(first generation);

Toyota Avensis T250
Specifications:
body	Four-door sedan
Number of doors	4
number of seats	5
length	4640 mm
width	1760 mm
height	1480 mm
wheelbase	2700 mm
front track	1520 mm
rear track	1520 mm
ground clearance	155 mm
trunk volume	520 l
engine layout	front transversely
engine's type	4-cylinder, gasoline, injection, four-stroke
engine capacity	1998 cm 3
Power	147/5700 hp at rpm
Torque	196/4000 N*m at rpm
Valves per cylinder	4
KP	five-speed manual
Front suspension	on McPherson struts
Rear suspension	double wishbone
shock absorbers	hydraulic, double acting
Front brakes	disc, ventilated
Rear brakes	disk
Fuel consumption	8.1 l/100 km
maximum speed	210 km/h
years of production	2002-2009
type of drive	front
Curb weight	1315 kg
acceleration 0-100 km/h	9.4 sec

At the end of 2002, the premiere of the second Toyota generations Avensis. Sales started in March 2003. Like many Toyota models of that time, the design was developed in a European vein by the ED2 studio, as a result of which there was nothing Japanese left in the exterior of the car.
Initially, 4 engines were offered: 1.6 and 1.8 of the ZZ family, 2.0 liter of the D4 family (with direct injection fuel), as well as a diesel engine of the D-4D family of the same volume. Production was established at a factory in England. In comparison with the previous generation model, a step forward in the field of safety has been taken. In 2003, the car earned 34 out of 36 cylinders in a crash test according to the Euroncap method, which at that time was considered one of best results. Security guards were such systems as ABS, EBD,, VSC, TRC. Avensis was equipped with seven airbags, including the driver's knee airbag. Later, the list of available engines was replenished with diesels of the D-CAT family, as well as gasoline engine family D4 with a volume of 2.4 liters. The main idea of ​​the D-CAT diesel was to reduce harmful emissions by half: the power and torque were the same as those of the D-4D family of diesels.
The secret of such environmental friendliness lay in the DPNR (Diesel Particulate NOx Reduction) system, which was a filter-catalyst that reduces the emission of particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. It is noteworthy that not a single element of the DPNR system needed to be replaced during the entire life of the vehicle. Avensis easily stepped into the Euro-4 environmental class. Even diesel engines of the D-4D generation were not supplied to Russia, not to mention D-CAT.
Two bodies were offered: a sedan and a station wagon (in Europe there was also a hatchback). The choice was offered MKP-5 or AKP-4, and later the list was replenished with AKP-5. In 2006, a restyling of the model was carried out: a bumper and radiator screen acquired similarity with Camry elements, the headlights sparkled with fashionable "lens" optics, the lights were hidden behind a common transparent glass, and LED turn indicators appeared in the larger mirror housings. Changed minor details in the interior. In 2009, the third generation Avensis was introduced.

Engines:
1.6 (110 HP)
1.8 (129 HP)
2.0 (147 HP)
2.4 (163 HP)
2.0 D-4D (116 HP)
2.2 D-4D (148 - 175 hp)

Subsequent generations:
Toyota Avensis T270 (third generation)

Good afternoon. In today's entry, I will tell you about the weak points of the 2003-2008 Toyota Avensis. The article will be useful to everyone who evaluates the feasibility of purchasing this car. We will agree on the shore - the article was written by a reseller, so you will not find layouts for the price of ownership, but what it costs and what to look for when buying is described quite objectively.

Motorists are used to believing that there is nothing in the world. On the one hand, cars Japanese company indeed, they lead many reliability ratings and fail noticeably less often than most classmates, but in reality it turns out that the operation of the “Japanese” cannot be called completely problem-free. Weaknesses or features in the design Toyota cars is also enough. And a clear example of this is the second generation Toyota Avensis, which debuted in 2003 and is still in stable demand in the used car market.

Body and interior.

