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Toyota Crown: Water pump failure and overheating in traffic (GR-series V6)

Water pump failure and overheating in traffic (GR-series V6) is a common cooling fault on the Toyota Crown on the 2003–2012 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $500 to $1,200 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 24 documented faults on the Toyota Crown.

Vehicle
Toyota Crown
Years
2003–2012
Fuel
petrol
System
Cooling

This page covers the Toyota Crown 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 Crown faults24 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Water pump yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Crown buyer's guides list water pump failure as a known weakness on the GR-series V6 engines fitted to S180 and S200 Crowns (early pumps before Toyota's revised design around 2010 are the worst). The pump weeps coolant from its vent hole and the bearing gets noisy; combined with aging radiators, thermostats and weak fan operation, these cars are known to run hot in stop-start traffic. Ignored, a failed pump or clogged radiator leads to overheating and potential head gasket damage on an engine that is expensive to rebuild.

What you would notice

  • Pink coolant crust or drips below the front of the engine
  • Whining or grinding noise from the front of the engine
  • Temperature gauge creeping up while stopped in traffic
  • Sweet coolant smell after a drive

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the V6 engine, driven by the drive belt; radiator at the front of the engine bay

With the engine cold, check the coolant level in the overflow bottle and look for pink dried coolant trails around the front of the engine and on the undertray. After the test drive, let it idle for 5-10 minutes and watch the temperature gauge stays steady and the fans cut in. Listen for bearing whine from the pump area.

Parts involved: Water pump.

What it costs to put right

$500 to $1,200 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 the water pump ever been replaced?”
  • “Has it ever overheated or lost coolant?”
  • “When was the coolant last changed?”

Now check the Toyota Crown 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 the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

  • JDMbuysell Toyota Crown buyer's guide (water pump failures on GR V6, pre-2010 fix)
  • Toyota-Club.net GR-series engine FAQ
  • Garage Dreams Toyota Crown S180 buyer's guide

Toyota Crown buyer questions

Is water pump failure and overheating in traffic (gr-series v6) serious on a Toyota Crown?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Crown. Crown buyer's guides list water pump failure as a known weakness on the GR-series V6 engines fitted to S180 and S200 Crowns (early pumps before Toyota's revised design around 2010 are the worst). The pump weeps coolant from its vent hole and the bearing gets noisy; combined with aging radiators, thermostats and weak fan operation, these cars are known to run hot in stop-start traffic. Ignored, a failed pump or clogged radiator leads to overheating and potential head gasket damage on an engine that is expensive to rebuild.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Crown?

$500 to $1,200 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 Crown years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2003–2012 Toyota Crown. 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?

With the engine cold, check the coolant level in the overflow bottle and look for pink dried coolant trails around the front of the engine and on the undertray. After the test drive, let it idle for 5-10 minutes and watch the temperature gauge stays steady and the fans cut in. Listen for bearing whine from the pump area. Look here: Front of the V6 engine, driven by the drive belt; radiator at the front of the engine bay