John1

My lease is at a point where I may be able to break even if I sell my Kluger, so I too have looked at other cars recently as potential replacements for my KXR. Here is my opinion based on recent test drives..

1. Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x2 Petrol - Great looking car from the outside. Smaller in rear seat legroom and boot. Poor and unresponsive throttle particularly from start position or after turning a corner. Left hand blinker. The first demo I drove was out of synch, the car shook!

2. Ford Territory . Nice drive. Lacks rear passenger space and seat a little too firm. Similar fuel economy ( petrol version). Aussie production ceases in 2016. Possible resale unreliability..

3. Sante Fe - Unusual steering feel. Lacked power. Less room than Kluger

4. Subaru Forrester -XT - 2.5 litre Turbo. Good power and feel, fun to drive. Too small for family purposes.

5. Mitsubishi Pajero - High ride for driver and passengers. Diesel engine very loud.

6. Mazda CX9 - Great styling, very modern .Smooth engine. Slightly lower ride than Kluger. Well priced. Driver cockpit lacked legroom was only negative.... claustrophobic feel..

Overall I have yet to drive anything as impressive as my Kluger kxr. The Kluger may be lacking in interior style and some modern technology, however its comfortable, has plenty of power ( responsive accelerator) and room for the family are all positives that will keep me interested for the 2014 update.

My local dealer said the new shape should be available Feb or March next year !

Bought mine January 2011. Have done 68,000km. Runs beautifully. Love the Kluger!

Hi Guys,

Im sure this is a repeat of an earlier post...but does anyone know what month in 2014 we can expect the new shape Kluger? Im getting close to three years into my lease and would like to buy a new car, preferably the new shape. Just hoping it doesn't arrive late 2014.

John

That is typical cant give a damn attitude from the dealership. They are disgraceful.

They admit that they know what is happening but choose to not investigate any further a better method of locking the spare.

It is becoming too much of a co-incidence the number of spares that "disappear" at dealerships??

They have gone to new lengths to earn their nickname "stealerships"........

If you must leave your car anywhere, even a dealership, take a photo of it being in place with your phone when you drop it off.

I tried to find somewhere on the Toyota Australia site where you could email them but none exists. There are the usual phone numbers but with that all you get is some very disinterested party that is looking for a quick way to fob you off. I have made some posts on the Toyota Australia facebook page but no reaction yet.

SAKTHI... Call some wreckers, that may be a cheaper way to find another spare.

There was a guy on gumtree selling a set of 4 that suspiciously have never been on the road for $1300. You would have no trouble selling the other 3 by the looks of it.

The spare needs a chain and a padlock and don't leave the padlock key with the dealer. Any ideas folks?

I would see the manager of the dealership and complain. This should initiate some type of action.

Here is a quick summary of the level of service Ive received at my Toyota dealer in Sydney and what I think of the front line sales service guys..

1. Staff are salesman first. I remember receiving the "up-sell" call during a 30,000 km service and was told my brakes needed changing. After having the brakes checked independently.. I still had 70% on front and rear. In fact, a year has passed and I have only just changed the rear brakes and my car has done 65,000km..!!

2. Staff are trained to tell you there is no problem with the car when there really is ! The sales staff are the first line of defence until you complain to management. example.. I recently informed the service centre that I had clicking noise in the steering shaft. Toyota told me I hadn't...!! Example 2..Toyota tried to charge me for repairs for using E10 fuel which they believe was the reason for the cars poor performance, sluggishness, soft accelerator, high fuel pressure etc..( after only 20,000km).. when I had only used E10 sporadically and despite Toyota recommending E10 as a suitable fuel option.

3. Spare tyre goes missing....they don't want to know about it ,given poor design and ease of access for thieves.

Don't want to sound negative guys because I love the car and am going off topic... It just seems like there is a real lack of support from Toyota at times.

Hi

I have 4 genuine 19" Kluger wheels in immaculate cond, no scratches with about 50% tread. You can have them for a $1000 delivered if you like. I just put on 20" Chrome wheels so don't need them.

Thanks Ray

Good deal but I need a 17"

Not sure where I stand legally on this one? Is Toyota to blame from poor design and am I entitled to compensation?

Any thoughts..?

You're kidding, right? Is Toyota responsible for someone reaching in behind your grille, popping your bonnet and stealing your battery? How about jacking the car up and stealing your alloy wheels? What about a tailgate-mounted spare wheel?

