Toyota Prado J120 (2002-2009)

Great car – We've had 2008 J120 4 litre V6 GX since new and use it pretty much daily. Just clicked over 280,000 k's and have had no significant problems. I service it myself and use top quality oil (Castrol Edge), filters and parts at 10k intervals. Since new have replaced 3 drive belts (for peace of mind, no other reason) spark plug set X 3 and tyres as… Read more

needed (stock Dunlops fitted were rubbish, but that's not news). During last service I replaced the power steering pump as had a slight leak and noticed one front shock is leaking - no big deal after 280 ks. Unfortunately the transfer case has developed a slight leak, but that is life. Has been a brilliant vehicle that has done a lot of off road and rural road work. Remember cruising between Alice and Tennant Creek at 160 kph then pulled off the road to scrabble up a long steep rocky hill for a view. Did it with aplomb and it took me about three days to stop smiling. The V6 is a bit thirsty (12.5, 13.5 if towing) but after reading reviews about diesel problems and costs...... It does not have unwanted complications (ABS, driver 'assist', 'tech' etc) which is wonderful for someone who enjoys driving. There is no nagging voice telling you what's coming up or any mechanical beeps, whistles or screams to distract you - it just quietly does its job and lets you do yours. I notice a lot of mechanics getting a bad rap over modern vehicle problems, but given the unnecessary complications in modern vehicles, I feel for them. Great load space once you take out the third row of seats (simple) and put them in the shed. Shame this modern obsession from motoring journalists about 'more of everything is better'. The average family size in Australia is 2.1 - if you need a people mover, buy a Kia Carnival. The 180 litre fuel tank is excellent, giving 12-1300 km range. No rattles after all this time - probably due to the absence of bling. Not sure what to buy if this vehicle dies - look for one the same, driven by a little old lady who only drives church on Sundays. I'd doubt very much that she'd part with it though.

Absolute weapon – I’ve got a petrol, damn it’s got some power, comfortable and an absolute pleasure to drive. I can’t fault this car but have mentioned a few things to keep in mind. Fuel consumption is pretty bad, I always run 98 premium in mine even though not necessary, however it’s never been good on fuel. If you want fuel efficient look for newer models or a a… Read more

diesel.

The heavy fuel usage is outweighed by its reliability, comfort, size and practicality.

Haven’t had any major issues, keep on top of regular maintenance and get your mechanic to change transmission fluid regularly! Write this down and do it. Very important and often forgot about and an afterthought until the transmission blows.

Extremely reliable! – I bought my 2008 turbo diesel prado in 2010 with 75,000kms on it. We now have 256,000 and not had an ounce of trouble. I installed arb after market suspension with lift when I first purchased. I believe this is a must have. This vehicle has been very capable off road and towing our 2.4t caravan. Highly recommend this model for reliability. Show details

Cant fault this car & we've been everywhere in it – We are truly impressed with this 4x4. We've done a circumnaviation around Australian to the most remote rough locations and couldnt fault it. We have a 2003 GXL 4L - it is thirsty but you have the power and grunt to go where you want. Highly recommend! Show details

Paint Peeling – Garaged Prado 2008 every panel of paint is peeling. I have worked from home for over 20 years. My car is worth nothing now, and every other country has extended the paint warranty to 14 years because Toyota have accepted there was manufactuer fault in the clear coat in the Pear Blizzard. What I dont understand is why Toyota Australia think they… Read more

are exempt from this direction passed down from Toyota.

Is anyone else having the same issues?

Please contact me on Facebook Shellie Coan

Peeling Paint – I brought my 2008 Toyota Prado in Pearl White second hand in 2015 from a Toyota dealer in NSW. I have always wanted this particular vehicle and could finally afford one albeit second hand. I loved everything about this vehicle and have always looked after it. I had noticed small chips in the paint but put it down to use as car was 7 years old but… Read more

over the last couple of years the paint has been peeling off down to the primer in large chunks from every panels of the vehicle. I originally tried to use touch up paint but now it just flakes off every time I was the car. I was all ready to price up a new spray job before I realised this is a worldwide problem with white cars as old as 2008. Other countries are just starting to come to the party and my hope is Toyota Australia will too. I don't hold my breath as the car is now 12 years old.

