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Why has my Toyota HiAce van's gearbox failed?

Is it normal for a vehicle’s gearbox to be worn out in such a short time? Our one-year-old Toyota HiAce van’s gearbox has apparently failed/worn-down, and we are being told it's not covered by warranty. The vehicle has been driven 15,000km by an experienced driver who has only ever purchased and driven HiAce vans in his tradesman job where he is on road every day and who has never had this issue in 35 years. We have been quoted to replace flywheel, clutch kit and pilot bearing. Parts cost is $4429.00 and labour is $1000.00. We don't understand how all this is possible on a new car that has been serviced at 1000km and 10,000km.

This does sound like an odd one, to be honest. It’s certainly possible to wear out a clutch in a very short space of time if you drive the car badly, but I’m trying to work out how a gearbox could fail at such a short mileage without there having been something wrong with it from the start. I’d also love to know why Toyota thinks the problem does not constitute a valid warranty claim.

Has the vehicle been used to tow exceptionally heavy loads? Are there any other extraordinary circumstances that makes Toyota think that the issue is a driver-abuse or neglect scenario?

I’d start by by-passing your dealership and contacting Toyota Australia’s customer service division. It might also be useful to have the damaged gearbox independently inspected by a specialist who might be able to pin-point the cause of the wear and help determine what happens next. If it can be shown that a component was faulty or simply failed too early, then I’d say you have a good case to pursue a warranty claim.

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