Fortuner

[PETERTHEEATER]

I have just run-up 40,000 kms in my 2.7 gasoline Fortuner. I took delivery of this car on 11 March 2005 and it has been used on Thai roads, mainly for long distance driving although it has seen its share of Bangkok traffic.

The information computer - which has never been reset from new – is showing 10.1 kilometers to the liter consumption.

Only two minor ‘snags’ in that time. Last year water was soaking under the carpet in the front passenger foot well. The Toyota agent diagnosed it as a blocked air conditioning drain. They showed me that the drain pipe was blocked with wet leaves and suggested that it was due to off-road use so would not be fixed under warranty. I told them that the car had not been off-road for over a month, that there had been torrential rain during the past week and that the leaves had probably been picked up from wet hard surface roads. I argued successfully that for a car marketed for on and off-road use, the location of the drain was incorrect and it was poor design. Without too much discussion they fixed it under warranty.

The second was a fleeting problem. I jumped in one dry morning and turned the key. The engine started but the vehicle shook violently and made a horrible rattling sound so I immediately switched off. I reasoned that it was either firing on only two cylinders or, the EFI computer had glitched and was firing the cylinders in the wrong order. With some trepidation I turned the key and it fired up running rough for a few seconds before clearing and running normally. The fault has never returned and a check at the agent showed the EFI system to be OK.

I have never experienced any brake problems so I assume that the front/rear balance valve discussed elsewhere in this forum was confined to a few rogue vehicles.

I like this car a lot for its long distance cruise ability, quietness and commanding driving position and good rear view. The flexible seating arrangements have been used to the full often with ‘seven up’ but a lot with only me and wife in the front and the interior packed with household effects.

Improvements I would like to see include:

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

Infinite adjustment of the driver’s seat back (I can’t quite get the perfect seat position)

An orange diode lamp on the AC inside/outside air switch (I can’t see the silly LCD icon clearly enough to know whether it’s on or off)

Cruise control.

I note that the export model is available with a 6 cylinder petrol engine as an option. More power would be nice, but the fuel bills would be steep!

Mark me down as a Fortuner lover. It was the right car in the right place at the right time for me and I picked it after looking at all the made-in-Thailand competition models.

As an exercise, to familiarize myself with a wheel change procedure and to check the air pressure, I lowered the spare wheel. If you haven’t done this yet then I recommend that you try it. There is a knack to getting the extension of the wheel brace extension engaged and it needs practice. You don’t want to find this out on the side of the road, at night and in pouring rain with your first flat tyre. Hands up all those owners who have never had the spare wheel out? Make a point of trying it out tomorrow!!

Any other high ‘mileage’ owners out there? Any snags to share?

[Maigo6]

Good tip about the spare wheel, I have never tried to release mine.

I have the 3.0 Turbo Diesel version, about 13000 Kms, great car with no problems.

Maybe cruise control and another 100Bhp would be nice.........then again, I was stopped by the Police doing 170Kph, so I guess thats enough to be getting on with.

I paid 1,249,000 Baht for mine, good value SUV.

Tuner lover too.

Edited July 25, 2006 by Maigo6

[Meerkat]

Thanks for the useful report.

Just hit 10,000km at the weekend in our 3.0 oil-burner. Been extremely happy with it - not a glitch so far.

Will get that spare down for a try in the next couple of days - cheers for the advice. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure where the key to the spare is...eek!!!

Where is the outlet for the A/C? It's good to know that it could be the cause of a problem, and I'd like to check it out from time to time. I know as much about cars as I do about solving the middle-east problem...

What I'd like to see:

Cruise would be good.

Better stereo - an AUX input would be good. My ipod goes through one of those cassette adaptors at the moment and the quality isn't great.

Yes, a bit more grunt.

Anyway, thanks again.

[bangsaenguy]

Can any of the mechanical guys tell us how to get more "oomph" out of the 3.0?

[moonoi]

Can any of the mechanical guys tell us how to get more "oomph" out of the 3.0?

Take it to TRD and have them remap the ECU I don't remember exactly but I believe it gives you about a 20bhp power increase

Edited July 26, 2006 by moonoi

[PETERTHEEATER]

Good tip about the spare wheel, I have never tried to release mine.