To the body Japanese car there are no complaints, but there is one for its front optics. Not only do Avensis headlights often fog up, but also the reflector mirror in them crumbles after 2-3 years of car operation. As a result, the headlights no longer properly illuminate the road. In addition, after 7-9 years of operation on a Toyota Avensis, the headlight washer motor usually fails. It is for this reason that it is extremely rare to find live headlights during disassembly, and what the Chinese offer is only suitable for appearance when selling because shines pretty bad.

The salon of the second generation Toyota Avensis does not begin to creak even with age, however, even without this, there are enough claims against it. So, for example, after 100 thousand kilometers driver's seat in a Japanese car, it begins to squeeze through, and clearly visible scuffs appear on its upholstery. By the same run, many Avensis owners begin to complain about problems with the correct distribution of air flows during the operation of the air conditioner. This happens due to a failure of the damper drive. In addition, you should be prepared for the fact that the heater motor will refuse to work at all. The reason for this is worn motor brushes.

A little later, Avensis begins to grieve with more serious problems. After 150-200 thousand kilometers on a Japanese car, the air conditioning compressor may fail. And that's not all. Although you can call the failure of resistors in electrical circuits a serious problem, you still have to spend time and money to eliminate this malfunction.

Engines and their disadvantages.

The most popular engine installed on the second generation Toyota Avensis is the 1.8-liter petrol “four” (129 Horse power). And to call it reliable and unpretentious will not work even with a stretch. Due to a design miscalculation, power units that were assembled before 2005,. On some cars, oil consumption reached one liter per thousand kilometers, which exceeds all reasonable limits.

Over time, the Japanese have finalized the design of oil scraper rings and pistons, which solved the problem. However, other problems remain. The main one is bullies connecting rod bearings, which appear after 80-90 thousand kilometers. In addition, owners of the second generation Toyota Avensis should be prepared for the characteristic diesel engine that may appear after a run of 70-100 thousand kilometers. It occurs on cold engine and indicates the need to replace the tensioner drive belt mounted units.

A two-liter gasoline unit (147 horsepower), although demanding on fuel quality, however, in terms of reliability, it looks a little better engine volume of 1.8 liters. The most a big problem two-liter Avensis engine - pulling and stripping the threads of the cylinder head bolts. In fairness, it should be said that mass distribution this problem I didn't, but the fact remains. So, owners of Avensis with a two-liter engine can also buy a used car and, after some time, fork out for a very expensive repair.

The 2.4-liter engine (163 horsepower) under the hood of the Toyota Avensis is not very common. And the more embarrassing. Indeed, in terms of reliability, this particular power unit seems optimal. Only after 150-200 thousand kilometers does it begin to eat up oil. Its consumption, however, rarely exceeds a couple of liters per ten thousand kilometers.

Diesels.

Diesel engines were also installed on the second generation Toyota Avensis, but cars with them are extremely rare in our market. Yes, and there is no point in buying them, since modern diesel power units are extremely sensitive to fuel quality, and after 150-200 thousand kilometers they will certainly be upset by problems with the EGR valve. By cons diesel engines Avensis can also be attributed to the fact that most non-core mechanics are practically unfamiliar with them.

Transmission weaknesses.

Gearboxes installed on a Japanese car also cannot boast high reliability. for example, it may start to buzz after 60-100 thousand kilometers. The reason for this is the bearings of the primary and secondary shafts. And the worst thing is that you can’t delay the repair, because in the worst case, the delay can result in the box jamming. After 100-150 thousand kilometers, Avensis owners with mechanical box shifters begin to notice that shifting gears requires increased effort. After another 50 thousand kilometers, it is time to replace the clutch. Against this background, gear shifting looks much more preferable. She does not cause any particular problems.

Weak suspension points.

In the suspension of a Japanese car, the struts and bushings are the first to surrender. front stabilizer. They withstand no more than 20-40 thousand kilometers. Racks and bushings rear stabilizer last about twice as long. The rest of the "consumables" are even more reliable. Wheel bearings on the "second" Avensis can withstand at least 150-200 thousand kilometers. Suspension arms with shock absorbers have approximately the same resource.

