Toyota Hiace for matatu and van work: keeping it on the road

A working Hiace can cover more distance in a month than many cars do in a year. Every day off the road is lost income, so regular maintenance pays for itself. Most are diesel (the 2.5 and 3.0 litre KD engines on the 2005–2019 models); check your logbook for yours.

Every 5,000 km

• Engine oil and filter, with the diesel grade in the manual.
• Check the air filter; on dusty routes, clean or replace it.
• Check brake pads and shoes, tyres (including the spare) and all lights.
• Look under the van for oil, fuel or coolant leaks.

Every 20,000 km

• Fuel filter, and drain the water separator whenever the light comes on.
• Steering and suspension: tie rod ends, ball joints, bushes and the rear leaf springs.
• Wheel alignment.

Don't skip

• The KD diesel engines have a timing belt with a fixed replacement interval in the manual. A broken belt usually means major engine damage.
• Brake fluid every 2 years.
• Gearbox and differential oil at the manual's intervals.

Public service vehicles also need to pass regular NTSA inspection, with working safety equipment. Keeping the van serviced and the records in CarLog makes inspection days far less stressful.