Michael Brown

Hi there, Go onto the DVLA website, find Ulez and put in your reg No. They should tell you straight away wether yours is compliant.

And a BIMTA check ( British Independant Motor Trades Association ) for a small fee give the reg no and or Vin No and they will check the true Km or mileage. As its strange how most of these imports have a low milage be it in Km or Miles. As a low milage vehicle commands a higher price over here ............. and Good Luck

HI All I had the same problem twice and had to use the RAC to get Alfie home on a transporter. The first time 2 Hybrid battery cells were replaced. It's the stripping down and putting back together costs the money. £532. first bill. The second one, I was told the Inverter was kapput and Peter Holland could not source the parts to fix it. He looked into getting a new genuine Toyota Inverter/Converter from Japan. Including VAT and delivery £5,200. This did not include the fitting of it. After buying Alfie for £9,500. last August, what do I do. I rang my bank and asked for a bank loan and got it and I rang Peter when the funds was in my bank and he ordered the Inverter/Converter. 2.5 weeks later it arrived and was fitted set up and tested, another £320. I should get at least 10 years trouble free driving, touch wood. I used Peter Holland @ BrightSpark Automotive, www.brightsparkautomotive.co.uk Tel : 07774 152660. at Southboune, Nr Emswoth, West Sussex Good luck

Hello Mark I do not know anythink about OBD readers etc, but over here I found a specialst on car and boat electrics and he has worked on mine twice now. The first time he stripped down Alfie and replaced 2 hybrid cellls, tested it again, cost came to £532. The second time I broke down and Peter Holland had Alfie back, he ran his tester over and found the Inverter was Kapput. He had no spares and could not sourrce any. He looked into buying a whole new Inverter from Japan, The cost an eye watering £5,200. inc VAT and delivery. What do I do. I'd paid £9,500 for Alfie back in August last year. I took out a bank loan over 5yrs and Peter ordered it. Came in 2.5 weeks. The fitting and setting up another £320. I now should get at least 10 years trouble free motoring.

Hi All, very interesting I was under the impression that there was no water jet for the back window and am managing without it. So where is it actually positioned and does it receive the water from the front washer bottle tank.

I sent away for the Hybrid version last Autumn of the version pictured above. Sent from New Zealand, same price. Its okay for the basics. I keep my copy in Alfie for reference. I think I got mine through the bay

Silly question, does one unscrew the gear stick knob right to left or other way ?

Hi there, when I bought my 07 hybrid last August 27th, I went onto the DVLA web pages and entered my registration number. It was alreadyr egistered as ULEZ free

My 2.4 2007 Hybrid is £295. a year and has been going up £5. a year. I'd have thought the Hybrid version would be cheaper. Its has ULEZ status.

Unfortunately I am not going to make it now as I had a Mini Stroke this last Sunday evening 18th June and was taken via ambulance to Coventry University Hospital because they have a Stroke Unit there. When you have a Stroke I was told that I must not drive for a month in case of relapse. I lost the power of speech, all my words came out not in the right order ( and no I had not been drinking ). I had a CT brainscan, everything appeared okay. I stayed in overnight and was released on monday morning, power of speach restored. I had to go back on Tuesday morning for another check over and don't have to go back, but I am still not allowed to drive. So sorry I am going to have to miss this get together. Unless I can help in some way on the day, if someone coud pick me up from Stratford upon Avon south of the river near the Banbury Road. I am disabled and on crutches.

I have the 2.4 Hybrid, you'd think the DVLA would make some allowance that its a Hybrid and reduce the Road Tax accordingly, what say you.

After been ferried home with Alfie on a car transporter via the RAC after breaking down with I can't start it symptom, I took The advice of Peter Holland of Brightspark Automotive in Southbourne West Sussex/Hampshire border to replace the Hybrid Inverter. Peter said he could not source spare parts for my old one, but he could order a new one from Japan, cost being an eye watering £5,200. including VAT and delivery. I'd paid £9,500. for Alfie last August and I did not want to scrap the vehicle for lack of that one part. So through Peter a new one was ordered. It took longer than the 10 days to arrive, more like two and a half weeks. It cost around £352. to replace the Inverter and sort the codes out. Touch wood I will have 10 years worth of use to come. Been starting up fine and driving Alfie for the last 3 weeks.

It might be helpfulll to get an App on your phone that translates the on screen language Japanese into English ?

The small black stick on plate and not white with Alf's details is on the nearside door shut pillar just below the door catch

You should have a white sticker on the wheel arch on either side of front doors, with the doors open. Also you will have the Vin No and other info including the body colour code. You could try your local Toyota dealer. Some of them are agreeable when you say its for an import. Its a Toyota stock colour after all. Remember to give the year of manufacture.

All my other Estima's before my present Alfie I only ever used to listen too Radio 4 or the Digital version of Radio 4 on a DAB Pioneer head unit. But I am liking the Radio 2 now and will not now be changing the head unit. I have the various cameras and reverse cam is good and I occassionally stumble accross channels that have been recorded on the hard drive and thanks to the chap who did the You Tube video of setting up Bluetooth when I sign onto the Alphard site, I now have that working, thanks mate.

Success, I have Alfie back, picked him up from Peter Holland's, Bright Spark Automotive. To have the new Inverter fitted set up, codes cleared and road tested £372.

Hi, The new Inverter took 2.5 weeks to come from Japan and arrived this last Tuesday and being fitted today friday 19th May. So fingers crossed I will back driving later today. I now hope I will get a longer time to appreciate my Alfie.

Does anyone with a hybrid tow anything bigger than a boat trailer ?

Have you considered a digital aerial ? stuck on inside of windscreen, down left or right side. You'd have to remove the windscreen pillar cover to be able to stick the aerial close to the edge of the glass so part of it is earthed to the bodywork. Then hide the wire. some of this is much easier with a thin rodding kit to get behind the dashboard. Does the new head unit have digital ?

Hi All Are we looking for a day event, an evening event, or a camping weekend ?

Hello Adam Thanks for the thought, I don't profess to know the workings of engines these days, I rely on specialists who have been reccommended to me to work on them for me. Peter Holland told me he normally carries spares of all sorts but he was clean out of the parts he needed. One repairs one bit, then months down the line something else goes. I am hoping that buying a new Inverter I should get many years of uninterupted motoring, fingers crossed.

No it's not cheap, but without it the vehicle is worthless. I paid £9,500. for it last August. A new Inverter costs £5,200.24p and that's without the fitting and set up. So I have taken a bank loan out, paid up front for the Inverter, so now awaiting for its arrival from Japan. I hope when fixed I will get many years of happy motoring.

Hard luck, I too have that problem on my 2007 Hybrid, same side. Not done it yet but I am told take out the bulb and put a hair drier up to the hole and it should dry it out. Let all know how you get on. I cannot do mine at the moment, waiting for a new Inverter being shipped from Japan.

Thanks again