Water In Nearside Well Next To Tire Well- 53 Plate Avensis T3s

[Realistbear]

I have a 53 plate Avensis T3s AT hatchback with 77k on the clock. No body damage and no broken seals anywhere. A litre of water accumulates after a few days rain and driving in the space next to the left of the wheel well, nearside. It has a plug which I can "unplug" to drain the water out. The water appears to be ordinary rain, or hose water from washing the car. Some dampness can be found accross the back of the tire well under the foam sound insulation and in the tire well itself.

Anyone have any ideas on a fix? Thank you.

[Realistbear]

I have seen a few responses on this problme from pre-2003 model Avensis. Hopefully someone has some experience with this issue. If it is not a simple fix I may sell the car and probably avoid Toyotas unless they are Japanese built. I also have a constantly misting nearside headlamp and have had 2 replacements to date. Not good.

[Aamir2892]

I have seen a few responses on this problme from pre-2003 model Avensis. Hopefully someone has some experience with this issue. If it is not a simple fix I may sell the car and probably avoid Toyotas unless they are Japanese built. I also have a constantly misting nearside headlamp and have had 2 replacements to date. Not good.

You said you had your headlamps replaced due to misting. I washed my car and next morning the left headlamp had misted up. I took the bulb out for a few hours and the misting had disappeared. My cars done 69,650miles. Are the replacements free?

[Q.S.]

I have a 53 plate Avensis T3s AT hatchback with 77k on the clock. No body damage and no broken seals anywhere. A litre of water accumulates after a few days rain and driving in the space next to the left of the wheel well, nearside. It has a plug which I can "unplug" to drain the water out. The water appears to be ordinary rain, or hose water from washing the car. Some dampness can be found accross the back of the tire well under the foam sound insulation and in the tire well itself.

Anyone have any ideas on a fix? Thank you.

Sorry can't help on this model, only suggestion is to remove as much trim as you can, get inside the vehicle with a good torch, while your assistant gives the car a really good pasting with the hosepipe.

The earlier ones (as you have probably read) let water in from the roof gutters above the tailgate, it then runs down inside the rear pillars at either side and drips off into the boot. Bearing in mind, water always tavels downhill with gravity, the only time it comes up is when propelled upwards by something else ( like a tyre) and enters via a hole of some sort.

Hope you succeed in finding the culprit.

[Realistbear]

I have seen a few responses on this problme from pre-2003 model Avensis. Hopefully someone has some experience with this issue. If it is not a simple fix I may sell the car and probably avoid Toyotas unless they are Japanese built. I also have a constantly misting nearside headlamp and have had 2 replacements to date. Not good.

You said you had your headlamps replaced due to misting. I washed my car and next morning the left headlamp had misted up. I took the bulb out for a few hours and the misting had disappeared. My cars done 69,650miles. Are the replacements free?

I did get 2 replacements free as I bought the car from a main dealer with a 1 year used car warranty. The second one was fine until I had an MOT after the garage aligned the headlamp. The seal must have been displaced, I am not sure. The problem has only ever been with the nearside headlamp with the farside never showing any misting.

The idea that the water may be coming from underneath the car as a result of the tire throwing it upward sounds most plausible as the car does not appear to fill with water after a couple of days stationary. The spreading of the water from the well accross the back of the tire well might be explained by spillage occuring when the car corners. Or, possibly, after the well has filled up.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I am reluctant to take it to our local Toyota dealership as the cost will be horrendous. It would be a good thing if Toyota UK was owned directly by Toyota removing the middleman and the apparent less than Toyota standards.

[Realistbear]

I may have discovered the problem. The water may be coming from underneath the car as it is thrown up aginst the wheel well by the tire. The clips holding the undercarriage cover at the rear near side seem to be missing. Will get it fixed and see if this stops the water. The only mystery is how it is travelling from underneath the car to the well as there does not appear to be any route open for water to take. Sounds more like a Leyland vehicle in the days of Yore that the technical wizardy of Toyota the reliable.

[Aamir2892]

Somewhere as i have read on this forum Toyota gave a extended Warranty of 5 years or 100,000 miles for these headlamps. Is this true?

[Realistbear]

Somewhere as i have read on this forum Toyota gave a extended Warranty of 5 years or 100,000 miles for these headlamps. Is this true?

Rumours on that topic abound. I bought mine 2 years ago with a 1 year used car warranty from a main dealer and had 2 replaced in that time. The current one is misting like the others and may die also. The original offside lamp has been good throughout the same period.

What with failing headlights (very poor beam and possibly the worst I have ever had--my 1992 Mazda MX-5 puts the Avensis to shame in lighting up the road!), and water leaks I think I may be on my first and very last UK-built Toyota. I wonder where the Auris is made?

I used to live in the US and owned 3 Camrys, a MR2 and a HiLux pick up and all of them were 100% reliable and trouble free.

[allen2502]

Somewhere as i have read on this forum Toyota gave a extended Warranty of 5 years or 100,000 miles for these headlamps. Is this true?

Rumours on that topic abound. I bought mine 2 years ago with a 1 year used car warranty from a main dealer and had 2 replaced in that time. The current one is misting like the others and may die also. The original offside lamp has been good throughout the same period.

What with failing headlights (very poor beam and possibly the worst I have ever had--my 1992 Mazda MX-5 puts the Avensis to shame in lighting up the road!), and water leaks I think I may be on my first and very last UK-built Toyota. I wonder where the Auris is made?

I used to live in the US and owned 3 Camrys, a MR2 and a HiLux pick up and all of them were 100% reliable and trouble free.

My lights all misted up. back and front.

had all of them replaced. the main problem i was told was the back?

most lights came with plastic backs?

they now have steel cases, as the plastic ones melt/warp. and it seems fine now.

[Realistbear]

My neighbour was desperate to find an Avensis with A/T so I sold her mine! I am now Toyotaless and will soon be adding a '05 Mazda 6 (all built in Japan) to my 1992 MX-5 (perfect-never lets me down) which confirms me as a Mazda Owner in the fullest sense of that term! My UK experience with Toyota has not been that good but I am told that the Japanese built cars are as good as I experienced in the US where I owned a variety of Toyotas that were all problem free. The new Avensis is very pricey and my neighbour, who drives an 06 Avensis diesel for his Taxi work said the Taxi drivers wil not be buying the new one due to price.

The reports on the Mazda 6 are all good and I do not expect leaking boots, failing headlights and the worst road noise in a 4 door car ever experienced.