Most economical minivan?

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Odd enough, I guess there is no manual Previa in my country, and neither any AWD one. But anyway, I'd be more concerned about that head gasket than the rear wheel bearing. I still remember how shocking it was for me to find out the original Previa had a solid rear axle...

Yes it is. It brings up a lot of questions.

1. Why did it need a head gasket? The most likely reason is overheating, but with that many miles it could have been just old age, possibly.
2. Is something else affected by the overheating? For an example, the head could be warped, or the water in the oil could have affected the engine bearings or rings.
3. Did it get reparied properly? Was the head replaced or was it milled? If it was milled, is the camshaft bore still aligned?
4. How can I tell any of this?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

That's a serious matter of concern, but I guess this might've been more due to the age and mileage. Otherwise the seller would most likely claim to have had the engine fully overhauled.

[Isaac Zachary]

The claim is,

The head gasket was just changed by the only Toyota Previa mechanic in the U.S and it will start up every time, the rear wheel bearings were just replaced and it shifts like a dream.

The "only Toyota Previa mechanic in the U.S." sounds either like the owner was a Previa fan and took good care of it, or is full of hot air.

I also believe everyone sells their stuff for a reason. Why is he/she selling it? Did the "only Toyota Previa mechanic in the U.S." warn him/her that this van is going to need a new engine soon or that the part that needed replacing (e.g. head) is impossible to find in worthwhile condition?

Edit. The ad also says "would consider trade with JDM car." So, maybe that's the reason the person no longer wants it because the family shrunk and now the owner wants to shrink the vehicle down to something else that's fun.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Who knows... But anyway, as a Brazilian, I'd be seriously tempted to look out for whatever other engine could be suitable for a swap, and the Previa seems to be much of a PITA when it comes to that because of the horizontal engine...

[Isaac Zachary]

$775 for a used engine. About $2,000 for a low mileage Japan engine, the supercharged variant.

I have seen low mileage Japanese diesel engines for the Previa for sale before too, but they are rare.

I would be inclined to swap for either the supercharged variant or the diesel if I ever got a good oportunity to do so. I'm not sure of what all I would need, but at least with this van I'd already have the manual tranmsmission, which is rare and never was offered with the supercharged engine.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I have seen low mileage Japanese diesel engines for the Previa for sale before too, but they are rare.

I would be inclined to swap for either the supercharged variant or the diesel if I ever got a good oportunity to do so.

Maybe the Diesel would be the best to swap, as it was of the C series, IIRC it's the 3C-T or 3C-TE, which had also been used on other 'Yotas, so maybe it's just a matter of looking out for the mods eventually required to the lube system to work with the engine in a more slanted position, in a way similar to how the Volkswagen EA827 engine on both the 1.8L gasser in South Africa and the 1.6L Diesel in Europe were slanted to fit into the engine bay of the Vanagon. Sure the 1.6L Diesel and the 1.8L gasser sharing the same stroke favored it...

[redpoint5]

That's the advantage of buying private party, that they know the vehicle history and have less practice in deception than a salesman.

Ask questions and let the answers guide your decision.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

That's the advantage of buying private party, that they know the vehicle history and have less practice in deception than a salesman.

Ask questions and let the answers guide your decision.

The owner got back to me and said the head gasket was changed for preventitive maintenance. Talking on the Toyota forum, apparently the head gasket blowing from old age is also common.

[redpoint5]

Hmm, never heard of a head gasket being replaced for PM, but I suppose it could be a thing.

[Isaac Zachary]

Looks like the most frequent problem on the Previas are the SADS going out. Those might be harder to change on the AWD varients.