By all means claim it through your insurance company (that is what car insurance is for, afterall), but in no way is Toyota to blame, and they are more than entitled to laugh in your face if you go into a dealership and ask for financial compensation.

Seems like a reasonable reaction to me Hiro and obviously you haven't had your spare stolen ..yet!. Toyota have got to be kidding, firstly for poor design and then having the hide to charge over $2000 for a replacement rim and tyre..!! Seems a bit expensive wouldn't you think ..? Why isn't there a locking mechanism on the spare..?? What happens when my $2000 replacement tyre is stolen again..?? My Toyota service centre have said that numerous cars have had their spare tyres stolen recently ...so its happening on a regular basis.

Despite the current problem I actually love the Kluger and would definitely buy another. A change in design is definitely required.

Found a spare though I may need to claim the original tyre through insurance and keep it locked away..

Also inspected beneath the vehicle today to check for possible weakness in design during a second visit to the local Toyota service centre .After hoisting the car up high we were able to have a better look and I think we were able to find the cause of the problem. The turning mechanism located in the boot ( which lowers and raises the wire hoist for the spare) can also be turned from underneath the car. Looks like it can be done easily with the assistance of some pliers. Clearly poor design by Toyota and something they will need to address from a manufacturing perspective next time.

Not sure where I stand legally on this one? Is Toyota to blame from poor design and am I entitled to compensation?

Any thoughts..?

_{Im curious to know if the spare could just fall out...? I do remember hearing a dull thud like noise from the rear of the car a week earlier...though at the time I didn't suspect anything, assuming it was something I had run over..}

_{Ive heard recently that it is common for Kluger spares to be missing though Im not totally convinced the midnight thieves are always responsible..!!}

_{I now need to find a spare as Im off on along trip in a week. Most Toyota service centres don't stock the tyre and needs to be ordered in, which takes a minimum of two to three weeks.}

I was recently informed during a trip to my local dealer for servicing that my spare tyre ( under the car) was missing, likely stolen. Apparently this is common for Klugers as the spare tyre is exposed under the car. I am having trouble finding a suitable replacement unless I claim through insurance. The total cost of replacement is over $2000 which seems way too expensive.

Has anyone else had the same problem and some would appreciate advice on where I can get a replacement tyre. I am based in Sydney.

21000 km after 1 year of driving.

Stick with 95 or 98 as it will save you money at the mechanic. E10 is often supplied with bad batches so its not worth taking the risk.

I only use 98 and definitely get better fuel economy though i havent calculated the cost per km yet. Im sure it works out the same. The main difference is E10 is bad for your engine , high octane will clean your engine..

Recently did a 200 km round trip from Sydney to the Central coast. Mostly freeway driving. Fuel consumption was 8.5.

I normally get about 13 around town

Dont use E10 as batches can be contaminated. I recently had my car serviced for E10 contamination and after a good clean out the Kluger still doesnt feel quite the same.

Stick with 98 as the few extra dollars will give you more mileage and save you heaps at the mechanic.

Dont use E10 as batches can be contaminated. I recently had my car serviced for E10 contamination and after a good clean out the Kluger still doent feel quite the same.

Stick with 98 as the few extra dollars will give you more mileage and save you heaps at the mechanic.

I paid $38,800 for a kXR 2 wheel drive, 5 seat. Bought in January 2011 , built late 2010. Inclusive were reverse sensors, nudge bar, rubber mats front and back. Service $170 for first 3 years.

Very happy with the deal and the car goes like a rocket though Ive had to have it checked recently for possible E10 contamination. No a major issue. Always use 98...

The problem with Toyota in general is that they sell so many cars their service departments struggle with the volume. I was at my local service department to book my car in for a check up and was told that they had over 90 cars to service that day and similar numbers for the next couple of days.

I think the loss in performance does sound like it is fuel related, but not because you ran e10 in the car.

While personally I run 98 in my Kluger (I run 98 in all my cars), there should NEVER be any problems associated with running e10 as a grade of fuel.

If the significant and noticeable loss in performance was sudden, it is likely you filled up with a bad tank of fuel (doesn't matter if it was e10, 95, or 98; any fuel can be dirty or contaminated). Dirty throttle bodies can decrease performance and cause sluggishness but not usually as significantly as you described.

Service departments I have found are generally average at best in troubleshooting problems.

If they found a very dirty throttle body, they should have also inspected the air filter which would have been very dirty too and hence replaced.

If they suspected it was a bad batch of fuel, they should have inspected your spark plugs and fuel filter.

