Toyota Mark X: caring for a rear-wheel-drive V6

The Mark X (2009–2019) is a rear-wheel-drive saloon with a 2.5 or 3.5 litre V6, a timing chain and a six-speed automatic. It's smooth and quick, and it rewards careful maintenance.

Regular service

• Engine oil and filter every 5,000–7,500 km with the grade in the manual. Direct-injection V6 engines don't like stretched oil changes.
• Air filter at each service; cabin filter every 20,000 km.
• Spark plugs around 100,000 km. On a V6, the rear plugs take longer to reach, so budget for the labour.
• Automatic gearbox fluid at the manual's interval, with the correct Toyota fluid.
• Rear differential oil about every 40,000 km.

Watch for

• Coolant leaks and the water pump: check the coolant level weekly and look for pink crust around the pump and hoses.
• Rear tyres wear faster on a rear-wheel-drive car. Rotate them regularly if the sizes allow.
• Low profile tyres and rims damage easily on potholes; keep pressures right.

Mark X engines with a full service record are worth more. Keep every receipt in CarLog.