Steering.

In the steering of a Japanese car, an electric booster is considered a weak point, which was installed on the version with a 1.8-liter engine. Already after 30-50 thousand kilometers, when turning the steering wheel, the owners of this version of Avensis can hear clicks or plastic crackling, which indicates a backlash in the worm pair. As for the steering tips, they usually withstand at least 100-120 thousand kilometers.

Conclusion.

It seems that the second generation Avensis was not designed by Toyota engineers at all, but by someone else. Weaknesses in the design Japanese sedan even too much. The only joy is that Toyota gradually corrected the existing shortcomings. So if you buy a second generation Toyota Avensis, then it is better to opt for the freshest cars. Most of the "children's" problems on them have already been resolved.

In conclusion, I suggest you watch this video review of the second generation Avensis:

That's all I have today. If you want to supplement an article about the weak points of the 2003-2008 Toyota Avensis, leave comments and share your experience.

Rare engines 1.6 3ZZ-FE (110 hp) and the most popular 1.8 - 1ZZ-FE (129 hp) until 2005 suffered from oil burn problems. Toyota obviously picked the wrong one piston rings, but over time this problem was eliminated. Most of the engines of the early Avensis are already overhauled, although the quality of these repairs remains in question. The difficulty of restoring the dead options is aggravated by the fact that there are no repair sizes of the pistons here, and there are also no valve seats, they are adjacent directly to the cylinder head, therefore, in case of critical wear, the block must be sleeved, and the "head" is changed in assembly.
- The timing chain on ZZ-motors has an unpredictable resource, but you can focus on the number 120-150, while listening to extraneous sounds in the cold.
- There are no hydraulic lifters either, so once every 100 thousand prepare money for the selection of pushers in height and their adjustment thermal gap in the valve mechanism.
- On AZ-motors, the oil-burning problem is not typical and the chain runs longer - an average of 200 or more thousand, although you can’t call it eternal either. This also applies to 2.0 (1AZ-FE / 1AZ-FSE 147-155 hp) and 2.4 (2AZ-FE / 2AZ-FSE 163 hp).
- The 2-liter engines had another problem with spontaneously loosening cylinder head bolts. So if you see a leak from under the "head", but the owner does not know anything about the repair with thread reinforcement (this was also done under warranty), replacing the gasket may not be enough.
- The main trouble is that most of the "senior" engines here with direct injection D4. The cost of the pump and injectors are high, with a cold start there are problems, the valves are covered with soot faster, and in the case of frequent trips over short distances in winter without warming up, the upper part of the cylinders also suffers from a lack of lubrication. In general, as already mentioned, it is worth looking for an option with distributed injection.
- Diesel engines are presented in two series: 1CD-FTV (2.0 116 hp) belt motor, as well as three chain ones - 1AD-FTV (2.0 124 hp), 2AD-FTV (2.2, 150 hp) and 2AD-FHV (2.2 173 hp), the latter with expensive piezoelectric injectors instead of electromagnetic ones and a cunning D-CAT multi-stage exhaust cleaning system. As already mentioned, it is not worth messing with diesel engines due to the very high cost of fuel system components.
- In addition to the standard problems, 1CD-FTV also has a clearly overestimated timing belt replacement schedule. He does not always nurse 150 thousand - it is better to reduce it, moreover, twice.
- AD series motors have another problem - too aggressive EGR mode, which dosed so much exhaust into the intake that carbon formation exceeded all expectations. Cleaning the EGR should take place here at every MOT. Additionally, AD motors are also notorious for weak cylinder head gaskets - watch out for antifreeze leaks.

The 2nd generation Toyota Avensis family (factory index T250) appeared before the public in 2003, and in 2006 the car underwent a planned upgrade that affected the exterior, interior and technical component. The model lasted on the assembly line until 2008, after which a new generation was released.

The 2nd generation Avensis was available in three body styles, namely a sedan, a five-door liftback and a station wagon.

