Skip to content
KickTyres
MajorCommonEngine

Toyota Voxy: 1AZ-FSE Oil Pump Drive Gear Wear and Cold-Start Rattle

1AZ-FSE Oil Pump Drive Gear Wear and Cold-Start Rattle is a common engine fault on the Toyota Voxy on the 2001–2007 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,200 to $2,800 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 32 documented faults on the Toyota Voxy.

Vehicle
Toyota Voxy
Engine
1AZ-FSE
Years
2001–2007
Fuel
petrol
Gearbox
auto
System
Engine

This page covers the Toyota Voxy 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 Voxy faults32 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

The 1AZ-FSE oil pump is driven by a helical gear pair on the front of the crankshaft. The aluminium pump body and its hardened-steel drive gear are susceptible to wear when oil changes are neglected or when engine oil falls below the minimum level, because the gear mesh relies on a thin oil film for lubrication. On a cold start, the worn gear creates a loud metallic rattle lasting two to five seconds until oil pressure fully builds; in advanced cases the gear teeth strip, oil pressure drops sharply, and catastrophic bearing failure follows within minutes if the engine is not shut down immediately.

What you would notice

  • Loud metallic rattling from the lower front of the engine on cold start, clearing within 2–5 seconds as oil pressure builds
  • Metallic particles or fine swarf visible when draining engine oil
  • Low oil pressure warning lamp illuminating briefly on start-up in severe cases

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the engine block at the base, behind the timing cover and crankshaft sprocket

Cold-start the engine and listen for a metallic rattle from the front lower engine that clears within a few seconds; drain engine oil onto a clean white cloth or magnet and check for metallic swarf or fine particles; verify oil pressure at idle with a mechanical gauge.

What it costs to put right

$1,200 to $2,800 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

  • “Is there any rattling noise in the first few seconds after a cold start?”
  • “When was the engine oil last changed, and has the level been checked recently?”

Now check the Toyota Voxy 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 Voxy buyer questions

Is 1az-fse oil pump drive gear wear and cold-start rattle serious on a Toyota Voxy?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Voxy. The 1AZ-FSE oil pump is driven by a helical gear pair on the front of the crankshaft. The aluminium pump body and its hardened-steel drive gear are susceptible to wear when oil changes are neglected or when engine oil falls below the minimum level, because the gear mesh relies on a thin oil film for lubrication. On a cold start, the worn gear creates a loud metallic rattle lasting two to five seconds until oil pressure fully builds; in advanced cases the gear teeth strip, oil pressure drops sharply, and catastrophic bearing failure follows within minutes if the engine is not shut down immediately.

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

$1,200 to $2,800 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 Voxy years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2001–2007 Toyota Voxy. 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?

Cold-start the engine and listen for a metallic rattle from the front lower engine that clears within a few seconds; drain engine oil onto a clean white cloth or magnet and check for metallic swarf or fine particles; verify oil pressure at idle with a mechanical gauge. Look here: Front of the engine block at the base, behind the timing cover and crankshaft sprocket