Engine Damper Yaris Hybrid

[Chas G]

55 minutes ago, Christopher Dale said:

Thanks for this info Tony and Nigel. Interesting your comment Nigel because I have been thinking about trading the Yaris in - but not for another Yaris! Nothing from the dealer today so I will give them a polite prod tomorrow.

Any clues what you will get instead of the yaris?

[anchorman]

On 4/10/2024 at 8:50 PM, Cyker said:

I had that error, took it in the next day but there was no TSB at the time and they weren't really interested as I wasn't booked in and it was a saturday morning so they just reset all the errors and sent me on my way; I've been driving it without issue since.

Ironically they won't fit the new damper now as I can't get the error to appear again  

I'd get them to reset it so you have use of the car and see how you get on, as the backlog for waiting for the replacement part is extreme; One forum member has been waiting months

I don't think the fault is dangerous - It's just the system panicking because it sensed the damper slipping when it shouldn't, presumably someone at the french factory didn't tighten up the clamp bolts properly, and going into freakout safe mode.

Just as well, I’m not sure the modified one is Cyker proof 😉

[anchorman]

It amazes me how many indignant owners think parts and technical problems only relate to Toyota.  I won’t be buying again is the cry in some sort of declaration of punishment but the fact is, Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand.  Go on, sell it and buy something else, that’ll solve all of your problems.   Before you do, join the forum of your intended salvation and have a little flick through.  
 

 

[Christopher Dale]

Hi Chas

 I won't bother you with all of our personal issues but, due to advancing years and changes in our motoring requirements I am interested in the Aygo X. My only issue with the Aygo is the small engine. We need to visit friends and relatives in North Devon two or three times a year (4 hours driving) and this is where the flexibility of the Yaris is so brilliant. There is no point in changing from Yaris to Yaris - I love the car and it's got less than 10,000 miles on the clock so will probably stick for now but the next car will almost certainly be smaller so that my younger misses will be happy driving me around. It will be interesting to see what Toyota produce in the way of smaller electric cars - if that happens in my time!

[Tony Schuck]

Totally agree with your post. I know of owners of Vauxhall’s, a Jaguar and a Honda who have had parts issues. Their vehicles were off the road for over 6 months. The parts issue is global undoubtedly. No one can argue that Toyota are up there in terms of reliability.

The service manager said to me yesterday that this issue has been a “lose lose” for Toyota and certainty it will have dented owners trust in the brand. Personally I will hang onto my Yaris along as the repair has been effective.

I finish the finance in 6 weeks and have a service plan and another 2 years warranty. It is also the only occasion  a Toyota has ever let me  in 14 years so perspective is needed but the whole scenario has been uncertain and lengthy but hopefully will come to fruition next week.

[Christopher Dale]

Hope all goes well and your Yaris will soon be back where it belongs.

[Cyker]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:39 AM, anchorman said:

Just as well, I’m not sure the modified one is Cyker proof 😉

I have tried to make it happen again but it's resisted my efforts so far; You'd think accelerating hard enough to get wheel spin and traction control kicking in and power sliding it round corners* it would at least slip a bit, but it stubbornly refuses to...  

On 4/12/2024 at 8:49 AM, anchorman said:

It amazes me how many indignant owners think parts and technical problems only relate to Toyota.  I won’t be buying again is the cry in some sort of declaration of punishment but the fact is, Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand.  Go on, sell it and buy something else, that’ll solve all of your problems.   Before you do, join the forum of your intended salvation and have a little flick through. 

I also find it weird when people complain about something on the car but then e.g. go to Renault or Peugeot  

Don't get me wrong, they do make really nice cars, but you don't buy those marques for reliability...  

On 4/12/2024 at 10:38 AM, Christopher Dale said:

Hi Chas

 I won't bother you with all of our personal issues but, due to advancing years and changes in our motoring requirements I am interested in the Aygo X. My only issue with the Aygo is the small engine. We need to visit friends and relatives in North Devon two or three times a year (4 hours driving) and this is where the flexibility of the Yaris is so brilliant. There is no point in changing from Yaris to Yaris - I love the car and it's got less than 10,000 miles on the clock so will probably stick for now but the next car will almost certainly be smaller so that my younger misses will be happy driving me around. It will be interesting to see what Toyota produce in the way of smaller electric cars - if that happens in my time!

