, mid range acceleration is good but it is not the performance vehicle that marketing would make you believe - twin turbos, 400NM ETC. It does have 6th gear, which is great for economy but it is too pap for overtaking.
Towing
Pull away was effortless, although again the short first gear made keeping momentum critical - too long on the change meant speed and revs dropping, so that by the time 2nd was engaged, a stall was imminent. Once on the go, the weight (2.4t) was hardly felt and the vehicle pulled smoothly up minor hills. Towing visibility was good and the vehicle was stable under braking. It pulled the boat out of the slipway on low tide without a problem although the engine was screaming in first by the time we got to the top of the slip.
Overall - a very nice package somewhat spoilt by the gearing. I would spend my 400k elsewhere.
Thanks for the review. I know exactly what you're talking about with that 1st-2nd gear issue. I hate it and that's enough to put me off what I thought was an otherwise good looking bakkie.
 

AYOBA!

Sealiner
Took it for a testdrive yesterday, 1st and 2nd gear is an issue for me as well, no problem with normal driving, but going 4x4 or towing... no thanks, not worth R400k
 

AndriesH

Sealiner
I had my go on Saturday and to the contrary, I am most impressed.
The clutch was about the only issue I had as it differes from my other vehicles which simply means I have to get used to it.
I also differ with your technique of accelerating when pulling a boat or a trailer out of a slip, or up a steep incline, whichever.
Get the wheels rolling and maintain the momentum in your powerband until you have overcome the obstacle. No need to gun it for 2nd gear - this is my approach and it works for me.
Having a short first gear makes for difficult stop and go travel agreed, then rather buy a soft 4x4 like the IX35.
To achieve a 45deg incline climb with 1 ton on the back, you need  short 1st gear - else get a soft 4x4 like the IX35
To tow 2800kg, you need torque low down to get the wheels rolling, else get a soft 4x4, like the IX35.

If SuperVan gives it a thumbs up, I will follow him blindly - that guy is a legend and his opinion cannot be bought.

I had a long chat to the Regional Sales manager after the test drive and raised my concerns regarding the availability of 50ppm diesel across the border.
His response was: "Why?, put 500ppm, no problem. Going further than Namibia, Botswana and our other neighbouring countries, might put you in an area of questionable fuel, but for our immediate neighbours, there shouldn't be a problem."

He offered to investigate this for me and will confirm this in writing some time today.

I have never spent this sort of money of a vehicle, but for my purposes it exceeded my expectations.
 

AYOBA!

Sealiner
I also asked the question about signing anything concerning the diesel, they said no problem to used any diesel, also asked about the off-road ABS if it was Bosch, could not answer me, if it is by Bosch then everyone else should have it soon...
 

Strepie

Sealiner
The price of R390k does not include any extras such as as nudgebar,rollbar,etc.
Once you add that up you are looking at R430k+

WegRy also did a proper offroad comparison between the Amarok,Navara,Hilux and Isuzu at BabylonsToren 4x4 trial which is not an easy one and the Hilux and Isuzu came up tops. The Amarok's gearing and the 2L engine  were listed as some of the concerns.
 

AndriesH

Sealiner
::S Just placed my order.

2 x 4, 90kW, single Turbo.

Should have it in a week or so.
:woohoo:woohoo:woohoo:woohoo:woohoo

Be happy with me guys - it has been a long time coming.
 

Osie

Senior Member
now I am sommer jealous on you andries, congrats the more I look at the bakkie the more I fall in love with it.
 

AndriesH

Sealiner
Thanks Osie, you'll see it running around Roodepoort, I'll be the guy with the mo3rse smile.

Thanks Koper.
No, she's gotta go.
If I ordered the Sonata, I would have kept the Colt, but the Colt must now unfortunately be sacrificed for the extras.

Will be Nam in December with the Amatrok, must have canopy, running boards etc etc by then.
Now only one licence to pay, maintenance to do and garage to have.
 

AndriesH

Sealiner
Finally - Christmas in February.

Getting my AmaTrok today.

The word: "WORK" has no meaning or relevance for me today.

