The 1.8-litre VVT-i...
The 1.8-litre VVT-i engine is found in models across the line-up, but can suffer from excessive oil burning from as few as 50,000-60,000 miles, according to main dealers. The problem is being blamed on the piston ring design, and Toyota says that any unit consuming more than one litre of oil every 1,000 miles will be looked at and, full service history permitting, rectified.
An exclusive online...
An exclusive online survey asked readers how often they called out their nominated roadside get-you-home firm - and a whopping 48 per cent said they had never needed to turn to it.
As three out of four motorists are members in the UK -spending an average of ÷£35 for basic cover - that"s potentially millions of unused insurance money. However, the AA claims it"s not cashing in on idle policies, despite revealing its profits had more than doubled to ÷£200million in 2005.
A spokeswoman claimed that cost-cutting and more efficient patrols were responsible for the increased profits, and the firm still attends 3.5 million breakdowns a year - one every nine seconds.
"We haven"t noticed much change in call-outs, but we have more patrol cars fixing vehicles at the roadside, which has made a massive impact," she said. The top-three call-outs were for flat batteries, punctured tyres and lost keys, not mechanical failures.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said rescue cover gave motorists "valuable peace of mind" and added that one of the reasons for non-call-outs is that cars had become more reliable. Our survey revealed a further five per cent of readers fixed the breakdown themselves, and nine per cent argued the policies were "a waste of money". Only one per cent of those polled had reached their policy"s call-out limit.