Generally a good reliable vehicle – Airconditioning unit has just died in my 2008 Prado D4D 3 litre turbo at 160,000km. Air con repair specialist indicated that it's a usual occurrence for my model at this mileage. He indicated that he replaces 50 per year of this series. Apparently same unit fitted to Klugers. Would have expected the unit to last longer than this.  Show details

Extremely reliable and pretty good off road as well – I bought this car to tow a caravan and use it for light to moderate off road work. The Prado really surpassed my expectations for towing, the V6 towed my 16 van really well. Last December I left Nullarbor road house heading west into a strong cross wind, 44 C outside and the aircon on full blast. The temp never got past 94 c, digital readout from… Read more

the OBD11 Port. Yeah the fuel consumption wasn't great, but the Prado pushed on without a complaint for 2.5 hours. I use the car for work every day and its comfortable and reliable despite 227000 km.

Very comfortable, fuel efficient and spacious – We have had our prado for a few years now and we cannot fault it. It is very comfy, spacious and is a dream to drive. The downer is that it has the same old standard Toyota stereo so no Bluetooth/AUX/connection. Show details

1GR 4.0 V6 is one of the best Toyota motors ever made – The prado is quite a surprising little package, after having owned several full sized cruisers from 60 series to 105 series I decided to downsize to a 120 prado and the power you get for the fuel usage is fantastic. Some people may find 13.7l/100km average bad but compared to my 1fzfe cruisers at 25-26l/100km I am amazed! Cheap to run, chain… Read more

driven V6 (no timing belt) smooth and quiet, I can see these becoming the new 80 series in the next 5-10 years in terms of a reliable, decent tourer that honestly I can see easily covering 500,000kms without fail. The 5 speed auto grearbox is the pick of the bunch having a low 1st gear and lower reverse than the old 4 speed. Amazingly these 120’s can be had for under 10k with less than 250,000kms on them and that’s a great cheap entry 4x4 for a tourer or mild 4x4 wagon. These are no patrol or 105 series cruiser on the real tough tracks but seeing as there is usually a good on road drive to get to the tough tracks the Prados do the road and 90% of the 4x4 tracks in much more comfort and economy than the live axle 4x4s.

Highly recommend for a family 4x4, try and get one with traction control (Vx, grande and late gxl with safety pack) as this makes them much more capable off road. If getting one without factor in a rear locker $2k if you want to push it past it’s maximum flex.

Best vehicle I've owned – After a string of Diesel Hilux's, Landrover Discoveries I bought my first Prado on a whim at auction-online, sight unseen. It had 300,000km on the clock so my expectations were realistic. To my surprise it looked immaculate and drove the same, full service history and one owner from new. A few sensible upgrades, suspension, tyres, bull bar later… Read more

it is becoming a favorite for the fun we have in it and the reliability. Dual tanks standard, great air-cond, relatively good fuel economy, (1KZ pre-common rail diesel-manual). Very capable off road and comfortable, roomy for family trips. Only regret is we didn't buy one sooner.

The best car I had – 2004 1KZ, Done 230,000Km with it. running smooth, reliable. Has been offroad with this car a lot never had a problem, If the Auto box was 5 speed It would make a different car. I like this engine is so simple and makes life easier with service and low maintenance cost  Show details

Great car – Great vehicle to drive easy to park good fo towing ,good riding on or off road . Have airbags in rear coil springs ,Bridgestone ,desert duellers , CB 40 channel, spare 12 volt deep cycle battery hard wired in rear ,recovery hooks fitted ,towbar Anderson plug 50amp ,electric brake controller (Redarc ) turbo timer , clear view mirrors,28" LED bar… Read more

on sovereign bull bar . Bought Prado New have done 170,000 km ,have replaced engine mounts twice since new , water pump , plus compulsory timing belt .great leg room in the front but never sat in rear .removed third row on day bought car

Dash easy to see,ease using controls , Bluetooth .

