Toyota Previa 2.0 D4D

my toyota previa D-4-D is 2003 and still has not given problems, but now any turn latch alone and turns on the light stability control and no mechanic knows what it is!

Apart from the reliability the previa D-4-D is a great car. The turbo charger and heat exchanger blew catastrophically travelling through France when only 18months old but it was under warranty so we paid nothing. At 100,000 miles and 8 yrs old the car suddenly lost all pulling power. We have probably spent almost £4 - 5k over the past 2yrs changing mass air flow meters, suction control valves, fuel injectors, oil filters and avoided supermarket eco-diesel using a Toyota dealer. An independent mechanic then last month removed the exhaust pipe to check the catalytic converter and also felt the turbo-charger for movement. He discovered the Garrett turbo had excessive sideways movement which caused almost total power loss. A reconditioned turbo was fitted for £1,200 and the car is now accelerating as well as the day we bought it. As the air conditioning packed up last year and one of the sliding door locks hasn't worked for 2 years we now have a dilemma whether to spend a further £1k on repairs of just get rid of it. What a shame Toyota were so uninterested in sorting out all the power loss problems that have been reported with their D-4-D engine as we have lost all faith in Toyota as a result.

great car with lots of space and versatility but 1st set of tyres appeared to last 25k miles but were due to be replaced when we bought it at a year old and at 15k miles, next set lasted 1 year and did 6k miles and failed its mot on them, the current set are already down to 5 mil (from 8 new) and have done just 2k miles so far in 4 months even though we fill them up every 2 weeks so not looking good!!!! obviously an issue with the car is what we have been told and to be honest i'm a bit annoyed at having to spend hundreds of pounds every year on tyres.

2 years further on from 1st opinion, 100k & Toyota Previa is 7 years old now. Sticky rear door eventually fell off runner-after Toyota dealership "fixed it" with another shot WD40. Other rear door now going same way. £250 each side to get a door that works. Front discs again need replacing-£300. Air-con leaking from rear-up to £800 to sort. Best of all, front drive shafts apparently need replaced-£1300, but they,ll do it for £1100! Regularly serviced, not abused. Savanna referred to in previous review had 127k and 9 years old when we disposed of it & was still running around 5 years later, with no major mechanical failure. I don't buy into Toyota's vaunted reliability and this car is becoming uneconomic to keep on road.

Will probably sell mine after fixing. Have got loss of power problem (turbo unit) which is going to cost £2000+ to fix! Seems to be general fault so would not recommend.

Good car - sorry to see it go. The Toyota Previa is large, comfortable and reliable. Over five years I've done nearly 60000 miles and the kids have loved it. We've slept in it, and towed caravans and trailers with out problem.

I've never been one for keeping a car for a long time but I've enjoyed owning this one. It has been a great work-horse, moving across continents with a trailer attached and family on board, and I'll be sorry to trade it in. I hope the next one is as reliable and cheap to run.

If you need to travel with more than five the Toyota Previa is the best and most reliable mpv

Bought on Toyota reputation for reliability. No major mechanical disaster but heavy on tyres, front discs replaced under warranty at 30000 and again with rears at 60000. Sliding doors got sticky early on but only dangerously so near the end of the warranty period - one lock replaced under warranty but it only solved the problem for a few weeks and then it was out of warranty. Makes me wonder did they replace it or just throw in WD40. Lots of squeaks and rattles from trim. I also find a lot of road, wind and engine noise over 60mph, the latter due to low gearing as the D4D engine isn't actually that grunty - compare the torque/hp with the VW/Ford/Renault offerings. Overall quite disappointed in what was a premium priced MPV when new and I'm not sure I believe Toyota's vaunted reliability on this showing - I had a Renault Savanna prior to this and it never had any major mechanical failures either, though there were plenty of niggles.

First MPV I have owned or Toyota for that matter. So far in 10,000 miles I have encountered no real problems other than the above. D4D engine is responsive for size of vehicle and very economical on a run especially (40 mpg). Optional DVD ICE system is a hoot and SATNAV with the T-Spirit model is a boon and works well. Rear removable seats are heavy, but offer van like space once out. Dealer very experienced in Toyota range and very helpful with one or two minor teething problems. Loads of storage space and continent crossing degrees of comfort.