The Aygo's engine will feel very gutless compared to the hybrid Yaris, but if you're not averse to high RPMs it's surprisingly capable - It's a very typically japanese engine so all the power is at the top end so you need to rev it like it has VTEC (It doesn't) to get the power out of it  

I'm also waiting for a small electric car that also doesn't have joke range, but given current trends I'm not holding my breath. Even if we have a major Battery breakthrough, it typically takes 5-7 years for it to get to market and another few years for it to get into cars. It took Toyota 20 years to make a hybrid that was objectively better than my old Mk1 Yaris diesel!

*Just so we're clear I'm not actually drifting my Yaris round all the corners or screaming away from the lights every time. Maybe on the odd occasion... 

[Chas G]

3 hours ago, anchorman said:

It amazes me how many indignant owners think parts and technical problems only relate to Toyota.  I won’t be buying again is the cry in some sort of declaration of punishment but the fact is, Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand.  Go on, sell it and buy something else, that’ll solve all of your problems.   Before you do, join the forum of your intended salvation and have a little flick through.  
 

 

I think Toyota may be a victim of their own success. Many people start their post with sentences like "I have had  Toyota for xx years and none of them have ever gone wrong". Mention you have bought a Toyota and friends respond with comments like "they are bullet proof".

If I bought a vw/audi , I would expect the dashboard to buzz or rattle,  the cabin to suffer water ingress and to use far more fuel than claimed, just like all the ones I have owned.

If I bought another Mercedes I would expect it to empty my bank account with frighteningly expensive repair bills and to be treated like a pauper by the service department for not having bought an s class.

People who buy Toyotas just don't expect to have to do anything other than fill the car with fuel and get it serviced. This unrealistic expectation even applies to vehicles more than 10 years old, dubious service history and high mileage. 

As you point out, Toyota always appear in the top 5 of reliability surveys which is why people are so surprised when they do go wrong. 

The 12 volt Battery issues I believe hit Toyotas most loyal customers ie older people who do little mileage and they should have provided an acceptable solution.

Exceptional value for money, excellent customer service and reliability from Toyota are the starting point.

[Auris Geezer]

Just had this "Hybid Malfunction, Visit Dealer" message this Saturday morning.  I was less than a mile from Lindops Queensferry, so drove straight there.  They read the code (Torque Damper problem)  and reset it,  ordered the new part under warranty, gave me a coffee whilst I waited and promised to email me when the part come in to book it in.  Was in and out of there in maybe half an hour.  Car is fine to drive without issues/messages.   Happy chappie here.  Hats off to Lindops, superb service, can't be faulted.

Cheers, Trev.

[Cyker]

Excellent - That's exactly the correct response from the dealer! Not keeping the car for months waiting for the part...

That's why I wish Lindops had franchises down here - They were consistently top-ranking back when this forum had a dealer rating section.

I think some of the dealers don't understand what the issue is and think it's unsafe to drive, but it's just a slight slip of the damper plate and I've driven mine for near 2 years after having the fault and it's not only been absolutely fine, it's also not happened again (And if anyone on this forum would be able to make it happen again, it's me   )

 

[Martin West]

On 4/11/2024 at 4:46 PM, Tony Schuck said:

I have posted before about this issue on a few occasions. My 2021 Yaris Excel went  off the road with exactly the same damper issue on 8th January 2024 with 12485 miles recorded. The vehicle was registered in May 2021 thus having a 5 years warranty.

The dealership In Tamworth have been supportive and I have been provided with a courtesy car via Enterprise cars of a much lower spec.

At last the part has been delivered but a resin is apparently needed to complete the job. Should be delivered tomorrow ( 12th April).

 

I e mailed Toyota UK on Monday asking if there would be a possibility of a Goodwill Gesture from Toyota as I am now entering month 4 of being without my vehicle which is still on finance until June.

Toyota delegated the response to Toyota Tamworth and I was contacted by the service manager today. For some reason he did not have a copy of my e mail. He suggested that Toyota Finance may be receptive to a request for such a gesture if I contacted them as I was without the convenience of my own vehicle for the last 3 months.

Has any other Toyota owner in similar circumstances gone down this avenue?

The 2021 Yaris I bought from Tamworth 5 months ago has had the dreaded Hybrid Malfunction Warning twice now in 4 weeks…. Happened on motorway both times….. complete shut down…. Now at Bishops Stortford and awaiting Damper….. hoping to get a loan car asap! 