Don't like one big door no access to fridge when caravan on door can't open due to brake on tow hitch same as boat hitch.have to jackknife the caravan & boat . Tailgate or barn doors would be much better.

Towing 13 litres per hundred Kms @ 85 kms ,boat is 1.9 tons loaded ,caravan loaded 1.4 loaded.

A very reliable vehicle . Around town 9 ltrs per hundred country 8.4 @ 100 kms

August 25th 2018 Update: One big door

Bought new GXL 2007 Prado diesel great to drive holds road well on or off bitumen great in sand plenty of grunt low down . I tow a 1.9ton boat and a single axel caravan 1.2 ton . The thing I dislike the most one big door when the boat is on cannot open rear door unless I jack - knife it , the overriding brakes restrict the door can't get into the fridge , barn doors or tail gate would be better however I personally. Would like barn doors as spare wheel could still stay on rear door and still have 150 litre fuel tank( 2007 180 ltrs tank ) the new Prado GXL is a 7 seater seats fold into the floor if I bought a new Prado I would not be able to put a fridge in the back on top my draws as it raises the floor up by another 150 mm impossible to open fridge . GX base model Prado is only available that's if I bought Toyota .also if unfortunate to be rear ended spare wheel and door cannot be repaired.. Prado has done 180kms trouble free running with the exception of engine & transmission mount .engine mount are vacuum run not transmission $800.00

Awesome – Low servicing costs Tough tough tough Versatile family car Good off-road Good I’m the snow Good all round family vehicle Very hard to find fault Replaced radiator, tyres, brakes and one wheel bearing in 6 years. Pretty hard to argue with that in what is now a 15 year old car  Show details

My Baby, My Life! – I have never ever felt safer or more comfortable in a vehicle. The space is an added bonus but there is nothing my baby can't do and no where she cant go. If and when i ever upgrade i will want something as close as mine as i can get because i just love it!  Show details

Great 4wd and very reliable – I bought mine from new in 2003 and drove it for 9 years without any problems at all. Did lots of serious 4wding and this thing will go anywhere. I put a 2 inch lift kit in it for the big rocks in the victorian high country but other than that it was stock.  Show details

Love my Prado – Have had 3 Prado's now and absolute favourite car ever. It can handle anything you throw at it. Really lovely to drive, great on road trips and heaps of space. 4WD capabilities are quite impressive, taken it off road and it mostly does what my mates Land cruiser can do. Only cons are back seat is pretty small, and petrol is pretty pricey. Get about 1000-1200km on the dual 90L (180L) tanks.  Show details

Reliable, economical family SUV excellent off road – Bought on of the last GXL 3.0L Di in Jan 2015, previously had a 2004 LC100 Sahara TD from new, and a SR5Hilux with the same 3.0L engine. If you have owned a Toyota for more then 3 years its easy to take the reliability and build quality for granted. We have covered over 70k's in the Prado, with only one drama when a 75% worn crappy OE Dunlop… Read more