The length of the D-class machine is from 4630 to 4700 mm, height - from 1480 to 1525 mm, width - 1760 mm. The parameters of the wheelbase and ground clearance do not depend on the body solution - 2700 mm and 150 mm, respectively. The curb weight of the "Japanese" varies from 1245 to 1305 kg.

For the second generation Toyota Avensis, four petrol and the same number of diesel engines were offered. The gasoline part consists of atmospheric "fours" with a working volume of 1.6 to 2.4 liters, which produce from 110 to 163 horsepower and from 150 to 230 Nm of torque.
The line of turbodiesels includes four-cylinder engines with a volume of 2.0-2.2 liters and a potential of 114-174 "horses", generating 250-400 Nm of maximum torque.
The units went in tandem with a 5-speed “mechanics”, a 5- or 6-band “automatic”, but the drive was only front.

The “second” Avensis is based on the Toyota MC front-wheel drive platform, which implies the presence suspension struts McPherson on the front axle and multi-link design with steer effect on rear axle. The steering mechanism of the car is equipped with an electric amplifier, and all wheels are braking devices with discs (front - ventilated) and anti-lock braking system.

The advantages of the 2nd generation Avensis include a solid appearance, a roomy and high-quality interior, a comfortable suspension, stable behavior on the road, good equipment, inexpensive service and availability of spare parts.

The disadvantages of the car are weak head light (regular), modest ground clearance, mediocre dynamics and imperfect sound insulation.

Almost all cars are front wheel drive. All-wheel drive, too, can not be afraid, everything is there, like a “rafik”, but they are extremely rare. In addition, these are exclusively sedans with not too powerful motors. At the same time, Avensis is one of the few cars that have more problems with manual transmissions than with automatic transmissions.

Avensis has one interesting feature. In all cars with "stock" motors, drives rarely break. Sometimes CV joints fail, occasionally cuts off the splines of the drives. But for the “stick” of the drive itself to break in half - this only happens with Toyota. The reason lies in the corrosion of the part under the overlay-load. Corrosion sharpens an already lightweight shaft, and when driving through irregularities with traction or slipping, this shaft breaks. Fortunately, contract details with Toyota Wish in the back of ZNE10G. The Fielder 123 will work too: it's inexpensive, and the part is usually in excellent condition. Buying the original is only new, all "used" ones are affected by corrosion to one degree or another. These same parts will come in handy in case of failure of the original CV joints, which are also quite flimsy here.

As I said, there are enough problems with the manual transmission. Basically, the bearing of the secondary shaft fails under the number 90903-63010, more precisely, its "ancestor" 90080-36139. But there are also difficulties with oil leaks through the shaft seals. Unfortunately, if you do not go to the service at the first suspicious noises, there will be nothing to repair: the remnants of the dead bearing will sail through the box, disabling the rest of the bearings, gears and, finally, the differential. You can guess from which cars the boxes fit if you read the paragraph about drives and CV joints. The original ones with Avensis are again quite scarce.

In principle, the cost of repairs in any case will not be too high. That contract boxes, that small repairs are inexpensive, in the range of 15-40 thousand rubles with work. But already somehow there are too many problems for a reliable brand, isn't it?

If you do not want difficulties, then you can take a car with automatic transmission. With a little bit of care, there will be no problems, especially since the oil here, according to the regulations, is changed quite often, at the boxes good system cooling and conservative settings. With 1.8 liter engines, the U341E mainly works, and the stronger U140 / U241E is put on the two-liter ones. But the 2.4-liter engines rely on a five-speed automatic transmission of the U151E series.

Everything automatic boxes gears are considered almost eternal. In any case, they are more reliable than motors and, with normal maintenance, will go far beyond 300 thousand kilometers. They have little wear on the gas turbine engine blocking pads, they have good and strong mechanics. But, unfortunately, everything can be broken.

