11/16Aurion 12Kluger

$600 to replace an oil line? Any more detail to that? Seems very excessive. There was a tsb about an oil pipe that was prone to leak but that one would not cost that much to replace and should have been picked up as needing replacement when it was being serviced.

Looks like the plastic cover may have become unclipped? If it was a used car then they may have run a wire down there for a dash cam like I have and not clipped it back properly when they removed it. Dealer would probably refit the cover for free... would only take a second or two.

Tried the us Toyota owners forum on toyotanation?

While my now 2.5 y/o KXR 2wd transmission has performed perfectly the entire time, changes almost undetectable, I did have a similar problem with a 2000 camry v6 once that was sometimes a bit hesitant to change... With that one I cleared the ecu by disconnecting the battery for an hour or so and after that it worked perfect. Not sure if this would fix the prob mentioned by some above but may be worth mentioning to the dealership? Alternatively take a look at the US owners website Toyota nation or even the aurion site on this forum as the pre 14 klugers have the same motor and transmission afaik. Re the 98 octane... I used to swear by it but since e10 has become so cheap lately I tried some of that and it loves it. Noticed the consumption went up a little though which seems to be common with e10. I currently am trying a tank of 91oct non e10 and it runs very good on that also. Will see how the consumption goes compared to the e10.

It would be good if people would mention tyre pressure used when listing economy figures? Some people run 32 psi!! As mentioned above... 38 to 40 is best with std profile 17" tyres. 2012 KXR 2WD 25000k Best 7.0 hwy usual low 8s. City 10.5 Towing 14' van 14.0 40 psi std profile tyres. Always use 98 octane.

For one... they wrote it in the log book!!.. and I know that means nothing and it is not normally done. They wrote it on the screen sticker too. A personal friend confirmed me they had been using it as well. It is not uncommon practice to boost profits with any dealership of any make to take shortcuts. Kenshin X (Management... see above) knows what goes on... :-) New wiper blades every 6 months??? Pass on that one... lol. If that is the case then... a. why does the service schedule not list "replace" wiper blades at every 6 month service???????? b. why does my other acv40r wipers work perfectly after 7 years????? c. why did the blades on my mcv20r wiper blades also perform perfectly after 10 years of driving? d. cars (in nsw) are inspected every year (except under 5 years old) and they are tested then and you are refused renewal if they do not operate properly. Quite often product manufacturers will recommend changing things far in excess of their optimum lifespan. You can figure out why????? The wipers on my car will be changed when I consider it necessary to do so.... not when some counter jumper at a dealership says so because they want to push sales. Also... when replacing Kluger wiper blades do not use el-cheapo no name ones as they are a special wiper apparently. (from a qualified Toyota mechanic) The mechanic I use now does not have any apprentices. Why did you assume he did? Now, you will say that all the mechanics that you know have apprentices,...... but that does not automatically mean that every motor mechanic workshop in Australia has apprentices... some are sole operators. I had no apprentices in my business (not a mechanic) which required a trade qualification. I know basic tasks get farmed out to cheap labour, this has been happening since apprenticeships began, and not just in the automotive industry either. Wait until the day comes and you buy a house that a team of unsupervised apprentices have been let loose on..... fun galore... The wrong part is that businesses still charge the customer the full rate for a qualified tradesman when they use cheap labour and that is wrong. Nothing against apprentices either before that card is drawn.... :-) In addition... A close personal friend worked for a dealership (not Toyota) for over 30 years, he has since passed on. Another friend was the service manager for another dealership (not Toyota) for two years... they both tell the same story of funny / dodgy happenings on a regular basis. One little tale.... >> My neighbour... purchased a new 4wd... over time he had 5 expensive services at the local (not Toyota) dealership. On a long trip to outback SA it began acting up so he dropped into the local workshop at the next country town. They put it up on the hoist and called him in to show him that every filter in the vehicle was the one fitted at the Asian factory... even the oil filter! It does happen... I personally have been driving for nearly 50 years now so I am no teenager and I have had plenty of experiences with car dealerships in that time as well as the shafting that goes on with new car servicing. I didn't get off the bus yesterday :-) After all this.... back to the original topic... which was... I recommend trying a quality oil in your reasonably new Kluger, say 5/30 or 5/40 at your next service and tell me if the difference is NOT very noticeable. Do not ask for this to be done anywhere unless you can see that you are getting what you paid for because as we know many businesses and people cannot be trusted.

