nswnotill

Mark, I see lots of eligible Queensland Aurions On Gumtree and Carsales. Many are white or silver as you have already noted. However there are even some Prodigy's at reasonable prices which may be worth a look. I have nearly turned over 190K on the odo. on my 2008 Touring model with no troubles at all. No sticky dash either. However I religiously have it serviced by a reputable mechanic every 10,000 km. He informs me of potential issues before they occur, and I have had all of the common faults fixed or parts modified. I trust you can locate a good vehicle that will suit your requirements.

Personally, I wouold not have difficulty puirchasing a 2007 model, provided it has been regulary serviced. Also I consider anything under 150K on the odo. would be OK. However a transmission oil change ( see previous discussions) may be in order. My guesstimate is something around $8-9 thousand would be a fair price. What do others think?

I agree with Ashley (Campbeam). I have found my 2008 model to be very reliable. However a good 'record of service' logbook would be high on my priorities, after reading some of the threads on the woes of vehicles that were not serviced regularly, and subsequently had major engine issues. Attention to the external oil line on earlier models should also be addressed if applicable. Best of luck with your vehicle search.

Even though I am an 'old geezer' I still appreciate the reserve power which is there on demand, compared to mediocre gas guzzling SUV's

I sympathise with Ben Davis and the hassles he is having with his Aurion. As others have mentioned, perhaps it may be due to poor servicing by previous owner. I have now done 185K in my 2008 GSV40 Aurion with no trouble whatsoever. The vehicle is regularly serviced every 10K by a competent mechanic, and it runs as well as the day I purchased it. Granted there may be regular issues with some aspects of Aurions. However compared to the horror stories I read on other forums regarding reliability of Euro made vehicles (VW, Ford. M-B etc.) I am glad I made the choice I did.

Thanks Paul for the link. This is all interesting stuff. I have only had this happen once (I left a door partly open overnight). However with modern motor vehicles having more electronic and computerised gizmos, my guess is that this situation will occur more frequently.

You can always weigh items like wheels on a standard set of bathroom scales. First, weigh yourself in your standard clothing, and then again with a wheel in your hands. Take the scales to the garage if your wife objects to you bringing wlheels into the house.

I have sometimes considered an upgrade from my current Aurion (2008 Touring) to a later model used GSV50R series Prodigy. However I have also contemplated a Honda Accord V6 (2012-2015) as an alternative. The Honda may cost a little more. Have any members had experience with direct comparison with these two makes? What do others think?

I am no expert in these things, but if I was regularly reading numbers like that on the display, and also needing to fill after a short distance, i would be having all of the vital functons checked by a competent mechanic who has access to a proper test rig. Sounds like a fuel delivery malfunction to me.

I understand that around 500+ TRD Aurions were produced. There seems to be a reasonable sprinkling of them for sale on Carsales and other vehicle sales websites. I am not sure how many TRD owners regularly check this forum. Best of luck with your search, although you are looking at a very specialised vehicle.

I treat the fuel display and the estimated range with some caution. In my opinion they are very conservative, and even when everything first reads ‘empty’ there is still around 10 litres left in the tank. I regard these readings as a ‘guesstimate’ only and do not try to push my luck by travelling too far with everything reading ‘empty’

I have driven my 2008 model for 130K over 6 years and never had any whirring noises. Mine is also so quiet that the motor is practically silent when stopped at the traffic lights. The only undue noise I hear is when the clips on that lightweight plastic tray under the engine give way, and it drags on the road!

I am a satisfied Aurion owner who regularly contributes elsewhere in Toyota forums. I have a family member who is looking at a S/H Kluger as family transport for wife, 3 kids plus dog etc. etc. A used Kluger ticks most of the boxes except for the second row of seats. As previously described in this thread, the second row is really only suitable for two decent size persons, plus a ‘kiddy seat’ in the centre. This does not suit requirements, as three active kids sit in the second row. I understand that the latest model Kluger has modified the seat in the second row, and it is now OK. However late model Kluger is currently too expensive. Is there any sort of after-market second row seat option that may suit that can be fitted, in lieu of the standard seat? Comments appreciated.

Saud, Welcome to the forum. Yes we are an intelligent bunch, as we have chosen Toyota Aurion as our preferred means of transport. Regarding your quiery, I have attached the relevant page from my owners manual (Australian made 2008 Aurion) which shows the preferred grade of engine oil for Australian conditions. This indicates that grades from 10W-30 to 20W-50 are recommended here for hot conditions. Another option which could be considered for hot conditions is an external after-market oil cooler and/or transmission cooler to further cool the oil(s) Others may care to also comment.

