ianskluger

Hi Kim, if it was me, I would take the car to an auto electrician, they should be able to isolate the circuit and perhaps install a switch to turn off the back seat alarm when it isn't required. That would certainly be cheaper than changing cars. I suspect because it is a safety feature there is no way of disabling just the back seat in isolation. You could also discuss with a toyota dealer to see if they have any suggestions.

Hi Michael, if you go to the Toyota website, the current series three kluger models are now in run out. From what I have read, the replacement series four will be a variant of the Highlander already available in the states on the TNGA platform. In terms of release here, I don't think the date has been announced, but clearly it may before the end of the year with the current model in run out. My only concern is that series 1 & 2 klugers were made in Japan, the series 3 (and shortly) 4 are made in the USA, only time will tell if this has affected the reliability. Considering my series 2 is still 100% reliable and has had no faults, I don't think I will be changing in the short term.

In my experience Car Sales is the best site, and you can also arrange car inspections prior to purchase to ensure you know what you are actually buying. I find gumtree tends to have the lower priced cars there, and perhaps isn't as secure as car sales. Certainly do your homework, and don't go alone if you happen to find a car through gumtree. Pre-purchase checks are always good, because you don't have to necessarily attend, but it confirms the car and the seller actually exists as well if it is a private sale. Pre-purchase checks can also check whether there are loans outstanding, or the car has been a write-off... in my view they are well worth the money for a private sale not through a dealer. As mentioned, make sure the service history of the car is good, a low km car with no service history, could be worse than buying one with higher km's but full history.

Hi Chris, my wife owns a 2012 RAV4 V6 which now has 114K on the clock (which is actually low for its age). We have had no issues with the car (we bought it when it was 18 months old and 14K on the clock). I would recommend the V6, it is the same 3.5L motor that is in my kluger, neither the RAV or Kluger motors have caused us any issues. As Ashley suggests the main thing when buying any of these cars is checking the service history. The only issue I know of with the V6 motors is they will eventually fail if the oil hasn't been changed regularly. The V6 RAV's are only available in auto (just like the kluger), and also ensure you are looking an an AWD car (they will have a badge on the back), the best way is to look for the down hill descent button inside the car which is only on AWD models. The V6 model was discontinued in 2012, so finding a low km one with good maintenance won't be as easy as the other variants. I've been told by my toyota dealer a lot of people are looking for them, because the next model only has the smaller petrol engine. The kluger is also a great car, but it is a lot bigger, I tend to take the RAV if I know we are going to be in car parks or city parking bays. We live 5km up a graded dirt road and both vehicles are great in slippery conditions (rain or snow). Toyotas are certainly reliable, have easy availability of parts and will certainly do the job you describe. Good luck with your search.

Hi Greg, from your description, this sounds to me like the Anti-lock Braking System(ABS) kicking in. I live along 5km of gravel road, and the same thing would happen to me in a 2002 camry I used to own which had ABS and if I was going down a slight decline and had to brake. Did the previous RAV have ABS? I never had any brake issues with the Camry, and while it is disconcerting it wasn't a concern once I knew what it was. So unless there are any other obvious issues, it is probably just the ABS (correctly) kicking in due to the lack of traction. Ian

Hi Brendan, I have the series 2 kluger (the last one built in Japan). I have been reluctant to change to the later model, knowing that it is now built in the US. I was concerned the build quality would decline in the series 3 due to not being built in Japan and have decided to wait a few years to see how the series 3 went. Like you, I have owned a number of Toyota's including Australian built Camry's, I have never had quality issues. The last car I owned which had water in lights was a 1977 Ford Cortina (Australian built), they had terrible quality control, and I have never bought another ford since. My series 2 has never had a fault, so I will not be changing it any time soon, I am seeing more and more faults reported with the series 3. I would approach your toyota dealer and see if they will replace the light, it is clearly a build issue.

Hi Regie, I investigated this a year or so ago, but it will cost you about $300, which is why a lot of people are reluctant to update. The web site address is below, and while kluger isn't listed I have also attached their advice:- Please visit our website www.whereismaps.com.au for more information on prices and how to purchase. My question :- "I have a 2011 RAV4 and 2011 Toyota Kluger with the whereis DVD in the head unit. Do you have V20 updates for this cars? I thought the DVD would be the same as for the Aurion, Camry etc." Their answer:- "If you are currently using Denso Toyota discs in your vehicles then any of the version 20 maps we have will be compatible with your vehicle." I assume the advice is still current for thew Version 21 maps. Ian

From memory, all Grande models have seven seats across series 1 through series 3 model klugers. I think on series 1 the third row was an option in CV and possibly CVX. Most series 2 models have seven seats, but I think some KX-R models had it optioned in or out, so you would need to check them. I think all series 3 models have them, but I'm not totally sure on the base model. Best idea is to ask for clartification from the seller, particularly with non-Grande models.

