Toyota Kluger Problems

The 2022 Kluger does have Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) but there’s a catch. While the Kluger’s Apple CarPlay will pair with a phone via Bluetooth, the Android Auto system needs the phone to be tethered to the car via USB cable. Try it again with a cable and you should have success. But it’s far from being as convenient as a Bluetooth set-up.

It’s a tough one isn’t it? But in the first instance, the filter replacement could simply have been overlooked on the job card when the mechanic was allotted to your vehicle. That said, I certainly hope you took the vehicle back and pointed out that you’d been charged for something you didn’t get. From the dealer’s reaction at the point, you might get a reasonable idea of how seriously this was taken at management level.

As for proof of oil changes, there’s a couple of things you can do. You can ask to see the old oil before it’s poured into the recycling drum, or you could even ask for a photo to be taken of the differentials and transfer-cases with their drain plugs removed to prove that the old oil was at least removed.

In the past, some car owners have even resorted to placing secret marks on various fasteners to make sure they’ve been undone by the mechanic. The trouble with that starts when the mechanic spots the mark they weren’t supposed to see. That’s when the customer-mechanic war really escalates.

The absolute best advice here is to not drive the vehicle any farther and take it straight to the Toyota dealership from which you bought it. This could be anything from a minor to a major problem, but any brand-new car that is not shifting gears smoothly and silently is a cause for concern.

The mechanics might try to convince you that this is something all Klugers do, but don’t be afraid to question that. In fact, since it’s a dealership, get them to take you for a ride in another Kluger of the same specification to see if it makes the same noises. If you’re still not happy and not getting anywhere at dealer level, try Toyota Australia’s customer service department.

The eight-speed automatic in the Kluger is a well known quantity and doesn’t seem to have any inherent weaknesses. Which means anything odd like a vibration or noise needs to be checked out before any further damage is done.

The most common cause of this sort of vibration is usually an unbalanced front wheel and tyre, especially if the problem began suddenly. When new tyres are fitted, they are balanced at the tyre shop by adding small weights to the rim to literally balance the wheel and tyre assembly. But these little weights can fall off over time (or if you’ve smacked a kerb or pothole) leading to an unbalanced wheel. At which point, a vibration can set in. And since you’re feeling it through the steering, the suspicion would be that it’s a front wheel at fault.

A tyre shop should be able to check this for you and rectify the problem for a reasonable cost. If this is not the problem, then you need to start looking deeper into the suspension and possibly even the brakes. But don’t rule out a bent or damaged rim given the parlous state of this country’s roads right now.

You could start with the established spare parts retail outlets. Many of these stock parts for all sorts of brands including, of course, Toyota. While it may come in a box that is branded something other than Toyota, chances are it will be made by the same company that supplies Toyota with its genuine parts. Be wary of really cheap replacement parts, though, as these could be cheap knock-offs from anywhere. With that in mind, stick with the known retailers who are less likely to sell you a poor quality part.

If that doesn't work, jump online as c heck out some of the cyber-retailers. A quick search at my end has confirmed that both Gates and Dayco (well known and respected brands) have stocks of the very part you're looking for through a variety of online retailers.

While the CVT is enjoying a bit of a purple patch right now with many car-makers using it for its efficiency benefits, you’re not the only one, Gregg, that doesn’t want to own such a thing. The CVT’s history is littered with failures, although to be perfectly fair, they are a lot better now than they’ve ever been.

But even if you can accept their reliability track record, some owners will just never take to the CVT’s characteristics of allowing the engine to rev up and have the rest of the vehicle catch up. It can feel very alien and it’s hardly a sporty sensation, either.

With all that in mind, you probably should start looking at things like the two-wheel-drive versions of something like, say, the Toyota Kluger or Hyundai Santa Fe. Both are available in two-wheel-drive, both have conventional 8-speed automatic transmissions and both can haul a decent load (2000kg and 2500kg respectively). The Toyota even offers a hybrid driveline, but, sadly for buyers like you, that uses a CVT transmission.

This is a very important issue as exceeding the Gross Combination Mass (GCM) is a distinct possibility in modern vehicles with high towing limits. Even if the towed trailer comes in under the permissible weight limit, if you’re heavily loaded the car towing it, you can easily be outside the GCM limit, leaving yourself open to all sorts of legal and insurance hassles if it goes wrong.

If you check your owner’s manual, you’ll find that the all-wheel-drive Kluger has a GCM of 4685kg. So, on that basis, you could tow a 1900kg caravan and load the Kluger up to the tune of about 700kg and still be legal. However, that 700kg load in the Kluger includes everything, including the humans. That arithmetic also assumes that the caravan is not carrying a single extra thing that’s not part of the actual van. That includes water in the on-board tank, gas bottles, an extra spare tyre and any other luggage. As you can see, a 1900 caravan, despite the 2000kg towing limit, might have you sailing pretty close to the legislative wind.

Of all the technology you’re considering right now, the only one that sounds any real alarm bells is that of the double-clutch transmission. It’s not that Kia’s version of the DCT is worse than many others – nor is it the worst of the lot – but there have been complaints over the operation and lifespan of these units generally. Sometimes the fault is a software glitch, but in other DCTs – particularly the dry-clutch variety – the problems are mechanical and can lead to catastrophic failures.

With that said, it’s also true that Kia in Australia offers a fantastic factory warranty, so you should have no worries for at least the first seven years. It’s also the case that Kia Australia takes its reputation very seriously and is one of the better companies when it comes to sorting out faults and problems with its products. We’re pretty big fans here at Carsguide of the current Toyota hybrid technology, and it’s looking like the new Kluger Hybrid will be just as popular as Toyota’s other hybrid offerings. Perhaps more so as the non-hybrid Kluger can be thirsty.

As for the requirement for premium ULP, when you consider that the Kluger Hybrid will, around the city and suburbs where most of them will spend the vast majority of their lives, use about two thirds of the fuel of the V6 Kluger (maybe even a bit less than that) then the extra cost per litre is more than compensated for by the reduced cost per kilometre. And in case you were worried about Toyota’s hybrid tech, the new Kluger Hybrid comes with up to 10 years of warranty on the battery-pack provided the vehicle is serviced correctly and inspected once a year.

The other thing you might consider is the next-size-down Toyota hybrid, the RAV4. This is quite a spacious vehicle these days and offers excellent fuel efficiency and driveability. It’s cheaper than the Kluger, too. Definitely worth a look. Overall, the broader view is that a petrol hybrid vehicle is more future-proof than a conventional turbo-diesel.

It could very well be that there’s something amiss in the car’s ignition barrel (which lives on the steering column, remember) or its wiring and connectors that is causing the power to the ignition to be cut when you turn the wheel. The problem could also be a short-circuit somewhere in the wiring in the column (and there’s plenty of it) that is causing the problem. Either way, you need to get it fixed immediately, as having a car cut out when you least expect it is can lead to all sorts of extremely dangerous situations.

Another possibility is that there’s something wrong with the car’s power steering system which is overloading at the point you turn the wheel hard and causing the engine to stall. Again, it needs to be fixed now and I wouldn’t be driving the car anywhere other than to a workshop for diagnosis.