Being an ex- scientist, I always look for the statistically designed experiment by an independent authority. There is a lot of ‘snake oil’ out there (not saying that Engine carbon clean is snake oil). Remember Peter Brock and the ‘HDT Engine Energy Polariser’? He swore by it. However it was independently tested by automotive engineers and proven to be useless.

As with all of these ‘add-ons’ I would like to see some evaluation of the procedure by an independent authority. Whether it is by Choice magazine, NRMA, RACV, or other independent group. It would involve taking a sample of various cars, giving them a thorough check out of various engine parameters (power output, acceleration, fuel economy etc) by suitably qualified technicians. The cars would then receive the ‘treatment’ and all the parameters checked again. This would give an objective assessment whether the whole process is worthwhile. The testing could be done either on the road, or on a good static dynamometer. Analysis of the result would show whether it is all worthwhile. This sort of independent study is far better than anecdotal conclusions from a ‘before and after’ motorist. Has anyone done this?

All, Thanks for the input. In some ways it looks to be a bit of a lottery whether you experience this problem or not. From now on I will be vigilant for this issue. I note from other forums and previous post that repair can be done through the bottom, rather than lifting the engine out. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

It is interesting that this subject re-appears after three years. Is the water pump issue a common one on Aurions? Does it also occur on other Toyotas with the same motor? (some Rav 4's) My Aurion now has 165K on the odo. with no real issues. I have the coolant changed regularly as part of the service, and maybe that is a plus. Let us hope that this is a rare problem, and not something as regular as auto transmissions in the Ford Focus or dual clutch gearbox in VW's.

I have also noticed some slight changes in the auto. transmission operation and shifting on early moring start now it is getting cooler. However everything is normal after one or two minutes when I guess the oil warms up. I had the trans. oil changed (see previous discussion) around 2 months back at 160K and I have put it down to a different brand of trans. oil which perhaps has slightly different characteristic to the original. After the warm up everything is normal and I am not concerned.

Alan, I have pulled the battery out at various times on my '08 model and never had any issues. You lose all the pre sets for the radio frequencies, and have to put them back in- which is not difficult. You lose the time on the clock as well, but that is not too hard to reset. My guess is that Toyota radios are quite specialised to go into the dash, and so not worth stealing, as they will not easily fit into other vehicles.

I have a 2008 Aurion Touring sedan, and I am very pleased with it. However I may trade it sometime on a later model Aurion. Even though the Prodigy model is not being sold any more, is it worth the extra financial outlay compared to the more basic models? I note it was around $5K dearer when new, and still has a premium in the used car market. It is worth the extra money? I am not considering a Sportivo as I am in a rural area, and cars with side skirts and low panels do not go so well on unsealed roads. Does anyone have any opinions?

All, I had my local independent workshop (who does all my vehicle service) give the transmission a work over this week. The car has done 155K. The work involved draining of the old fluid, complete flush, and refill with new oil. This cost me an extra $250. The tool that is used measures the quantity of fluid drained, and refills with exactly the same quantity of new oil. The old oil was stained, but did not have any ‘gunk’ in it. Since the service I have done a 500Km trip, and have noticed that the transmission shifts more smoothly, and is more positive in performance. Maybe a bit pricey. However I now have peace of mind.

Jin, Thanks for the information. I reached a similar conclusion after going through many forums. Well done.

All, Since interacting with the Aurion owners in this forum, I have had a trawl through Internet checking out the whole issue of 'sealed for life' transmissions. There are many car companies who now manufacture vehicles with this type of transmission (Mercedes, BMW, Hyundai, Holden etc. etc). On reading the forums one finds some pro 'sealed for life' people and others who are anti 'sealed for life' systems. It appears that manufacturers have moved this way so they can claim servicing costs are lower, and also this solves the dilemma of warranty claims by owners who fill with incorrect oil or overfill transmissions. However once the warranty distance and/or time is reached, the owner is on his own. Transmission failure during warranty is rare, but increases with age/distance. The manufacturer would like us to junk the old car, and buy a new one, thus increasing his sales. This raises the question- at what age/distance is the vehicle deemed to be worn out , and the transmission in particular. Opinions between manufacturers, service people, and owners obviously differ on this point. However I note that with the Internet sites I have read, that practically all manufacturers mention that the transmsiion should be serviced under severe conditions. One could go on about the cost of servicing these 'sealed for life' transmissions and many other questions. However I am taking the conservative option, and having my 'sealed for life' transmission serviced regularly, albeit at probable increased cost to me. Hope this helps.

Thanks to all for the link on Youtube explaining the procedure for checking or changing the oil in the 'sealed for life' transmission. It was very informative - although 30 minutes long.