Hi Kenshin, I know for a fact that in my previous Toyota a dealer did use 20/50 oil and I only found that out by accident. What they tell you or write in your log book and what actually happens are two different things. I don't have to mark anything to see if they change it as where it will be done in future I will see it all happening. A Toyota dealer will never see my current car again unless it needs warranty work. The first service they put 60psi in all the tyre rather than the 40psi & scratched the rear bumper. The second service at another dealer they tried to convince me that my wipers needed replacing and would only cost $57! When I explained the car had only done 10k (was 20k service) was only 1 year old and spent 99% of its time under cover the subject went no further. Another benefit of not going to the Toyota dealer is that it now will be serviced by a mechanic and not an apprentice or labourer. I have nothing against apprentices but when you pay the labour rates for a mechanic you want a mechanic.

After having enough of being treated by dealerships like an inconvenience and a few other reasons I recently had my 3rd service on my Kluger done by an independent mechanic. Part of this service included the choice of oils, so I chose Penrite 5/30 as I felt whatever oil was used by the 2 previous dealerships was not the best. It was also recommended by the mechanic who was an ex Toyota employee BTW... I also suspected something was up because before the first service the car was much more economical and performed better on the factory oil than it did after the first dealer service using their oil. Turns out my suspicions were right... while the economy of the car was ok before it is now exceptional and also noticeably smoother and more powerful. This leads me to wonder ... what cheap crap were the dealers putting in it?? 20/50 ?? Guess who services my car in future...?

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/37295-toyota-or-after-market-sat-nav-for-kluger/ If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to the Toyota one.

How hard was it worked prior to your ownership is the important thing. As you have already figured, it has not been properly serviced (GOOD oil & filter). This can spell disaster with modern motors. Older cars were fine with a few flushes and new oil but tolerances and such things as VVTI do not take kindly to neglect and abuse. One good reason not to buy used unless you are 100% sure of the mechanical condition and maintenance. Maintained correctly they are very reliable and do run for a very long time without major repairs. Impossible to know what your problem is from here but blue smoke on first start is usually valve guides as you know... and that is the result of inefficient lubrication. Chances are it may not have had new oil since it left the factory 100,000 k's ago?? No log books with the car?? White smoke / steam within reason is normal starting from cold.

Mirrors on kxs are same width as kxr. Our roller door 2450mm and it fits with maybe 50mm either side. What is the width of your fence posts?????

Wont be seeing Pete on here for a while... he will be off driving that new Kluger :-) I still make up excuses to take it out for a spin.. LOL I got a nudge bar included in my deal Pete. They are pretty much cosmetic (wouldn't like to nudge anything with them) but it gives the front a bit of a dress up. Don't forget to post some pics. BTW... there is a Facebook site for Highlander/Kluger owners which you are welcome to join (i'm an admin on it :-) ) We love to see new owners pics on there and hear any stories etc... Anyone is welcome... need more aussies!! Mostly Canadian and US owners on there at the moment. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ToyotaHighlanderOwnersClub/?fref=ts (hope its ok to link to it on here... I tell them about this forum) Cheers.

That wheel aint going anywhere :-) Might fit a chain to mine tomorrow.