Grandtrek o/s/r tyre blew out without warning one wet Sunday afternoon between Gatton & Kilkoy. A quick roadside change assisted by a local policeman who stopped to help slow down the traffic on this narrow road, was followed by a dash to Costco to have a set of new Bridgestone Dueller LT's fitted. Had these before on other vehicles,excellent wear rates, brilliant in wet, mud,rocks only downside is they are noisy on tarmac, small price to pay. We monitor the fuel consumption together with all running costs on all our four vehicles,the Prado is no exception. I choose to monitor on a tank to tank basis which provides more accurate results, to date the cumulative average over 72,000kms sits at 8.9l/100. Capped price servicing for 60,000 kms brings running costs right down, and apart from tyres no other expense incurred, doesn't even use a drop of oil between the 10,000km service intervals. Very relaxing vehicle to cover long distances in, recently did 1200km's in one day, can honestly say didn't feel any discomfort. Have found the handling better than the earlier model, and if you learn to adapt your driving technique for the vehicle you are driving, the on road manners are very good for a vehicle of this size and weight. I have found the handling improves with speed. No need to talk about the off road abilities, its legendary, nice to see a rear diff lock available on the new 2018 GXL as standard, just to help out when the tracks on Fraser Island are dry and full with deep soft sand. Having had four under 10 yrs old children in my previous LC100 (leather) decided to go for the Prado seat covers. After nearly 3 years they have done a brilliant job protecting the original seat covers from the trials and tribulations of family life. What would I like to change? well the dash looks a bit 80's Japanese, the function button for the trip/fuel/etc should be on the steering wheel (like my Corolla's) and not hidden behind the steering wheel, shame Apple Play is not available. The whole dash could do with a redesign which I see from the 2018 facelift has been achieved very tastefully.Had a good look around at the competition before I bought this, including the Land Rover Discovery, which I thought had a beautifully designed dashboard and interior, but the poor record of reliability, durability and dealer support made me realise how good Toyota is. I can remember my father having transfer box failure with his one year old 1967 109'' Land-Rover 2.6, 6 cylinder petrol ( the old overhead inlet side exhaust head from the Rover 110). As they say Land Rover will get you there..........

Seats are comfortable, including the second row with very good leg room, the third row are OK for adults for journeys under 2 hrs, would I buy another, you bet, selling this privately, with full dealer service history and have achieved 75% of the purchase price after 3 years, why would you buy anything else? good dealership support, excellent build quality, durable with low cost of ownership

Good car but certainly not invincible – Before I eulogise like another Toyota cheer squad about how these cars are so reliable and never break down, perhaps a dose of reality is needed here. Yes, absolutely, Toyota comparative to other manufacturers tend to make very reliable cars but they are not as bullet proof as you may be led to believe. My Prado had done over 300 000km now but has… Read more

had a laundry list of problems and repairs as it has aged including: worn CV joints, failing front wheel bearings, cracked dashboard, leaking fuel injectors, corroding seat belt anchors, rattling external trim panels, leaking power steering rack, leaking timing chain cover, bad ball joints, worn inner and outer tie rods, cracked engine chassis mounts which cost $ 2600 to repair, cracked inner guards, the infamous rattling steering wheel shaft, and a ruptured fuel filler pipe which spilled fuel all over the service station surface prompting the attendant to run out in an emergency! Toyota in the 2000's went through a quality control crisis as admitted by senior Japanese management. The cars they made in the 90's were much better built than today. I suspect that as a company they continue to ride on the back of that accolade in public perception even if it may not be warranted. Overall a good car, but not without its problems.

Love it – Love my Toyota Prado. Drives beautifully, reliable - can take it anywhere from school drop offs to 4 wheel driving in the bush or beach. Servicing costs are far cheaper than previous Subaru Forrester. Only negative is it is noisy with rear windows down but we can live with that.  Show details

Cross lock damage – Cross locks possible damage. I engaged the when on dry serface & wasn't sure if I had dis engaged properly, driving it seems to have a slight wobbling effect. & high vibration at 100km plus. What do you think? Do you think I have done some severe damage? I want to take it in to Good 4x4 drive machanic here in Western Australia perth.  Show details

Toyota excellence – My first Toyota, a GKL petrol auto. So far 250,000 km since 2005 and not a problem. Have always used mobil 1 in engine and synthetic oil in everything else. Its like driving a comfy lounge chair around. Replaced the suspension at 200,000 km to Pedders and am still very happy with that.  Show details

Tell me when a better looking 4WD hits the market – Purchased new in 2005 and 12 years later just done 120,000kms. A few issues along the way- dodgy dashboard (replaced with Toyota's assistance) and need for a re- conditioned sound system to replace the one that stopped working but otherwise no other problems. Tell me when someone designs a better looking vehicle (sorry Toyota the 150 series does not cut the mustard) and I may be tempted. In the meantime.......  Show details

