Before you buy a used Toyota Corolla Verso.
Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.
The essentials.
- 4 documented, sourced faults across its 2 engines.
- 3 of them depend on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
- 1 official recall on record: ask for the chassis number (VIN) and confirm it has been done.
- According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 1.6 / 1.8 VVT-i (Petrol).
Typical faults by engine
The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.
All versions
Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.
- Oil consumption, suspension and MMT clutch on the Corolla VersoKnown weak points
- Period mentioned
- 2002–2009
- Mileage mentioned
- What the sheet says: Oil consumption on petrol engines and the 2.0 diesel (with a low level, engine failure); wear of shock absorbers, springs, suspension and steering from the weight; brakes; the MMT automated gearbox clutch from about 100,000 km.
Applies if: Weak points of this model from inspections, breakdown statistics and recalls; anything specific to one engine is stated in the sheet.
1.6 / 1.8 VVT-i
Petrol
- Period mentioned
- Approx. 1998–2005
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only the 1.8 VVT-i (1ZZ-FE), mainly before the facelift; Toyota changed the pistons in July 2005.
2.0 / 2.2 D-4D
Diesel
- Period mentioned
- 2005–2009
- Mileage mentioned
- What the sheet says: Carbon on the pistons causing oil consumption and head-gasket failures. Toyota had out-of-warranty support guidelines for engines built in 2005–2009 (up to 7 years and 180,000 km), now expired.
- Period mentioned
- Approx. 1999–2006
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only the 116 hp 2.0 D-4D built until 2006 (1CD-FTV).
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 / 1.8 VVT-iPetrolFewest documented | 22 with conditions | 1 |
| 2.0 / 2.2 D-4DDiesel | 32 with conditions | 1 |
According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 1.6 / 1.8 VVT-i (Petrol).
By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.
We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.
Official recalls: ask before you pay
A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.
- Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
- Ask an official Toyota dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
- Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Toyota airbag and seat-belt recalls (2003–2024)Airbags and seat belts
How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.
View full entryOn the test drive: what to look and listen for
Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.
0 of 4 checked
Engine
Look out for: High oil consumption, coolant loss, overheating, smoke and clogged EGR and particulate filter.
Ask them to check: Measure oil consumption, run a combustion-gas test on the coolant and check the EGR and particulate filter; check the engine repair history.
Look out for: Oil must be topped up between changes (more than a litre every 1,600 km in bad cases), bluish smoke and fouled spark plugs; eventually misfires and a damaged catalytic converter.
Ask them to check: Measure consumption between two changes with the level set correctly and check the spark plugs and catalytic converter. If consumption is high, the lasting fix is new pistons and rings.
Known weak points
Look out for: Oil consumption on petrol engines and the 2.0 diesel (with a low level, engine failure); wear of shock absorbers, springs, suspension and steering from the weight; brakes; the MMT automated gearbox clutch from about 100,000 km.
Ask them to check: Measure oil consumption between changes; check suspension and brakes; test the MMT clutch.
Injection / turbo
Look out for: Hard starting, hesitation and loss of power, black smoke; EGR (P0400) or turbo-control codes; flywheel noise.
Ask them to check: Read the codes, check the fuel filter and for air ingress, test the injectors and SCV valves and clean the EGR before replacing expensive parts.
OBD codes worth looking for
If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.
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