John... the cover looks a neat job. Would it be possible to use coach head bolts? These determined bogan scum pricks would be able to undo those nuts from the look of it? We must remember that from reports a lot of wheels go missing from places that have access to the inside of the car so they can just wind it down as normal. I had mine serviced recently and when I collected the car it was parked on the outer edge of the Toyota dealership carpark nearest the back street and it was left UNLOCKED. Before paying for the service I went out and lifted the bonnet and had a look over the car. No one approached me to see who I was or what I was doing. They don't care and take no care. For me the two best options are A. removing the spare completely (I have never had need to use one in 50 yrs of driving so why cart one around.. lucky huh) or B. A plastic coated chain and padlock. The latter one I would trust the most.

You don't have to get an original replacement. Go to a wreckers and get something that will fit that stud pattern. You only need it for emergency. You don't use the spare when you rotate the tyres.

The solutions so far... 1. Fit the winding socket and bar inside and leave it connected with some rag or foam over it to stop from rattling. 2. Remove the spare and leave it off. 3. Grind the 2 lugs off the underside of the winding pin to make it more difficult to attach any external winding device. 4. Fit a chain (plastic coated to prevent damage to the rim) and padlock. Not sure where the chain could be secured but there may be somewhere. From all reports it seems the most likely place for the spare to go missing is when it is left for servicing etc...

I have only had two servicing's done so far 10k & 20k and both were at the fixed rate of $170. Not too bad considering it is only an oil & filter change and rotate and balance the tyres. As you say, all the other stuff is fluff :-) At my last service they tried to say the wipers needed replacing but when I said the car is only one year old, only done 12K, lives in a garage and the wipers have only been used a few times the matter was forgotten. BTW.. a pair of new wipers from Toyota.. $57 !!! Re Dhous's transmission.. Current models have a "learning" transmission and I suspect yours may also. I found that after towing a caravan for a while that when it was unhitched it did take a while to find the happy change points again, which it did. There are many things that can change a trannys performance, engine tune, vacuum leak, incorrect fluid, etc.. Definitely a job for a specialist.

Hi Rick... I had a service last week and there is now a Castrol Magnatec sticker on the windscreen and the receipt says 10-30. If that is what they really used, who knows?? :-) :-) I would say that all dealers use what they can get the best deal $$$ on with their fuel and lubricants? Great mileage... btw, is yours 2wd or awd?

Sounds like someone has tried?? Was it the center piece or the whole cover? The center piece can fall off easily if not fitted properly. Did you have any form of lock on the wheel? They may have got disturbed in the act?? Anyway, you are lucky it seems. :-) I had mine serviced at a Toyota dealership last week and mentioned to them that I have checked the spare tyre and that they are liable for it while it is with them. They knew nothing of them being stolen... I said that they should check the internet then.

I wonder if there is much difference with the 2008 transmission vs the current models? For an awd those consumption figures are very good Dhous!!

Dan... Just a couple more things I have found that may be helpful... Tow bar (if fitted?) The lock pin for the draw bar is easily removed ... I fitted a small padlock through where the locking pin fits. Change holder door located just above right knee has a sharp top edge. If left open will give a nasty cut to the knee when entering the car. :-( Tyre pressure... I have changed my opinion on the 40psi originally recommended by the dealer... was a bit harsh so tried 37 and find it to be much better ride, handling and steering. (KXR with std 17" rims) It likes the best of the premium fuels. Tried some BP premium in it for the first time recently and was noticeably better than the Shell and Caltex premiums. Cheers all..

The solutions so far... 1. Fit the winding socket and bar inside and leave it connected with some rag or foam over it to stop from rattling. 2. Remove the spare and leave it off. 3. Grind the 2 lugs off the underside of the winding pin to make it more difficult to attach any external winding device. 4. Fit a chain (plastic coated to prevent damage to the rim) and padlock. Not sure where the chain could be secured but there may be somewhere. From all reports it seems the most likely place for the spare to go missing is when it is left for servicing etc...

Check the laws in NSW re driving with fog lights on, there are fines under certain conditions and they can be annoying to other motorists. Not really needed during the day, more of a "look at me" effect.