Great car petrol but costly air bag to rear not good – Reliability very good running cost of 4lt petrol very high compared to 4x4 these days diesel would be the better option no need for manual these days when using your car as a 4x4 4/5 speed auto is a better option fridge in consol is very handy on long trips.  Show details

Super all-round suv. Tows heavy van superbly – 130k done, 3 laps of Oz and plenty of other trips, on road, off road, often towing 22ft van. Not missed a beat and very comfortable. Built to last and the diesel is super...ignore the rattle when cold...cruises beautifully. Top buy. This is the model to buy if you are after a good second-hand Prado. Was going to trade on the new2.8L diesel but reviews have put me off, particularly towing aspects. So I'll keep this one for another 100k.  Show details

What a 4 wheel drive – What an awesome all round suv. Have 214000k's on it now with no major problems. Parts have come down big time from Toyota,service my self every 10000. Cheap to service and run. Aircon ice cold. I need to put a lift kit in it as the tank sits a bit low. Awesome on the sand went around a Pajero bogged in the sand without any wheel spin. Wouldn't buy the current model prado as everyone I know that owns one said they should have kept this model.  Show details

'05 VX V6 Prado - Everything I hoped it would be – Only had it for a month, but I'm initially very impressed all-round by this great 4x4 from Toyota. The 120 series (V6 & diesel) have a great build reputation which pulled me from the Pajero or even Territory, and the VX adds a few luxury items without going overboard. Sure its gonna chew more fuel than I would like for daily drives (averaging… Read more

15.8L/100 around town so far), but thats expected from such a big car.

The beige interior is growing on me, I was worried at first, but it keeps clean like any other colour really

I'll update more later once I've got more running costs and kms under the belt.

Prado Grade not going back – I purchased my 2006 Prado in 2007 brand new with only 3klm on the dial, now nearly 10 years later and 116,000 klm and still going strong would not be without it. Purchased it after we borrowed my husband's bosses car in 2006 to take a delivery to Goulburn from Sydney, and I fell in love with it so I just had to have one, perfect on fuel!! A… Read more

very reliable, and serviceable vehicle.

I found the running and serviceability very good, I drive this 4X4 to Harvey Bay on the sunshine coast every year, towing trailers, you forget that it is connected to the vehicle. It has transported all my big purchases.

A very comfortable vehicle to drive. Very economic on all trips, especially long distances.

The only thing I've done is buy new tyres and the every 10,000 klm services.

A full tank gets you from Sydney to Harvey Bay in Queensland 1,600klm with still enough fuel to drive around for another week whilst there. I would recommend this 4X4 to everyone, and I have. Excellent 4X4 wouldn't be without it now, and wouldn't drive anything else. Thank you, for allowing my review.

My Wife Borrowed my Prado ..and won't give it back ! – Bought this ex QLD miner with the BHP internal roll bars, from Orix Melb, complete with bull bar, tow pack and 100K on the dial. At the time my wife said this will be your car so I replaced the wheels with alloys and Yokohamas. Loaded it with mountain bikes, scouts and hauled all manner of camping gear, rubbish and stuff. Few problems apart from… Read more

replacing the fuel sender units in both tanks when we couldn't read the fuel gauge. Completely destroyed a black Barina when I reversed over it one night when the street light was out. Insurance covered the Barina. No mark on the Prado. This must have impressed the trouble and strife because she asked to drive it on the school commute and hasn't given it back. Lately I have been sitting in the back seats and they are not quite as comfortable as I remember them. 260k and still going strong. Can't see me ever getting rid of this one. Car not the wife.

21/12/2022 UPDATES - replaced clock spring - replaced backdoor weather Strip - new organiser tray for Centre Console - new head unit - Kenwood DDX4019BT and reverse camera CMOS-320 - new dash - free from Toyota under warranty but had to pay for labour to install - added waterproof neoprene seatcovers all round. - replaced spotlights on bull bar for LEDs - still married !!