[YarisHybrid2016]

Curious why it seems to occur on the motorway? I seem to read that a lot regarding this issue. I would have thought it would be more likely pulling away from traffic lights or climbing a hill.

[anchorman]

54 minutes ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Curious why it seems to occur on the motorway? I seem to read that a lot regarding this issue. I would have thought it would be more likely pulling away from traffic lights or climbing a hill.

The e in the eCVT is the way the computer works to vary the ratio of the epicyclic geartrain.   In other transmissions they would have servos and clutches to lock fixed ratios but in an eCVT they use the speed of MG1 to vary the input or sun gear.  It’s very clever and all the competitors would love to mimic it but it’s locked down with patents.  So!  They can spin that sun gear anywhere from faster than the output (vehicle speed) which gives low ratios to the same speed which gives 1:1 to actually turning it backwards to give overdrive ratios.  This is all in an attempt to keep the engine in its most efficient range which is between 1500 to 2000rpm.  If you’re on the motorway and you floor it you are loading it in the overdrive ratio and as you correctly surmise, at lower speeds you use lower ratios.  You can understand why that damper wants to breakaway because that’s when there’s most load on it.  The ultra simple epicyclic geartrain is the star of the show for me.  This clever little device is about the diameter of a saucer and the thickness of a pork pie and by locking it to MG2 via an outer cog, it forms the power split device that when working a bit like a diff’ becomes the power split device.  It’s absolutely ingenious.  

[APS]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:49 AM, anchorman said:

Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand.

The products are still good but the service from dealers has deteriorated over the last 10 years. To the point where I avoid them. Even the once untouchable Lexus is no longer at the top. That saddens me. I've been pleasantly surprised by the local BMW dealer who has been excellent. Yes, I had lower expectations but they were thoroughly surpassed.

EDIT: Just want add that this is only based on my personal experience with our local dealerships. I am sure there are plenty of Toyota/Lexus franchises, and individuals, that do a cracking job. We salute you. Parts shortages are of course not an isolated Toyota issue.

Edited April 19 by APS

[Parts-King]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:49 AM, anchorman said:

It amazes me how many indignant owners think parts and technical problems only relate to Toyota.  I won’t be buying again is the cry in some sort of declaration of punishment but the fact is, Toyota are statistically better than the others and there are woeful examples with virtually every other brand.  Go on, sell it and buy something else, that’ll solve all of your problems.   Before you do, join the forum of your intended salvation and have a little flick through.  
 

I have had an air con pipe on order for a Vauxhall for about 10 months, they won't escalate the problem to head office, because it's a known issue, nobody cares, it's just "the way it is" shocking really 

[Martin West]

8 hours ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

Curious why it seems to occur on the motorway? I seem to read that a lot regarding this issue. I would have thought it would be more likely pulling away from traffic lights or climbing a hill.

Both times in radar cruise control

[TonyHSD]

While on motorway drives and with CC engaged often when going uphill climbing the car seeks full power from the drive train to maintain speed and here is the breaking point, the damper clutch got overloaded and if faulty slip occurs and sends fault codes and warning lights. 
Another time when can happen is when accelerating fast (full throttle) and you hit a pothole or large cracks on the road, then overloaded damper will slip and cause this. I had exactly this happened to me few years ago but after reset the warning ⚠️ all went back to normal and no physical repair or replacement of parts were necessary. The only problem was to build up trust in the car again and to drive relaxed. 

[Christopher Dale]

I now have a Hyundai Hybrid car on hire from Enterprise with 45k miles on the clock - costing Toyota UK £164 per week!  It's bigger than the Yaris, comfortable and quiet - the only issue I have is the pedal parking brake which I am gradually getting used to.

Called in to Inchcape yesterday to pick up personal belongings left in my car - they have no idea how long we will have to wait for parts and they are talking about parking it somewhere else!! 

Does anyone know where such parts come from? Are they shipped by sea (around the Horn of Africa) or can they be flown in? Not that this will get my car repaired any faster but I am interested to know.

[anchorman]

13 hours ago, Parts-King said:

I have had an air con pipe on order for a Vauxhall for about 10 months, they won't escalate the problem to head office, because it's a known issue, nobody cares, it's just "the way it is" shocking really 

I’d sell the Vauxhall and keep the pipe.  It’ll be more reliable 😉