Four-speed U140 / U241 - the boxes are strong, they can withstand engines up to three liters of working volume. Two-liter for them - not a problem at all. But the front planetary gear set, due to the peculiarities of the lubrication system, always fails before the rest of the elements, especially if the driver did not spare the gearbox and engine.

From purely resource problems, one can encounter wear on the rear cover, which also depends on loads and driving style, but also does not forgive contaminated oil. After the rear cover wears out, a pressure leak finishes off the Direct clutch package and seat his drum. And, of course, for boxes operated with dirty oil, the oil pump bushing or the oil pump itself usually fails.

Much more often, the “first bell” manifests itself in the form of malfunctions in the valve body. His problems are directly related to the wear of the gearbox mechanics and oil contamination. Usually the main problem is contamination and erosion of the channels of the solenoids. For their repair, there are recovery kits from Sonnax, but most often “used” valve bodies are simply selected: there are still enough parts, and repair requires a high production culture, as a result of which not all workshops can do it.

U341E boxes are the same U140 in miniature. They have exactly the same difficulties with overloading the front planetary gear and with the back cover. But the valve body is somewhat more reliable and causes less trouble. Their resource is definitely no less than that of their older brother, so you can safely take it. Just check the cleanliness of the oil and listen at low speeds for a “trolleybus” sound in first or second gears.

The five-speed U151E is designed for more aggressive driving. In many ways, it is similar to four-speed gearboxes, but with its own characteristics.

The gas turbine engine blocking pads here wear out quite quickly, especially with an aggressive driving style. Already after 150 thousand run, it is necessary to carefully monitor the contamination of the oil in order to prevent their "operation" to the adhesive layer.

The Forward clutch package is heavily overloaded and very sensitive to pressure loss. And they happen for the same reasons as the four-speed counterparts: mainly due to wear on the rear cover and drum seals of the forward package.

Pictured: Toyota Avensis "2003–08

Much more often you can meet the destruction of the needle bearing of the cover. But planetary gears are loaded more evenly, and problems with them happen less often.

The valve body also turned out to be more sensitive to contamination and more expensive to restore than four-stage boxes. The box requires more careful maintenance, but can better withstand the increased loads from the "racers".

It is much more expensive to repair. But the maximum resource of the mechanism is still high, it's just that the conditions for achieving it are noticeably tougher. Change the oil more often, preferably every 30 thousand kilometers, and keep it clean. And here a large external radiator and an external box filter would be useful, as on others five-speed gearboxes Aisin.

Motors

Toyota engines are considered one of the most reliable. True, a lot of tales are associated with the engines of the 1ZZ series, as well as with direct injection D4. And not all of these stories are lies. To the credit of the company, it must be said that in any case, the layout solutions and workmanship are very high, and other brands have a lot to learn. But there is no legendary reliability here at all. Moreover, catalysts, exhaust, supports, cooling systems and even wiring are already entering the time of withering, complicating and shortening the life of motors.

The most common Avensis engine- This is a 1.8-liter engine of the 1ZZ-FE series. A lot of swear words have been said about him. It is now obvious that real problems motor is an unsuccessful piston group until 2005, a small resource of the timing chain, the absence of repair dimensions and the absence of full-fledged valve seats in the cylinder head.

Timing chain 2AZ-FE 2.4

original price

5 188 rubles

The lightweight cylinder block also turned out to be very sensitive to overheating, which even caused serious condemnation of Open-Deck designs in general among Toyota drivers.

The situation is noticeably improved by a reliable control system, inexpensive spare parts and its prevalence. Besides, there are cast iron sleeves, which are damaged only during long-term work with fixed rings. In extreme cases, the sleeve is cut out and the motor is sleeved again. True, the fragile design of the block makes this operation rather complicated.

Having bought a dead unit, you will find out that there are no repair sizes, and if there are cracks on the valves and their seats are “killed”, then you will be offered to immediately change the cylinder head: there are no classic cast-iron seats.

Pictured: Toyota Avensis Sedan "2003–06

Valve seals sit loosely, and the increased temperature of the cylinder head reduces their service life to four to five years.

