Shifterati

Toyota 3VZ-E engine

This page is a draft. It has not been approved yet, so read it with care.

Maintenance

Services the sources say it needs. Faults that happen however well an engine is kept are under Watch out for. Tap one for what to ask.

  • Timing belt and its tensioner Every version Replace every 60,000 miles

    Ask the seller: Ask for records showing the timing belt was changed, and when.

    If it was skipped: MOTOR says Toyota specialists recommend a new belt at 60,000 miles, and that the engine is freewheeling, so a broken belt won't damage anything. It says to treat the tensioner like the water pump on a high-mileage belt job, and replace it if it leaks.

    Sources 1

What owners say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

  • Avoid: Less reliable than the four-cylinder Every version Less sought after

    Hagerty says the V6 wasn't as reliable as the four-cylinder and that many developed head gasket trouble. Its piece on the 1989 4Runner says the four-cylinder trucks proved more reliable than the V6s.2,3

Sources

  1. MOTOR magazine (3.0 V6, January 2001)
  2. Hagerty (4Runner Turbo)
  3. Hagerty (1989 V6)