I have the 3.0 Turbo Diesel version, about 13000 Kms, great car with no problems.

Maybe cruise control and another 100Bhp would be nice.........then again, I was stopped by the Police doing 170Kph, so I guess thats enough to be getting on with.

I paid 1,249,000 Baht for mine, good value SUV.

Tuner lover too.

Was that 1,200,000 for the speeding ticket or for the car?

[sbkpeterpan]

As an exercise, to familiarize myself with a wheel change procedure and to check the air pressure, I lowered the spare wheel. If you haven’t done this yet then I recommend that you try it. There is a knack to getting the extension of the wheel brace extension engaged and it needs practice. You don’t want to find this out on the side of the road, at night and in pouring rain with your first flat tyre. Hands up all those owners who have never had the spare wheel out? Make a point of trying it out tomorrow!!

Any other high ‘mileage’ owners out there? Any snags to share?

Thats good advice, also lock up your spare wheel, mine was stolen and 2 of my employees have had their spare wheels stolen. Now mine has a big lock on it.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Where is the outlet for the A/C? It's good to know that it could be the cause of a problem, and I'd like to check it out from time to time. I know as much about cars as I do about solving the middle-east problem...

OK. Make sure that the car is in gear or park and hand brake is ON.

Squat down with your knees level with the rear of the passenger front wheel (kneel down if your a big lad) and peer through the gap between the rear wheel and the wheel arch. You should be able to see the universal joint that connects the front wheel drive box from the transfer box. This is your reference point. Can you see it?

Now lay on your back and slither under the car until the universal joint is above your nose. Now look vertically above the UJ and you should see a black rubber/plastic pipe with an open end about 10mm inside diameter. This is the drain from which the condensate from the AC drips (that's the pool of water you see under the front of the car when it has been sitting after a run with AC on.

If the pipe gets blocked then the condensate backs up and leaks into the passenger footwell. The bad news is, that by the time you see the water soaked carpet it will have tracked back through capilliary action to the back seat carpets. the whole lot had to come out of mine to be dried out properly before the dreaded mould developed. I assume that the drain is in the same place on the diesel burners but I can't say for sure. It's worth checking after wet off-road runs or wet highway runs particularly if - as with Highway 4 - the median is lined with teak tree saplings which shed their huge leaves annually. They lay invisibly flat on the road surface in the pouring rain until you come along in your FORTUNER then take advantage of the under chassis suction to leap up and wrap around your parts (the car that is!).

Another tip - although it is teaching most owner/drivers to suck eggs - is to check your tyre pressures regularly when cold. Every time mine goes in to a Toyota agent for routine service it hops all over the road when I drive away because they over inflate the tyres. There was 45 psi in them when I drove it off the dealers forecourt when new but, of course, I didn't find that out until later when I checked them. Get yourself a good quality pressure gauge and keep it handy in the car. Yes, I know that the accuracy of these instruments are not 100% but I trust mine more than any uncalibrated gas station inflation gauge. The main thing is to get the tyre pressures equal as recommended by Toyota. The gasoline Fortuner should be 30/30 psi. I now make a pooint of checking mine before leaving the agents and pointing out that the pressures are incorrect. The usual answer - and I'm not joking - is that it is better to have them high because the car will use less fuel!

Happy motoring.

[Meerkat]

Appreciated re the A/C - I'll give it a check tomorrow.

Agreed re tyre pressures. Mine were only at 40 when it was delivered, but having read advice on here before, they were quickly dropped to 30. I was also given exactly the same story about fuel efficiency from Toyota in Saphan Mai where I bought it.

[Thairish]

Thats good advice, also lock up your spare wheel, mine was stolen and 2 of my employees have had their spare wheels stolen. Now mine has a big lock on it.

Just out of curiosity, since you and your employees are the first people I have heard of confirming this stealing of the Fortuner spare tyres, where were you parked when it got pinched, and at what time? Also those of your employees?

I was beginning to think it was an urban myth to get greater sales of those spare tyre locks!

[HDRIDER]

Thats good advice, also lock up your spare wheel, mine was stolen and 2 of my employees have had their spare wheels stolen. Now mine has a big lock on it.

Just out of curiosity, since you and your employees are the first people I have heard of confirming this stealing of the Fortuner spare tyres, where were you parked when it got pinched, and at what time? Also those of your employees?

