Is the 150 showing any signs of cracked inner guards

[Gordon]

Hi Schiff: I usually avoid the bar arguments these daze, but give it up man, whilst you say I'm making excuses for Toyota, you're making excuses for the aftermarket crap. My money is on the big T, not on some bodgie anachronistic factory in Australia cashing up on people intent on looking the biz. My pattern of buying Prados is based on e x p e r i e n c e. Not just with Prados but with several 4wds, all used in what is generally considered to be extreme conditions, not all of them gazetted. The less you mess with these things the fewer problems you'll have*. And you know with all the falling apart my first car had, it never actually stopped - gotta love that.

G.
*Except always put a sumpguard on diesel Holdens.

PS if you don't fit heavy bullbars & rear bars & 100kgs of drawers your car will almost never bottom out and when it does it will have so little energy left in it (aaaah now there's the smarts in the design of the OEM suspension) that it wont do any harm.
PPS what is it with rear bars - all that weight and money and stuffing around to open the boot for at most - ONE EXTRA WHEEL???!!!
PPPS I use Oates plastic drawers - 3 stacked and riveted cost <$100 & weigh less than my smallest saucepan.

[smakb]

60k in an Apr 2010 GXL


Steve

[Schniff]

Best of luck with it all, no-one should have to go to this extent with a vehicle still under warranty, not good enough Toyota, what about the tv media eg A current Affair/today tonight have you approached them they always love to have a go at car yards etc.

As I've said, I have no interest in going silly slandering Toyota and the car. It hurts because I really liked the car and want to continue as a Toyota customer (just not in a Prado). I'm sending Toyota a letter tomorrow spelling out my position, so will see how they respond.

How many ks have you done Steve?

[smakb]

One concern is that I have done just about everything that this thread has said not to do. Stiff suspension, bull bar with side rails, duel batteries, winch, air compressor (with air tank fitted to bull bar) and I give my car a real hard time off road. Am I just lucky? I thought so until I heard of the issues when people have this problem in stock vehicles.


Steve

[Drj]

Forgot to add: The passenger side guard is now severely cracked and has all but seperated from the radiator support. To prevent the whole thing from destroying itself while I fight Toyota I have removed the OEM battery from the vehicle and rewired it so that the car now starts from the auxillary battery.

Best of luck with it all, no-one should have to go to this extent with a vehicle still under warranty, not good enough Toyota, what about the tv media eg A current Affair/today tonight have you approached them they always love to have a go at car yards etc.