Hi Xavier, we had some 'drama' around fitting a resversing Camera to our 2011 RAV4 ZR6. Originally the dealer believed the standard head unit would not take the camera, and fitted a mirror with the camera instead. Because of the small size of the image, I investigated further and found the head unit could take a camera, so the dealer then re-installed the original mirror and put the camera on the head unit. I have taken some photos of our RAV4, I think the overlay lines are part of the head unit, rather than the camera, so as you see our image is the same as yours. Also our kluger has the same image, I think only head units on more recent models have the lines. Our camera is not hidden in the hole like yours, and to me our camera seems to match what the factory did with our kluger. I hope this helps you decide how good or otherwise the job is. If they used My experience is that nothing is ever done as well as factory installs, pity the cruiser or ZR6 didn't have them as standard!

Hi Tuan, No my kluger does not have a strong violation when starting from cold. I park in a garage with an open front and also reverse in and then start out in drive in the morning. I live in a very cold climate (it was minus 2 here this morning) and I have started out into minus 8 this year, but no strong vibrations at any time.

As far as I am aware, all series 2 klugers from Model Year 2011 onwards had split third row seats if toyota genuine ones were fitted. I think KX-S and Grande models. I just had a look at my original brochure, which implies the KX-R is optionally fitted with the seven seats, all other models have it standard. The description from the brochure for the KX-R is :- Third row seat with 50:50 split-fold backrest (7 seat model). So perhaps the ones you have seen have had a seat retro-fitted, or maybe the photo doesn't show the split clearly.. I guess you just need an email clarification from the seller, before you take the next step. Certainly KX-S & Grande MY11 onwards have it as standard according to the brochure.

Richard, a great idea to hire the car first, but my experience of hire companies is that their insurance won't cover any driving on dirt (I find this annoying because I have to travel a little bit on dirt to get home!). Something to check on perhaps before you go too far with your planning, good luck. Ian

Hi Krystal, the model upgrade (MY2011 to 2013) has split seats in the third row. I assume it would be a straight replacement of the third road seat, and would be a genuine Toyota seat. It is the same body (being that series 2 klugers ran from 2007 to 2013), the obvious change is the different grill and front lights, and of course the split seat configuration in the third road. A wrecker may be able to source and swap the seat for you, as maybe a Toyota dealer. Not sure if there are any compliance or insurance issues in doing this, but I assume it would be a perfect fit, rather than messing around with an aftermarket conversion. Ian

Hi Craig, we own a 2011 ZR6 and had a similar problem, to me it sounded like an old squeaking station wagon when we drove along the 5km of dirt we do everyday. The kluger had no such issues. Like you i thought it may have been the tools, then I thought it may have been the shocks or the trim rubbing. We established it was on the right hand side, just like yours. It ended up being the hinges on the door getting dust on them and not enough lubricant. I think because all the weight of the door, including the spare, is on the hinges on the right hand side, they are put under a lot of strain. I sprayed them with WD40, and put machine oil in them... the squeaks went away and we had a quiet car just like the kluger! Next time I had it into the Toyota dealer I requested them to particularly grease it with the proper stuff and the squeaks haven't returned. I hope this helps, and let us know how you go Ian

That does seem fairly pessimistic, my Kluger, normally takes about 55 litres when it is showing 100km left. Which is still pessimistic, but manageable. I assume the distance to empty would also calculate based on your average usage, mine tends to be around 11.3/100km. So if your usage is higher (in the city might be 14) this would affect the distance to empty (make the km less). The Toyota dealer may know whether the fuel tank sensor can be adjusted? Ian

From my reading, these engines only have 'sludge' if they haven't been serviced regularly and had the oil changed.So if you are looking at one with sluge, this a sign of poor maintenance and might be worth not buying. In terms of crumpling in a crash, all modern cars are designed to crumple to some extend, the car then takes the force of the crash rather than the occupants of the car. So I wouldn't see that as a concern, and as with most cars someone has a 'horror story'. If it was a real safety concern, rather than a story, the car would have been recalled. The US government has forced this issue a few times, but not with the kluger/highlander to my knowledge. In terms of high safety, if you are buying the series 1, try for a Grande or CVX with safety pack, because they have a higher safety rating due to more air bags and the Grande has stability control. For the Series 2 from 2007 onwards, my understanding is that all model levels have 7 airbags and stability control, so the safety rating is the same. Ian