I was beginning to think it was an urban myth to get greater sales of those spare tyre locks!

Hi Thairish

do you want to know the colour of the cars to`????

Edited July 26, 2006 by HDRIDER

[dutch]

I will go for the 30.000 km service next week.

Do have the Fortuner (2,7) now 16 months and still happy with it.

Fuel consumption at 10.0 km/lt (Most small trips !!)

NEVER had any problems at all

[Bung]

Regarding 'tuner owners spare tyres, you lucky sods get a proper mag wheel so when you service the car get them to rotate all your wheels. This means switching around all your wheels and rotating your spare out which will give you much better tyre milage and changes the fronts which will wear unevenly.

This is why they get pinched, get four and you have a nice set for your car.

Us poor vigo owners only get a pressed steel mag as a spare....

Just done 20k and no problems for me except a cracked windscreen. Great tip to check the A/C condesate drain!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Regarding 'tuner owners spare tyres, you lucky sods get a proper mag wheel so when you service the car get them to rotate all your wheels. This means switching around all your wheels and rotating your spare out which will give you much better tyre milage and changes the fronts which will wear unevenly.

This is why they get pinched, get four and you have a nice set for your car.

Us poor vigo owners only get a pressed steel mag as a spare....

Just done 20k and no problems for me except a cracked windscreen. Great tip to check the A/C condesate drain!

I have had my wheels rotated twice. It's in the Toyota servicing schedule to rotate every 20k but you need to remind the agent that you want it doing when it goes in for the service. I only rotate the four in-use wheels leaving the spare as is. But, I do drop the spare monthly myself to clean, check the pressure and serviceabilty. That way you only need buy 4 new tyres when the time comes. I agree though, that all five should be put into the rotation schedule which should help deter thieves. Alternatively, adopt the Saudi Arabian strategy where they sell the spare wheel back to the agent and, when they have a puncture, flag down a similar vehicle and cadge the spare from them!

The people that steal 'tuner spare wheels must have a one piece winding tool and have practiced getting it engaged in the dog of the winch mechanism so they obviously do it for a living!

[Bung]

I forgot to do my four tyres.

Did you do left front to right rear and right front to left rear? Or kept them on the same side?

Changing your spare out means that it gets used and so checked and will make the whole set last longer but you would need to buy 5 instaed of just 4 when the time comes.

I wonder which is better? I can buy a mag for mine for about 3k I think and do the same but is it worth it?

[Nordlys]

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

I would really like this feature on my Fortuner as parking is sometimes difficult with the high seating position, making lines on parking lot hardly visible. I wonder what the chance is for fitting a kit that automatically tilts mirror downward when the gear shift lever is in R position, a feature available in Japan as dealer option for similarly sized car Hilux Surf and Land Cruiser Prado (and other models), as shown in the link below. And also the retractable mirror that retracts automatically when you kill the engine and lock the car (another dealer option in Toyota Japan).

http://toyota.jp/landcruiserprado/dop/function/index.html

Maybe I'll ask the Toyota dealer from Japan in Lardprao (Toyota Libra) if they can fit it on my Fortuner if I'll bring the kit from Japan...

[PETERTHEEATER]

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

I would really like this feature on my Fortuner as parking is sometimes difficult with the high seating position, making lines on parking lot hardly visible. I wonder what the chance is for fitting a kit that automatically tilts mirror downward when the gear shift lever is in R position, a feature available in Japan as dealer option for similarly sized car Hilux Surf and Land Cruiser Prado (and other models), as shown in the link below. And also the retractable mirror that retracts automatically when you kill the engine and lock the car (another dealer option in Toyota Japan).

http://toyota.jp/landcruiserprado/dop/function/index.html

Maybe I'll ask the Toyota dealer from Japan in Lardprao (Toyota Libra) if they can fit it on my Fortuner if I'll bring the kit from Japan...

I keep forgetting to ask the Toyota agents if 'parking mirrors' are available as an option. My wife's G model YARIS has them. it's no hardship to park them manually in tight spaces but sometimes I forget. My concern if for pedestrians who walk into them when squeezing between parked cars.

[PETERTHEEATER]

I forgot to do my four tyres.

Did you do left front to right rear and right front to left rear? Or kept them on the same side?

