Toyota Premio: common faults & what to check

Which Toyota Premio are you looking at?

2 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Engine not documented

2 variants documented

2001–2007T2402001–2007T240Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues2 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

2007–2021T2602007–2021T260Engine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

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 Premio

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 Premio before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Inspect the boot on the ball joint for cracks or grease leakage.

  See why

  Front Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Wear

  Sharing the same platform as the Allion, the Premio ZZT240 and ZRT260 have the same front lower control arm ball joint as a documented wear item. NZ WOF inspection failures for ball joint play are commonly reported on JDM Premio imports. Worn joints produce clunking and imprecise steering, and pose a safety risk if the joint fully separates from the knuckle.

  What you would notice

  • Clunking from front suspension over bumps or when turning
  • Steering wander on straight roads
  • Uneven front tyre wear
  • Play felt through the steering wheel on rough surfaces

  Typically $400–$900 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Check the dipstick for oil level and colour.

  See why

  Excessive oil consumption from piston ring design (1.8 1ZZ-FE petrol)

  The 1.8 litre 1ZZ-FE petrol in the ZZT240 Allion is a known issue for burning oil past its piston rings, a design weakness it shares with the Corolla and Caldina of the same era, and Toyota later revised the pistons. Affected engines use oil between services without obvious leaks, and running low on oil can damage the bearings and the catalytic converter. Check the oil level at the viewing and ask how often it needs topping up.

  What you would notice

  • Oil level drops between service intervals
  • Blue or grey smoke from exhaust on deceleration or cold start
  • Oil-fouled spark plugs
  • Low oil warning light illuminating

  Typically $2,200–$4,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Inspect each lateral link bush with a bright torch for cracking, splitting, or extrusion of rubber from the metal sleeve.

  See why

  Rear Suspension Lateral Link Bush Collapse

  The rear multi-link suspension on the ZRT260 uses rubber-bonded lateral link bushes to control toe and camber geometry. These bushes harden and crack with age, a process accelerated in vehicles exposed to ozone and UV after importation to New Zealand from the controlled-temperature storage common in Japanese auction yards. Bush collapse allows the rear wheel to move in toe during cornering and braking, which manifests as rear instability and tyre scrub. Complete disintegration of the outer rubber layer results in metal-to-metal contact, producing a loud clunking noise and WoF rejection.

  What you would notice

  • Clunking or thumping from the rear of the vehicle over bumps, expansion joints, or rough surfaces
  • Rear-end instability or a feeling of the rear stepping out during cornering or lane changes
  • Rapid inner-edge wear on rear tyres indicating toe change under cornering load

  Typically $450–$950 to put right.

• Costly issue

  After a 10-minute drive, compare front wheel temperatures by carefully touching each wheel centre — uneven heat indicates a dragging caliper.

  See why

  Front Brake Caliper Guide Pin Seizure

  The front brake calipers on the ZRT260 use sliding guide pins to allow the caliper body to float and apply even pad pressure across both inner and outer brake pads. The guide pins are protected by rubber boots that harden, crack, and allow moisture ingress, after which the pins corrode and seize in their bores. A seized guide pin prevents the caliper from retracting fully after braking, causing the outboard or inboard pad to drag constantly against the rotor. This produces rapid and uneven pad wear, rotor heat damage, and brake pull — all of which are a Warrant of Fitness failure in New Zealand.

  What you would notice

  • Vehicle pulls to one side under braking, particularly pulling toward the side with the seized caliper
  • One front brake pad wearing significantly faster than its pair, or faster than the opposite side
  • Brake judder or vibration through the pedal and steering wheel when braking from speed, caused by heat-warped rotors

  Typically $220–$550 to put right.

• Worth checking

  Inspect the PCV hose for oil vapour residue.

  See why

  Throttle Body Carbon Fouling (1ZR-FAE)

  The 1ZR-FAE is a port-injected engine, but its Valvematic variable-lift system and wide-range VVT-i mapping create operating conditions that promote carbon accumulation on the throttle plate and throttle bore walls over time. Extended service intervals or the use of lower-grade oils increases blowby, which deposits oil vapour onto the throttle body via the PCV system. A partially occluded throttle plate causes the ECU to miscalculate mass airflow at low openings, resulting in erratic idle and hesitation off idle — symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as Valvematic or injector faults before the throttle body is inspected.

  What you would notice

  • Rough or hunting idle that is inconsistent and improves after driving at higher rpm for several minutes
  • Hesitation or stumble when pulling away from rest, particularly from cold start
  • Slight increase in idle speed hunting logged as idle control fault by the ECU

  Typically $120–$320 to put right.

Toyota Premio service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Toyota Premio. 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.

Buying guides that cover the Toyota Premio

• Best used cars under $10,000 in New Zealand
• The most reliable used cars in New Zealand

Other Toyota models