I would check the following:

- air filter, see if it is very dirty

- spark plugs, see if they are fouled

- fuel filter, see if it is dirty

If either the plugs or filters need replacing, change them, and you should see your performance return, providing the bad tank of fuel has already been used. It's up to you what fuel you use but this should not be a reason to not use e10.

I believe the Kluger has an electronic throttle so if the problem persists then I would perform an ECU reset.

I wouldn't worry about any permanent damage, it is highly unlikely that a bad batch of fuel can actually harm your car in a serious manner.

I will have the service department check the filters. I have been running 98 for the last 3 fills. The car feels better though it still feels like something isnt quite right. Throttle still slighly soft and it could be a bit more responsive. Might have the fuel pressure rechecked as this was high upon last inspection. Would the fuel pressure problem be related to dirty filters or a problem with the pump itself?

By the way what is an ECU reset?

Oh Kluger 5 Seater, 2WD

Sounds like a reasonable deal though you would have lost a bit on the trade in. Klugers are great cars. BTW dont fuel with anything other thans 98 or 95. E10 is rubbish.

I would suggest that $170 per service is actually pretty good, considering its a v6.

My only question is how much is the service after 60,000 ?

i had an xtrail (2.5 4 cyl petrol) and every service was at least $250 and it was the same interval of 10k. I agree that the Kluger would be better if it was avery 12k or 15k. But compared to other vehicles i think the servicing is pretty good on the kluger.

Also they dont have a timing belt which needs doing at 100k - which sames a lot of money!

cheers

Dreama

[/quote Its a good deal for 3 years, a promo Toyota were running in 2010 to boast sales of larger vehicles during a time of increased competition and rising fuel costs etc. Not sure if this is still advertised. I supposed when the warranty runs out i could shop around for better servicing prices..

My other concern is ensuring that my Kluger is being serviced properly during the first 3 years as most Toyota service departments are extremely busy due to Toyota high volume sales.

Hi All, I Have just bought a new 2011 KX-R Crystal Pearl Kluger in Perth and take delivery next week. Compliance plated 2012? Just wondering what other members bought theirs for new? Mine was $45,500 but they gave me $15,500 for my 2007 ATX Aurion 85,000kms on the clock. With the new Kluger I also got Side steps, Nudgebar, Darkest legal window tint, full tank of fuel, 12 Months rego + Rubber Cargo/Floor Mats. All Up, A total changeover of $30,000 Driveaway on Toyotas 3.9% Finance. I think i did ok?

All wheel drive or two wheel..? 7 or 5 seat?

Bought a facelift 2010 model in early Jan 2011. Paid $38,800. Base model KXR-5 seats, two wheel drive with mats,bull-bar,3 year service locked in at $170. Thought it was reasonable deal at the time. Rear parking sensors as well.

Toyota don't make the fuel so even if you use their recommended specification (E10, 95 or 98) they will not be responsible for damage resulting from a bad batch.

It can also be difficult to prove that a bad batch of fuel caused your problems so you are unlikely to have any joy with the fuel company either.

Lets hope there is no permanent damage. A couple of tanks of good 98 might do the trick!

Fingers crossed! Thanks for the advice Matty P

I always use 98 because it is cleaner and provides better performance.

However, as you say E10 is advised as suitable for the vehicle so using it should not affect your warranty. If it is a dodgy batch of fuel that has caused your issue then Toyota are not responsible.

I would suggest running 98 (I prefer BP Ultimate) for a few tanks as they suggest - continue using it if you can. It is a few $$$ more but you do find you get better mileage as well, so doesn't work out much more expensive. ;)

If the problem continues, definately take it back to the service dept.

Im curious to know if Toyota still covers me should the bad batch of fuel be from 98 or 95. It is concerning and misleading that Toyota still recommends e10 as suitable fuel when they clearly know that e10 batches can vary in quality ( something i recently became aware of when i took the car in for the check...)and have the option to not cover damages under warranty.

Check out Redbook for current market prices. I wouldnt do a trade in, sell privately if you have the time.

Kluger positives: Speed, comfort, space, high ride,Freeway driving as low as 8.5 fuel consumption

Kluger negatives: metro driving 12.5- 13.5 fuel consumption.

I pay $170 fixed service for 3 years.

Overall a highly recommended vehicle. Buy the two wheel drive if you are not planning to do off-road as it will save you heaps. Dont forget all Klugers have stability control and anti-skid to compensate.