A few potential faults on the Toyota Prado

 

Toyota Prado 3.0 D4D

Many Prado owners will look at you and ask: “Prado problems? What Prado problems?” Some are even as witty to say that the only Prado problem they have is to fill it up at a filling station…

The new Prado retains the 120 kW (400 Nm) 3.0 D4D turbo diesel with five speed automatic transmission. This vehicle is another tough nut to crack, with one reporting that in the five years he owned a Prado, he did his best to break it, but it just don’t want to cease being the Superman it was built to be. The question is, is it as tough as everybody say, or does it have its Kryptonite moments?

Research could not identify the common 3.0 D4D engine problems (identified with the Hilux 3.0 D4D & Fortuner 3.0 D4D) to be present in the Prado’s 3.0 D4D. The only issues that could be identified were the following:

 

Radiator Issues

It was reported that some owners experienced problems with split radiators. Radiator issues may result in huge damage because of overheating. As precautionary measures, have your radiator and its pipes frequently checked for cracks and leaks. It will also be wise to replace the coolant at least every 80 000 km. As a precaution also consider replacing your Prado’s water pump and thermostat at approximately 175 000 km. Preventative maintenance can save yourself a lot of trouble. Steves Auto Clinic proud themselves in performing preventative checks during scheduled services.

 

Toyota Prado 4.0 V6

What is seemingly true of the Prado 3.0 D4D is equally true of the 4.0 V6. With its 202 kW power and 381 Nm torque, this vehicle’s engine has been baptized by some as being bulletproof. Almost nothing can be said regarding anything major that went wrong on the Prado V6.

There was a report of someone who experienced overheating after having owned the Prado for ten trouble-free years.

To repeat what was said relating to the Prado 3.0 D4D – radiator issues may result in huge damage because of overheating. As precautionary measures, have your radiator and its pipes frequently checked for cracks and leaks. It will also be wise to replace the coolant at least every 80 000 km. As a precaution also consider replacing your Prado’s water pump and thermostat at approximately 175 000 km. Preventative maintenance can save yourself a lot of trouble.

Another issue that was identified was the possibility of power steering leakages. At higher mileages (125 000 – 150 000 km) the power steering pump may begin to leak and could require replacement. Bring your vehicle to your nearest SAC workshop where professionally trained technicians will take a look at these.

 

Related Articles:
A few potential faults on the Toyota Fortuner 4.0 V6
A few potential faults on the Toyota Fortuner 3.0 D4D
A few potential faults on the Toyota Hilux 2.5 D4D
My Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D and the setbacks I may encounter as its owner!

 

Within the above article, potential problems, causes and fixes have been identified as founded on the experience of vehicle owners and repairers, online sources such as discussion blogs, technical service bulletins and SAC experience. This information is provided solely for reference purposes. SAC strictly instruct readers that only properly qualified individuals should carry out repairs and/or modifications on your vehicles. It should also be made clear that the number of times an item is identified within this discussion should by no way be seen as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur. Two of the exact same vehicles, owned by tow entirely different owners, driven in entirely different ways and on different terrains, and looked after in their own unique ways, will each behave differently. As mentioned, this information is provided solely for reference purposes but we hope – in the process of doing so – to empower you with relevant information which may enable you to make informative decisions whenever you experience any of the mentioned setbacks.