Was it a Toyota dealer? My dealer would never change anything (unless it was around $20) without telling me. I would be really annoyed if they changed tyres without asking me, or giving me the option of a brand. If it was a dealer I'd be complaining to the service manager. In terms of two different tyres, like Trent, I think it is fine as long as they are on the same axle. I have a hiace with two seperate brands, and it rides fine with that configuration. If you mix them on the axle, they can wear differently, and start to pull to the left or right, which makes the car difficult to control. Ian

Hi Sean, my kluger (and most Toyotas) turn the headlights off automatically when the driver's door is open and the ignition is off, so no beeper. When you start the car again, if the headlight switch is on, then the headlights turn on again. I suspect this is what happened with your kluger, because it would be an amazing battery that would power the headlights all day.

Hi Sean, I had the same issue originally with my 2011 Kluger. I would have preferred a more substantial bar on my Kluger. My investigations at the time found that the previous model (2007-2010 - same body - different front) had a more substantial Toyota nudge bar, but my (our) model only has a low rise bar. I assume it must be due to anchorage points between both models. I have only seen more substantial bars on our model which are after market non-genuine. Having said that, I had a friend with the same model Kluger and nudge bar as ours, who hit a large Kangaroo... the low rise nudge bar took most of the force, so there was no damage to the radiator or bonnet. So they are worth having. So your local dealer is correct from my observations, your only other choice is non-genuine, which I didn't want to risk. Ian

Hi Nicky, the Toyota dealer may be right, but I would still keep looking for information. My dealer said my wife's 2011 RAV4's head unit would not take a reversing camera, but after a bit of investigation I found other people had done it. I presented the research to my dealer and eventually they fitted one. Because the auto locking feature isn't used by default in Australia, it may exist on the car, but the dealer has never set it. Maybe someone else on the forum with the first model kluger knows? I'll look around on the internet to see if I can see anything more. Ian

Hi Nicky, I have attached a few pages from the American 2011 Highlander owner's manual, I have found this manual has more detail than the Australian one. I haven't tried this myself on my 2011 Kluger, but thought it may work on your car even though it is the previous model. Toyota tend to be consistent with the way they do things. Obviously you would use the instructions for 'without a smart key' (ie. without keyless push start ignition). Let us know how it goes, I'm sure a lot of kluger owners would be interested. Ian highlander series 2 door lock0001.pdf

I haven't checked my pressures for a while because the dealer does it. But I know there is a post somewhere on this forum that has the recommended pressure, and this is what I did originally. From memory it is something like 40 to 45 psi, but check the post. Good to hear your 'took the plunge', to date I haven't had one fault with my kluger. What year/ colour did you end up getting? 2WD or AWD? And did you buy it within your 35K budget? I hope all goes well Ian

Hi Leesh, certainly a great choice of car I don't have any complaints after owning one for 18 months! I think you have done the hard part knowing what your budget is ($35K). If it was me, I would try to get a MY11 or newer if you can (it has the upgraded front lights and spit third row seat).I think they were built from late 2010 to the replacement to a new model in 2014. It should hold its value better and have minor upgrades from the first run of that shape. In terms of the AWD, I find it great on the dirt road I travel along every day, particularly when the weather gets bad, But it comes down to what you will use the car for, if it is basically for city driving is it worth buying an AWD because the long term servicing costs will be greater, the car is also heavier so is likely to use more fuel. If you get a 2WD over the AWD you might be able to go the next model grade up on the money you save? I hope my comments help, but I expect 35K should come close to buying a kluger of that age. I have had not trouble with the spare wheel, but have put a bike lock / chain on it as an added precaution. Ian

Hi Shale, I have found the same...so i think short of changing the headunit there is no bluetooth solution for music streaming. I did however buy a cable from ***** Smith which plugs into the aux socket, and the lighter socket which charges my iphone and allows me to play music and apps through the aux function on the stereo. Not as nice as a direct bluetooth connection, but does work well for minimal cost. Ian

I would talk to your local panel beater and get them to source it, because they would have the supplier contacts. From what I can tell the chrome name plate came out the latest model MY11 onwards.The rear door looks the same as the prior model, so I'd expect it would fit, but I would think a panel beater could tell you