::S::S::S::S::S::S
 

JohanVVWbest

New member
The Amarok has nou been voted twice in a row 4 X 4 of the year and toyota owners can not handle it. I personally drive to work with a Totoya bakkie and with a Fortuner in a lift club and the toyotas still feel like the old stallion junk.... compared to the Amarok, even on the best tar roads and this is not exactly what I would call keep going on for a manufacturer that is building bakkies since the sixties ? See below...

reviewed on Jun 10, 2014

Many of the Toyota Hilux have faulty clock springs. I did not know what this word meant 3 years ago, but you can type anything into Google these days and there is not much you cannot find.The more Clock Springs that fail in Toyota the more people will find how poor Toyotas record is becoming in ignoring safety items
Two problems this is causing for the consumer.
1. You cannot sell your car as you cannot get a roadworthy certificate, because the airbag light stays permanently on.
2. If you have a crash & the airbag fails you might die.
3 out of 5, reviewed on May 24, 2014

Was assured by a salesman that the late model 2013 had its injector problems resolved. Well it is my fault for actually listening to a sales man right? 3,500ks rattle became apparent. 7,000ks currently, much worse, Dipshits at Toyota gave me fudged injector results and refused to repair them. Been there three times. Independently tested injectors and found the tolerances are much different to those given by Toyota, just inside spec though.
Go **** yourself Toyota you lying ****. I won't be lied to, this will end up in court once my injectors are out if spec in a few more ks.

reviewed on Mar 02, 2014
-Poor rear end traction on wet roads even with weight in the tray. Clutch seems to smell at a moments work when towing. Standard Tyres are woeful off road. The rear step is flimsy cheap rubbish which provides next to no protection. A height adjustable drivers seat would be nice given its' expensive price tag. Drum brake rear end in 2010 .... Come on Toyota! Screams for a rear camera as with a canopy you can't see squat out of the rear, never mind kids or trailer couplings. The standard little jack is hardly any use off road (beware). People assume you're loaded if you can afford one of these. Needs air lockers front and rear. Makes an annoying buffeting sound at greater than 90kms with the windows down.
3 out of 5, reviewed on Feb 23, 2014

Bought new late 2007 manual 2 WD for work and has been great. Had to change rubbish 15'' wheels for 19' Toyota workshop was total rubbish on their own product. Lots of these motors blown up due to fuel in the sump making sludge that blocks oil intake and no oil to engine blows it up, needing new engine.

goody87@bigpond.com asked on Nov 19, 2014

My daughter has bought a new Hilux SR5 Diesel Dual Cab 4x4 (Auto). She is having lots of trouble with it not starting and it is very frustrating and disappointing. She has been stranded at night and during the day and has had to call RACQ for assistance. They have not been able to help her as the vehicle will only start when it feels like it. Toyota have now had her vehicle in the workshop for 4 weeks, they have nearly had it for as long as my daughter has owned it!
They ordered a new ECU for it and it arrived today. They installed it and the vehicle would not start. Has anyone else had/heard of this problem?

Turbo problems
Problem: A known issue on the Hilux is for the vehicle to have a lack of power and/or black smoke coming from the rear exhaust. You may also hear a slightly different whistling noise coming from the turbo. This issue is usually caused by a split pipe connected to the intercooler. This issue will result in a loss of boost pressure.
Power loss
Problem: If you are experiencing power loss on your Toyota Hilux then the usual cause of this issue is a blocked EGR (Exhaust Gas Re-circulation) valve. This valve gets blocked up with carbon which greatly reduces the airflow. Another symptom of this problem is irregular idling.
Oil leak
Problem: A common part to fail on the Hilux is the crank seal. If you are noticing that there is oil dripping onto the floor, this is a usual symptom of this problem.
Solution: You will need to fit a replacement crank seal to stop the leak.
Gearbox problems
Problem: The Hilux has some known issues with the gearbox. One of the main concerns is with 5th gear. People seem to be having difficulty engaging this gear.

TOYOTA HILUX BREAKDOWN

• Car Advice Rating 6.5
• Performance & Economy 6.5
• Cabin Space & Comfort6.5
• Technology & Connectivity 7.5
• Price & Features 7.0
• Ride & Handling 6.0
ENGINE SPECS
Engine Type
DIESEL TURBO F/INJ
Engine Size
3.0L
Cylinders
DIESEL TURBO 4
Max. Torque
343Nm @ 1400rpm
Max. Power
126kW @ 3600rpm
Pwr : Wgt Ratio
6


