Toyota Crown S180: common faults & what to check

You're looking at the S180

2 engine variants are documented for this generation. Pick yours to narrow further, or keep reading for the generation as a whole.

2003–2009S180 Selected2003–2009S1802.5 petrolPetrolDocumented issues13 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: BrokenSphere via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

2003–2009S180 Selected2003–2009S1803.0 petrolPetrolDocumented issues13 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: BrokenSphere via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Toyota Crown

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Toyota Crown before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Lift each front corner and grasp the tyre at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions to check for vertical play in the ball joint.

  See why

  Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Wear

  The front suspension of the GRS180 and GRS200 Crown uses a double-wishbone layout with a pressed-in ball joint at the outer end of the lower control arm. The ball joint stud and socket are subject to high radial and axial loads through every cornering and braking event, and the rubber boot that retains grease and excludes water can crack with age, accelerating internal corrosion and wear. Once the joint develops measurable play the castor and camber geometry shift dynamically under load, causing steering wander and, at an advanced stage, the risk of sudden joint separation which constitutes a loss of steering control.

  What you would notice

  • Clunking or knocking noise from the front suspension when traversing speed humps, potholes, or uneven surfaces
  • Steering wander or vague on-centre feel that worsens over rough roads
  • Uneven or accelerated tyre wear on the inner edge of the front tyres

  Typically $350–$900 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Crouch and look along the sills, rear wheel arches and door bottoms for bubbling.

  See why

  Underbody, wheel-arch and seam rust on older Japanese imports

  S170 and S180 Crowns are now 18-25 years old and import guides specifically warn of rust on the undercarriage, rear wheel arches and body seams, particularly on cars that lived in coastal or snow-belt Japan where roads are salted. Surface rust hidden under underseal can be well advanced by the time it shows. In NZ, perforated corrosion in a structural area is a WOF failure and requires a specialist repair certifier, so a rusty Crown can quickly become uneconomic to keep legal.

  What you would notice

  • Bubbling paint on rear wheel arches or sill seams
  • Flaky brown scale on the underbody, subframe or exhaust hangers
  • Damp or musty smell in the boot, rust stains around the boot floor seams

  Typically $500–$4,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  With engine running, observe ride height and listen for compressor operation (usually audible from boot area).

  See why

  Air Suspension Compressor Failure (Royal Saloon and Athlete Grades)

  Crown Royal Saloon and Athlete variants with electronic air suspension experience compressor failure caused by moisture ingress and worn motor brushes. A failed compressor cannot maintain ride height, causing the vehicle to drop to bump stops and triggering a suspension warning lamp. Used replacement compressors frequently repeat the failure; rebuilt or new units are expensive and sometimes unavailable.

  What you would notice

  • Vehicle sits noticeably low or unevenly at one or more corners
  • Air suspension warning lamp illuminated on dashboard
  • Compressor runs continuously without reaching target height
  • Harsh bottom-out ride after parking overnight

  Typically $1,200–$2,800 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Spin each wheel by hand and listen for roughness or grinding.

  See why

  Front Wheel Hub Bearing Failure

  Front wheel hub bearing assemblies on S180 and S200 Crown wear progressively, typically presenting above 100,000 km on imported examples. The sealed hub units are not rebuildable and require full assembly replacement. Failure produces a speed-proportional wheel rumble that changes in character when lateral load is transferred during steering.

  What you would notice

  • Rumbling or humming from front axle that increases with vehicle speed
  • Noise intensity changes when weaving or changing lanes
  • Vibration through steering wheel at highway speed
  • Excessive wheel play when rocked at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions

  Typically $350–$700 to put right.

• Costly issue

  The caliper should move with light hand pressure across the full travel of the pins with no binding or roughness.

  See why

  Brake Caliper Guide Pin Corrosion and Seizure

  The front and rear sliding-type brake calipers on the Crown use two hardened steel guide pins coated with a rubber boot and high-temperature grease to allow the caliper body to slide laterally as the pads wear. In humid operating conditions and on vehicles that stand for extended periods, the guide pin boots perish and allow moisture ingress, leading to surface corrosion that causes the pin to seize within its bore in the caliper bracket. A seized guide pin prevents the outboard pad from releasing fully after brake application, causing continuous drag, rapid and uneven pad wear, and brake pull. In severe cases the pad can wear completely through and cause rotor damage.

  What you would notice

  • Vehicle pulling to one side under braking, particularly after the brakes have warmed up
  • Uneven brake pad wear with the outer pad significantly thinner than the inner pad on the same caliper
  • A dragging or binding sensation or elevated fuel consumption caused by a partially applied brake at operating temperature

  Typically $200–$650 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Inspect all rear suspension arm bushes visually for cracking, tearing, or the metal sleeve rotating independently within the rubber.

  See why

  Rear Multi-Link Suspension Bush Collapse

  The GRS180 and GRS200 Crown rear suspension uses a multi-link arrangement with multiple rubber-bonded compliance bushes in the lateral and trailing arms to manage wheel alignment under cornering and braking loads. The natural rubber compounds used in these bushes harden, crack, and delaminate from the metal sleeves over time, particularly in vehicles that have been subject to heavy loads or operated on rough roads. When the bushes collapse the rear wheels develop uncontrolled toe and camber changes under cornering and braking loads, leading to an unstable rear end that can feel as though the car is stepping out unpredictably at higher speeds.

  What you would notice

  • Rear end wander or instability under motorway lane changes or when cornering at speed
  • Rear tyre wear that is uneven across the tread width, typically on the inner edge
  • A dull thudding from the rear when the car hits a sharp dip or ridge at speed

  Typically $700–$1,800 to put right.

Toyota Crown service schedule

The 3 engines a 2003 Toyota Crown was sold with, each with its own intervals. Pick your engine above to narrow this to one. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Toyota Crown’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Hybrid Battery Replacement Cost
• Cambelt Replacement Cost
• Timing Chain Replacement Cost
• Turbo Repair and Replacement Cost

Other Toyota models