Skip to content
KickTyres
CriticalVery commonEngine

Toyota Alphard twin: 2AZ-FE Head Gasket / Water Jacket Spacer Failure

2AZ-FE Head Gasket / Water Jacket Spacer Failure is a very common engine fault on the Toyota Alphard twin on the 2008–2015 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 13 documented faults on the Toyota Alphard twin.

Vehicle
Toyota Alphard twin
Engine
2AZ-FE
Years
2008–2015
Fuel
petrol
Gearbox
auto
System
Engine

This page covers the Toyota Alphard twin as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Alphard twin faults13 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

A removed multi-layer steel head gasket held up, showing staining around the cylinder bore.Example of the part — not this vehicle

A used multi-layer head gasket. Discolouration between a cylinder and a water gallery is the tell.

John Furman · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The 2AZ-FE 2.4-litre engine in ANH20W Vellfire variants carries the same documented water jacket spacer defect as its Alphard twin. Toyota TSB EG013-07 covers the revised spacer kit. The Vellfire's higher average JDM mileage at time of NZ/AU import means a significant proportion of 2AZ-equipped examples will have already experienced or will soon experience head gasket failure. Unresolved failures lead to hydrolock, cracked heads, and total engine loss.

What you would notice

  • White exhaust smoke persisting beyond cold start
  • Coolant reservoir browning or emulsification
  • Engine temperature gauge rising above midpoint
  • Bubbling in coolant overflow tank when revved

How to check it

Where to look. 2AZ-FE cylinder head, engine compartment

  1. Conduct a combustion gas sniff test on the coolant using a hydrocarbon detection kit.

  2. Check coolant colour — should be clear pink or green, not brown.

  3. Run engine for 20 minutes and recheck coolant level drop.

  4. Remove the oil filler cap and look for mayonnaise-like deposits.

  5. Verify the water jacket spacer replacement has been performed by checking for the updated part on a 2AZ engine strip record.

Parts involved: Head gasket.

What it costs to put right

$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

  • “Has TSB EG013-07 water jacket spacer work been completed on this engine?”
  • “Has the vehicle ever overheated or lost coolant unexpectedly?”
  • “Do you have receipts for any head gasket or cooling system work?”

Now check the Toyota Alphard twin you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Toyota Alphard twin buyer questions

Is 2az-fe head gasket / water jacket spacer failure serious on a Toyota Alphard twin?

We rate it critical and very common on the Toyota Alphard twin. The 2AZ-FE 2.4-litre engine in ANH20W Vellfire variants carries the same documented water jacket spacer defect as its Alphard twin. Toyota TSB EG013-07 covers the revised spacer kit. The Vellfire's higher average JDM mileage at time of NZ/AU import means a significant proportion of 2AZ-equipped examples will have already experienced or will soon experience head gasket failure. Unresolved failures lead to hydrolock, cracked heads, and total engine loss.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Alphard twin?

$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Alphard twin years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2015 Toyota Alphard twin. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Conduct a combustion gas sniff test on the coolant using a hydrocarbon detection kit. Check coolant colour — should be clear pink or green, not brown. Run engine for 20 minutes and recheck coolant level drop. Remove the oil filler cap and look for mayonnaise-like deposits. Verify the water jacket spacer replacement has been performed by checking for the updated part on a 2AZ engine strip record. Look here: 2AZ-FE cylinder head, engine compartment