Toyota generally did great products at good prices. Not now.
They are now behind the curve on technology/innovation and ahead on pricing...not a good combo. Living in the past, and trading off their brand momentum and customer allegiance - both of which are diminishing.
My Diesel EFI Hilux engine light was coming on randomly, going into 'Limp Home' mode and took 3 mechanics and finally a specialist diesel centre with expensive computer tech toys to diagnose a shot in a wire somewhere. Lots of labour costs (over 1500k and a small fix). The point is, if that happened in the bush, I would have to get it towed to the the nearest major town to have the above done.
Whilst I have always been a Toyota man until recently...the Hilux misses on Price (due to age), comfort, fuel economy, efficiency, LOOKS etc.
it seems every other company has an upgraded more powerful and fuel efficient diesel besides Toyota Hilux with the same 3.0 from 2005!
Pathetic, Ford Ranger absolutely destroys the hilux and this is the best they could come up with for 2014... and its more expensive to boot... Good Luck!
Toyota ***ttt.booring toooo expensive old technology , hilux tell me problems about common rail system not all to be honest, before I bought hilux neverrrrrr again toyota
3 months ago
Has anyone heard that all the 5 speed 2013 Toyota Hilux gearboxes have rollover noise?My ute has made thrustrace type noise since 8000kms. Now on 21000 kms and gearbox stipped down,new bearings replaced and still same noise. Toyota technicians reckon its common . My gearbox now has no 5th gear due to smaller bearings being replaced and needs a clip to take up the slack near 5th gear??? Im not happy with lack of customer service/advice and repair to my hilux. Can someone please help me?
ant Toyota recall
2014-04-09 11:19
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ANOTHER TOYOTA RECALL: SA’s best-selling vehicle, the Toyota Hilux, is one of the vehicles affected in a massive recall by the automaker. Image: TOYOTA
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TOKYO, JAPAN - Wheels24 reported earlier in March 2014 that Toyota would pay the equivalent of R13-billion to settle US accusations that it sought to cover up an accelerator problem in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

On Wednesday (April 9) Toyota said it would recall 6.39-million vehicles globally for faults affecting various parts ranging from steering to seats in the automaker's second-largest recall to date.

SA AFFECTED
Hilux, Yaris in giant Toyota recall
2014-04-09 11:19


Toyota SA says locally it will be a two-part campaign due to the global nature of the recall. Spokesperson Leo Kok said: “No incidents have been reported locally but because there are parts coming from regions where there have been reported incidents, South Africa is obligated to participate in the recall.”

The automaker said the first issue involves a seat rail in pre-facelift Yaris models. “We will replace a spring in the rail free of charge for all customers whether cars are still under warranty or not.

“The second campaign relates to a faulty spiral cable connected to the driver side airbag. If the air bag warning light switches on, they should bring their vehicles in to the nearest dealer as soon as possible.”

Toyota SA said it was waiting for a final list from its head office in Japan to indicate which model years are affected. For now, the automaker says the recall affects pre-facelift Hilux, Innova andFortuner models.

Kok said Toyota SA would begin to contact customers "before the end of this week" (April 13) but if any customers would like to bring their vehicles in sooner, "they can leave their contact details with a dealer closest to them".

RECALLS MORE COMMON?

The world's largest automaker said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the glitches, which were found in 27 models, among them its RAV4 and Yaris. Faults were also found in the (US products) Pontiac Vibe andSubaru Trezia, two models the automaker built for General Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries.

The automaker did not say reveal how much the recall would cost and it was not clear if the faults stemmed from Toyota's suppliers or its manufacturing process.

Large-scale recalls have become more common in recent years as automakers move to fix defects quickly. Toyota was forced to recall more than nine-million vehicles to address sticky accelerators linked to fatal accidents.

Toyota said some 3.5-million vehicles were being recalled to replace a spiral cable that could be damaged when the steering wheel is turned, causing the air bag to fail to activate in the event of a crash. About half of those vehicles, produced between April 2004 and December 2010, are in North America.

Another 2.32-million two-door models made from January 2005 to August 2010 are being recalled to check the rails that could cause the seat to slide forward in a collision.

The other recalls are for faulty steering-column brackets, windscreen wiper motors and engine starters, reports Toyota.

April 9, 2014 at 13:03
Report commentComments Policy
If the spring in the seat backrest collapse you will instantly loose control of the vehicle while driving, in an accident it will carry horrific consequences. The same applies to the spiral cable of the airbag, in an accident it just won't deploy.


I have had gearbox breakdown problems with my Hilux D4D while under warranty and after numerous attempts to have it repaired by Toyota, the problem still persists. I insisted on having the gearbox replaced. I have communicated with Toyota SA via e-mail in which they firstly agreed on the replacement, told me that they would contact me soon but still waiting now for almost 2 months and no reply even after contacting them a second and third time.
http://www.fixya.com/tags/toyota_hilux_problems?gclid=CjwKEAiA74qkBRCdrM-6or7U73QSJABCDL9pr8qPdsVe86AhEEdoWZxHOUYHfeSTgUUbuk9HqSvLfxoCVeTw_wcB
 

JohanVVWbest

New member
That will not change my opinion of the over rated, old technology Hilux, I have been in 4 x 4 vehicles all my life and I am past the 50 mark, so I have seen and experienced a lot. I recently took an Amarok 8 speed to the Cederberg and there just is not a bakkie like that on the market. I have grown up with Toyotas and now I know what I have been missing all the years. ;)
 

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