But the chain is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace - only a little more expensive than replacing the belt.

oil pump

original price

3 061 ruble

The main complaint about the motor is a tendency to oil appetite. And in general, he is not as reliable as expected from him (this is sarcasm). But, as they say, these are your expectations and your problems. For many owners, these motors have traveled 250-350 thousand kilometers without major repairs, which means that the potential of the motor is not bad. With a new or modified piston group (some owners simply drill holes to drain the oil from oil scraper ring or change it to a wider type-setting), after careful assembly and with a timely replaced catalyst, the engine can go another couple of hundred thousand kilometers. But for this, you will have to service it in time and prevent overheating of the oil in the crankcase by installing "protections" and long-term work on idling with air conditioning on. In extreme cases, you can buy a contract unit very cheaply. Pretty much the price of metal.

Pictured: Toyota Avensis Wagon "2003–06

On the Avensis T250, you can find instances of a motor with pistons of the “problematic” series 13101-22031 with a moderate oil appetite, which, at the slightest overheating or an unsuccessful choice of oil, strives to develop into a serious one. It is highly recommended to "upgrade" to 13101-22032 or, if possible, even 13101-22140/13101-22142/13101-22180. Cars up to 2006 are at risk model year. But it’s also not worth counting on the complete absence of problems in more recent engines: the problem was complex, and the manufacturer tried to solve it until the end of the production of this series of engines in 2013.

Pictured: Toyota Avensis Wagon "2006–08

"Small" versions of this 1.6-liter 3ZZ-FE series engine inherit mainly positive traits motor 1.8 l. The oil appetite is much less pronounced and manifests itself mainly after runs over 250 thousand, the cylinder head works more reliably, and even the chain runs longer. But there are cars with this engine extremely rarely and in very simple configurations.

The two-liter 1AZ-FE engine is traditionally considered more reliable than the 1.8-liter. And therefore, many willingly overpay for a more powerful modification. However, even here it was not without a few “buts”.

European cars relied on a motor not only with conventional distributed injection, but also with direct injection 1AZ-FSE. His fuel equipment differs by a noticeably higher price, increased complexity in diagnostics and frankly poor starting qualities in winter. In addition, these motors, when operated in short trips and in winter period the output of the cylinder in the upper part is noticeably increased due to the ingress of a large amount of gasoline.

Radiator

original price

31 926 rubles

The early series of engines, up to the restyling of 2006, are very prone to “pulling out” the threads of the cylinder head bolts from the block, and therefore the craftsmen are extremely reluctant to repair them. And if the antifreeze has already flowed, and the engine has overheated, then the block will most likely have to be replaced.

In principle, the engines of this series do not have unsolvable problems, especially if the injection is conventional distributed, and if desired, even the cylinder block can be repaired, but when buying, you need to be aware of these features. In addition, engines have two catalysts and four lambdas, they are prone to increased carbon formation during intake manifold. And FSE versions suffer from very serious soot on the valves. Repair dimensions piston group are also missing. In short, 1AZ engines after 2006 are indeed quite “Toyota” in terms of reliability, but only with conventional injection. Otherwise, you need to be prepared for surprises.

Undoubted advantages include good resource piston group.

Motors of the 2AZ-FE and 2AZ-FSE series repeat 1AZ, but there are no problems with the thread of the cylinder block, but balance shafts have been added. The resource of the piston group is on average a little higher, and in general this is the most reliable motor FE versions on Avensis. But it is also the rarest.

Pictured: Toyota Avensis Sedan "2006–08

Diesel engines are rare, but there are a lot of problems with them. This is clearly not Toyota's forte. Leave them to European users.

Summary

I think it is now clear why the Avensis is not as popular as the Camry. The brand pulls the price up, but there is no real reliability and legendary “indestructibility” here. And the difference in price with the larger Camry for new cars was practically absent. But a larger car was equipped with much more interesting power units and was generally more reliable ...