In January 2008 I traded my 100 series diesel Cruiser on a new 200 Series diesel VX model. This has turned out to be a very bad mistake. First problem - Toyota had no Toyota bull bars available - had to wait a few weeks then take the vehicle back to have it fitted. Some time later, when I expressed disappointment with fuel consumption, I was told, by Toyota service department, it was because I had a bull bar installed! Second problem - in April 2008 after about 5,000 ks it developed a transmission clunk. Took it back and was told it was because the Japanese didn't put enough grease in something or other. Grease was applied and problem fixed but other owners I have spoken to told me they had transmissoin parts replaced when the clunk occurred. In July 2008, at 80 Mile Beach, the Master Warning Light came on. We couldn't work out what it was warning us about. The manual tells us to immediately take vehicle to ANY Toyota dealer. I rang Toyota, Port Headland and was told they couldn't help until mid-September and this was 12 July do you mind. Karratha told us they could help in three weeks time. Rang Toyota Roadside Assistance which I had been told I was automatically a member of. They told me I was not a member and I should discuss this with the dealer. They were kind enough to put me onto a technical guru who told us not to worry it was probably just some dust in thecircuitry somewhere. Must have right because the light went off. I then rang Toyota, Carnarvon and they were happy to book me in for a service and problem solve in four days. Wonderful - they were only about 1100 ks away. So, away we went and propped the first night at Robourne. Away early next morning and ten ks ouf of Robourne the engine oil warning light came on. I stopped immediately and pulled the dip stick - NOTHING. Called out RACWA from Karratha. Very helpful. Determined there was still oil in the sump but couldn't say how much. Then added oil bit by bit until dip stick showed it was full. Pulled in to Toyota Karratha, told the story and asked that they log the incident in their computer system. The guy refused saying he didn't have time to raise a work order! I purchased oil and left. We made it to Carnarvon where they drained TWELVE litres of oil from the sump - the manual states it holds 9 Litres! No one could explain this. After that I had on-going excessive oil consumption and was put onto the Toyota oil monitoring program which meant I had to take it in every time the level got half way down the dip stick. Eventually I was told my vehicle qualified to have a replacement engine oil vaccuum pump replaced but they were waiting for them to come from Japan. I got used to adding oil on long trips. In November 2008, in Coff's Harbour, a recall notice caught up with me - they had reports of the engines dying at low revs eg at traffic lights etc and they needed to tweak the engine computer. It had never happenned to me but I had it done anyway. Had a pretty good run until about June 2009 when I received another recall to inspect bull bar mountings because some had cracked after a lot of driving on heavily corrugated roads which I had never done. They told me mine did have some cracks and they were fixed. August 2009 another recall to fix bull bar mounts. They required the car for ONE WEEK but did give me a replacement Prado. Got it back and later received an undated letter thanking me for my cooperation and stating the chassis warranty had been extended to ten years from date of purchase. (I have since been told unofficially that the reason they needed the car for a week was because they remove the entire body from the chassis to do the job.) 18 Jan 2010, 85 ks west of Mundrabilla - warning light with message Fuel Filter Service Required (or words to that effect). No mechanic at Mundrabilla. RACWA mechanic at Eucla determined there was no water in the fuel system but couldn't help much more than that. Toyota Ceduna (the light stayed on all the way)replaced the fuel filter saying mine was black and I must have picked up dirty fuel on the Nullarbor. Subsequent enquiries reveal the fuel filter is never inspected at any service and by this time I had done about 45,000 ks and had all services done and all by Toyota. February 2010 in Geelong I was advised my vaccuum pump had arrived at my home Toyota people in WA. Eventually pursuaded them to send it to Geelong where Toyota installed it. The oil consumption is still more than I would like but vastly improved. (My 100 series never used a drop.) 13 March 2010, 55 ks east of Norseman on the Eyre Highway I lost all of the engine coolant. The top tank of the radiator is plastic and there is what appears to be an extruded spigot attached to a thin hose coming from the coolant top up tank. That spigot had sheared off flush with the tank wall. A Good Samaritan took a message into Norseman for us and long after dark the RACWA breakdown truck arrived. We loaded the Cruiser onto the truck and towed the van behind. Spent the night in the van in middle of the main street of Norseman. Next day told we had to go to Kalgoorlie. Some argy-bargy on the phone with RACWA but they agreed to take the car to Toyota in Kalgoorlie but would not give us accommodation (not a big deal) or a replacement hire car. The Norseman RAC agents very kindly loaned us one of their own personal cars to have until our was repaired. Anyway, the cruiser had to have a new radiator fitted after it arrived from Perth. We got home three days late but at least we made it. Now, what peeves me most about this whole sorry episode is not so much the huge amount of money I inversted in what I thought was going to be the most luxurious car I have ever owned and which would see us through our travelling days but the fact that Toyota just couldn't care less! I have written numerous letters all addressed to The Manager, Toyota Australia - as a matter ocourtesy - but never had a reply from him/her. The best I could expect is letters from "Customer Experience Consultants" who do not address the issues I raise and just feed me a lot of spin and bulldust. And they usually take three or more months and at least one reminder letter to bother replying. I wrote to Toyota about the radiator issue on 24 March with two follow up letters and got a response by e-mail from a "Customer Experience Consultant", sent on 4th June, that did not address the issues and insulted me by saying she would send a $100 voucher to be spent at any Toyota dealer "as a gesture of good will". I have since written to the boss cocky of the Toyota Motor Company in Japan but I do not expect any joy from him. Make of this what you will. I would be interested to hear from other 200 series owners with either good or bad experiences.
