Toyota Problems

It's not unusual for them to have injector issues, which usually shows up by heavy knocking when the engine is cold and is fixed by replacing the injectors. If it only occurs on a slope, however, I would be making sure it isn't an oil pickup problem, and I would have the oil pickup in the sump checked to make sure it isn't partially blocked.

It could be a mismatched gear set in the oil pump in the transmission, or a mismatch in the planetary gear set.

Any of those oils would be perfectly ok for your car. If you are doing really short trips and want the engine to warm up a little faster, and reduce wear during that period, you could use a 10W-40 oil, but I would use a 20W-50 oil as a good all-rounder.

It's most likely the steering shaft as the dealer has suggested, it's quite common and Toyota has recalled a number of models for just such a knock. Have the dealer replace the shaft and press for compensation from the company.

You're not on your own with this issue, it's often reported by Aurion owners, but there is no recall or alert that we could find. Make sure the park brake is correctly adjusted by loosening the cable, adjusting the brake shoes and then adjusting the slack out of the cable.

Take it to another mechanic who knows Toyotas and have it assessed. I have seen reports of a whining noise coming from the front differential and transfer case. I doubt that it is the automatic transmission itself.

There have been a few issues with the tow bar on Prados and Toyota has been checking and replacing the attaching bolts and replacing the hitch with a genuine Toyota one where the vehicle is fitted with an aftermarket one. The Toyota hitches are rated to handle the weight the Prado is approved to tow.

It's interesting that the dealer has told you there is a problem, but Toyota denied it. I reckon I would believe the dealer in this instance, and suggest that Toyota is fobbing you off while they scratch their collective heads and try to work out what's wrong. I reckon it's an issue with the lock-up torque converter. Press for a solution.

The oil sludging is believed to be caused by fuel leakage past the fuel-injector seals into the oil stream. Eventually it can lead to the oil pickup being blocked, which then starves the engine of oil. It's a known problem in other parts of the world, but Toyota has not done anything about it here, even though we know of a number of cars that have suffered severe engine meltdowns. To make it worse the oil seals in question are supposed to be replaced at the 40,000km service when the valve clearances are checked and reset. It's clear that this isn't always done. Like you, I would be very angry about having the engine fail at such low kays, and I would be letting Toyota head office know about it in no uncertain terms. I know of one owner who managed to get them to replace the engine in his car when it had done over 200,000km, so I would urge you not to take Toyota's "no" for an answer and  push them to the limit. Take action through Consumer Affairs if needed. Don't worry that the Toyota warranty has expired, the company still has an obligation to sell you a product that is fit for purpose, and it would seem in this case that it has not.