Toyota Probox: common faults & what to check

Which Toyota Probox are you looking at?

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

Petrol

4 variants documented

2002–2014XP502002–2014XP501.3 petrolPetrolDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2002–2014XP502002–2014XP501.5 petrolPetrolDocumented issues6 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2014–nowXP1602014–nowXP1601.3 petrolPetrolDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2014–nowXP1602014–nowXP1601.5 petrolPetrolDocumented issues6 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 Probox

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

• Costly issue

  Start the engine dead cold (first start of the day) and listen at the front timing-cover end for a short rattle.

  See why

  1NZ-FE / 2NZ-FE timing-chain tensioner and VVT-i cam-gear cold-start rattle

  The 1.5 1NZ-FE and 1.3 2NZ-FE petrol engines are chain-driven and generally very durable, but the timing-chain tensioner, chain guides and the VVT-i intake cam actuator are the known wear points as the chain stretches. On a hard-worked Probox/Succeed this typically shows up well into fleet life, commonly from around 150,000-200,000 km, as a 1-2 second rattle on cold start-up before oil pressure loads the tensioner. It is usually the VVT-i actuator gear or a tired tensioner rather than the chain itself, but a badly stretched chain left unattended risks jumping timing. No factory recall applies; this is normal high-mileage wear. Treat a persistent cold-start rattle as a reason to budget for a tensioner and VVT-i actuator, and inspect chain stretch.

  What you would notice

  • Brief metallic rattle or death-rattle for 1-2 seconds on cold start-up
  • Rattle fades once oil pressure builds and engine warms
  • Faint chain/whirring noise from the timing (accessory) end of the engine
  • Check-engine light with VVT or camshaft timing correlation codes in worse cases

  Typically $750–$2,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Cold-start the engine and immediately listen for chain rattle from the front of the engine block.

  See why

  1NZ-FE / 2NZ-FE timing chain tensioner cold-start rattle

  The Probox shares its NCP51 and NCP160 platform with the Succeed, carrying the same 1NZ-FE 1.5-litre and 2NZ-FE 1.3-litre engines. The hydraulic timing chain tensioner on both engines is a documented wear item that loses oil retention with age, allowing chain slack and a characteristic cold-start rattle before oil pressure re-engages the tensioner. Commercial Probox vans frequently accumulate very high mileages on extended oil change intervals, making this fault disproportionately common in the NZ/AU import fleet. Ignored tensioner wear can progress to chain stretch and jumped timing.

  What you would notice

  • Metallic rattle from the front of the engine on cold start, clearing within 5–15 seconds
  • Rattle that returns or worsens indicates advanced chain/tensioner wear
  • Rough idle or reduced power at cold start in severe cases
  • OBD codes relating to cam or crank timing if chain has slipped

  Typically $900–$2,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Look under the engine and along the back of the block for oil seepage.

  See why

  High-mileage engine oil leaks (rear main seal, cam and timing cover) and rising oil use

  As these engines pile on commercial mileage the 1NZ-FE/2NZ-FE develops oil seepage, with the rear crankshaft (rear main) seal the recognised weak point, followed by cam-cover and timing-cover gasket weeps. Owners and engine references also note rising oil consumption after roughly 150,000-200,000 km, driven by ageing valve-stem seals and tired piston rings, so a well-used Probox can burn as well as leak oil. There is no recall; this is wear and gasket ageing on a hard-worked drivetrain. The risk is a car that runs low on oil between services, which then accelerates the timing-chain and bearing wear above. Check for a dirty, oil-filmed lower engine and ask about top-up frequency.

  What you would notice

  • Oil film, wet crustiness or drips on the lower engine, bellhousing area or sump
  • Oil spots on the ground where the car is regularly parked
  • Needing to top up oil between scheduled services
  • Blue-ish smoke on start-up or hard acceleration in worse cases
  • Burnt-oil smell after a hard run

  Typically $250–$1,300 to put right.

• Common issue

  After a warm run, inspect the valve cover perimeter for oil seepage.

  See why

  1NZ-FE valve cover gasket oil seepage

  As with the mechanically identical Succeed, the Probox 1NZ-FE engine's rubber valve cover gasket is a well-documented failure point at higher mileages. Commercial Probox variants used in delivery or tradesperson roles typically accumulate mileages well above 200,000 km, at which point the valve cover gasket and integral spark plug tube seals have invariably hardened and begun to seep. Oil entering spark plug wells is common and causes misfire symptoms that are frequently misdiagnosed as coil pack failure before the true source is identified.

  What you would notice

  • Burnt oil smell from engine bay during and after driving
  • Dark oily residue visible around the valve cover edges
  • Oil inside spark plug recesses when leads are removed
  • Misfire on one or more cylinders caused by oil contaminating plug boots

  Typically $180–$450 to put right.

Toyota Probox service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Toyota Probox. 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 Probox’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Timing Chain Replacement Cost

Other Toyota models