Hi all, we've been looking at a toyota estima 96 with 123,000kms on the clock. It's a 2.2 diesel. Does anyone know if they are any good or had any experience with them! Someone has just told us to stay away from the diesel ones unless the motor is 3 litres or over as anything under has lots of problems. Can anyone confirm this! Cheers
gammelvind,
Feb 19, 12:17am
Check search box <<<<< but in brief the deisel engine on them is prone to head problems. Useful vehicles though, we bought a petrol one based on what was said here on the mb.
intrade,
Feb 19, 12:25am
they are the worst poo that toyota ever manufactured. estima -enema
sheepey,
Feb 19, 12:27am
They suffer from cooling system issues born from the engine being on it's side.They have a bad name due to the "lack of maintenance rendering the radiators blocked and causing this issue. This in mind they still travel close to 200,000 k's before they crack heads, they perform great and are cheap to run, imo i believe the savings against the petrol version would more than cover the repairs. Next you will be told how unsafe they are, vehicles were never designed to be aimed at each other, should we all drive tanks! I think they do a good job and represent good value for money, that said i would probably buy one cheap that has already failed and repair it, new head, belts etc and a new radiator, you will know what you have for around the same cost!
sheepey,
Feb 19, 12:27am
Only when you've played with them.like everything else!
taipan4,
Feb 19, 12:36am
the earlier ones were mid engined and the water pump was remote on a long shaft (I think0 Perhaps go for a later one with the motor up front
gorgie14b,
Feb 19, 12:58am
I owned one. Useful vehicle, but do a search on trademe under cars for wrecking and you will see great numbers of them with a common fault of blown motor due to head gasket troubles. Would advise you if considerign one to both check its service history and get a pre-purchase inspection done by someone competent who can assess for signs of upcoming motor trouble (ie a real inspection not an AA one). I didn't do this to my peril (serves me right) and I have a nice grey one on my lawn doubling as a garden shed coz it has a blown head gasket. Due to the mid mounted design, and high cost of parts it worked out uneconomic to fix.
gorgie14b,
Feb 19, 1:16am
p.s. With the rear seats removed they do make really good, albeit expensive garden sheds.
mugenb20b,
Feb 19, 3:57am
Yep, I had one. I bought it off a customer who broke a cambelt (which is an expensive job in itself). I put a new head and cambelt and shit on. Went OK, was practical, but most examples are neglected. They crack cylinder heads when over heated, and are prone to injector pump leakage. Either way, each one of the repairs will cost more than the vehicle, Clunky fron suspension is common, but easily fixed (sway bar bushes). Radiator needs cleaning out every 2 years, but, of course, no one bothers.
Please, do yourself a favour and look for something else, they were good in their day, but they are too old now and very unsafe in a crash. If you must buy one, get the NZ new wide body 2.4 petrol Previa (not Estima). They are wider and longer than the one you're looking at.
mugenb20b,
Feb 19, 4:00am
No, the water pump was cambelt driven (2C-T and 2C-TE diesel). The SADS shaft was driving all the bullshit, like alternator, A/C, and P/S.
sheepey,
Feb 19, 4:50am
As i said if you grab a late 90's one in tidy nic with the cracked head and pay only a couple of hundy for it, get it fixed properly you will have a reliable van for not much money.Fit a bleeder on the top heater hose, get the radiator cleaned every couple of years and you're sorted. A new (gen) head can be had for around $700 so for under 3kit stacks up well.
taipan4,
Feb 19, 4:54am
yupI knew there was some remote drives
sheepey,
Feb 19, 5:13am
They're 3ct and 3cte motors in estimas.
mugenb20b,
Feb 19, 6:19am
So they are. *facepalm*.
loulou104,
Feb 19, 11:33pm
We have around $4000 to spend and with our 4th child on the way we'd like a van with 7 or 8 seats. We don't know much about vehicles but when we've spoken to people who know about vehicles they have told us toyota or nissan. We found a toyota estima that was in our price range and had low k's but now we're being told don't go there. We currently have our 3 kids crammed into the back of our little hatchback and are pretty desperate to get something. Any suggestions are helpful. We're willing to travel as far as Christchurch for the right van. (we're in Dunedin) Thanks
intrade,
Feb 19, 11:57pm
4 grant only gets you crap these days you would want a townace noha petrol. but you will only get a 90s townace for 4 grandunless you are lucky to find somone who has not realised that cars and vans have gone up and up in asking prices.
mugenb20b,
Feb 20, 7:16am
I would be looking at Toyota Ipsum, '97 models, good cars but small boot when the back seats are up. Or, a Nissan Prairie, also good cars as long as it had regular services.
loulou104,
Feb 20, 7:51am
Thanks, i'll have a look.
loulou104,
Feb 20, 7:59am
What about nissan serena's! Are they any good!
mugenb20b,
Feb 20, 8:11am
Yes, but the 2.0 litre petrol engine they have, is the same as Prairie, Primera and Bluebird. The SR20DE, which NEEDS regular oil changes. If you're looking at buying one, take the oil filler cap off and look for any signs of sludge or gritty sh. (sorry, can't swear, had too many warnings.). If you see any, walk away, but it's important that you get it checked out by your local garage before you hand your money over. Unfortunately, a lot of these cars have been abused.
Another problem the Serena has (but easily remedied), is its rear suspension. They have a fibreglass transverse leaf spring that sags and causes the rear wheels to change angle, due to extreme camber. So put some big kids in the rearmost seat and stand behind the vehicle, say 5 metres away. The rear wheels should look upright like this > I----I not /----\
Hopefully that makes sense :)
sheepey,
Feb 20, 7:09pm
Driving a Serena is like quenching the desires of a alcoholic. The motors might be acceptable in acar but fitted in a brick become very thirsty.
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 20, 10:09pm
4K will buy you a tidy Multipla if you exercise a bit of patience. (a couple just went on here for about $3500) Far superior vehicle. Still in production today pretty much unchanged its so good.
Half the running costs of the others, more power, nicer to drive, easier to manouver, better visibility, better reliability, better handling, much safer, parts are cheap and easy to get. just a million times better proposition.
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 20, 10:51pm
BTW, before the haters drag their knuckles in here. Yes it looks odd and yes it only has 6 seats. BUT you only have 4 Children and these compromises are nothing compared to the compromises you make buying an old Estima etc.
6 Seats is actually an advantage as you actually get some boot space. With most of the others of the age if they have 7 seats then you either get no boot space or the thing ends up being a massive thirsty barge.
BTW, what no one has mentioned yet is those old Estima's have a nasty habbit of decapitating or snapping the neck of the driver in a crash, even at urban speeds.
mugenb20b,
Feb 20, 11:09pm
Very subtle Jazz!
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 20, 11:44pm
Yip. subtle and concise. that's me! Its all true though, the very new people movers compete O.K with the Multipla.But compared to those early Estima's, Serena's etc the Multipla pisses all over them like a drunk with a clean toilet floor.
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