Changing your spare out means that it gets used and so checked and will make the whole set last longer but you would need to buy 5 instaed of just 4 when the time comes.

I wonder which is better? I can buy a mag for mine for about 3k I think and do the same but is it worth it?

Tyre rotation is in accordance with Toyota User Manual (English language version) Page 253.

Obviously the provision of a steel wheel spare on the VIGO is cost cutting on the part of Toyota. Since it does not match the mags the owner would want to get a puncture repaired and the mag wheel back on ASAP so the steel wheel item becomes the spare again so it encourages only 4 wheel rotation, not 5.

Edited July 27, 2006 by PETERTHEEATER

[PETERTHEEATER]

Can any of the mechanical guys tell us how to get more "oomph" out of the 3.0?

Have a look at this:

http://www.eng-tek.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=129

[PETERTHEEATER]

As an exercise, to familiarize myself with a wheel change procedure and to check the air pressure, I lowered the spare wheel. If you haven’t done this yet then I recommend that you try it. There is a knack to getting the extension of the wheel brace extension engaged and it needs practice. You don’t want to find this out on the side of the road, at night and in pouring rain with your first flat tyre. Hands up all those owners who have never had the spare wheel out? Make a point of trying it out tomorrow!!

Any other high ‘mileage’ owners out there? Any snags to share?

Thats good advice, also lock up your spare wheel, mine was stolen and 2 of my employees have had their spare wheels stolen. Now mine has a big lock on it.

I read your post 'sbkpeterpan' and was sympathetic.

It was only later that I remembered that, to lower the spare wheel (on a Fortuner) you have to have the rear door open to get access to the aperture leading to the winch. So, were the wheels you had nicked off Fortuners or Vigos? If it was a Fortuner, did the thieves get access by disabling the alarm and opening the rear door or did they cut through the spare wheel support from the underside. The latter is possible but difficult and the wheel would drop on top of anyone underneath!

[PETERTHEEATER]

I have just run-up 40,000 kms in my 2.7 gasoline Fortuner. I took delivery of this car on 11 March 2005 and it has been used on Thai roads, mainly for long distance driving although it has seen its share of Bangkok traffic.

The information computer - which has never been reset from new – is showing 10.1 kilometers to the liter consumption.

Only two minor ‘snags’ in that time. Last year water was soaking under the carpet in the front passenger foot well. The Toyota agent diagnosed it as a blocked air conditioning drain. They showed me that the drain pipe was blocked with wet leaves and suggested that it was due to off-road use so would not be fixed under warranty. I told them that the car had not been off-road for over a month, that there had been torrential rain during the past week and that the leaves had probably been picked up from wet hard surface roads. I argued successfully that for a car marketed for on and off-road use, the location of the drain was incorrect and it was poor design. Without too much discussion they fixed it under warranty.

The second was a fleeting problem. I jumped in one dry morning and turned the key. The engine started but the vehicle shook violently and made a horrible rattling sound so I immediately switched off. I reasoned that it was either firing on only two cylinders or, the EFI computer had glitched and was firing the cylinders in the wrong order. With some trepidation I turned the key and it fired up running rough for a few seconds before clearing and running normally. The fault has never returned and a check at the agent showed the EFI system to be OK.

I have never experienced any brake problems so I assume that the front/rear balance valve discussed elsewhere in this forum was confined to a few rogue vehicles.

I like this car a lot for its long distance cruise ability, quietness and commanding driving position and good rear view. The flexible seating arrangements have been used to the full often with ‘seven up’ but a lot with only me and wife in the front and the interior packed with household effects.

Improvements I would like to see include:

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

Infinite adjustment of the driver’s seat back (I can’t quite get the perfect seat position)

An orange diode lamp on the AC inside/outside air switch (I can’t see the silly LCD icon clearly enough to know whether it’s on or off)

Cruise control.

I note that the export model is available with a 6 cylinder petrol engine as an option. More power would be nice, but the fuel bills would be steep!

Mark me down as a Fortuner lover. It was the right car in the right place at the right time for me and I picked it after looking at all the made-in-Thailand competition models.

As an exercise, to familiarize myself with a wheel change procedure and to check the air pressure, I lowered the spare wheel. If you haven’t done this yet then I recommend that you try it. There is a knack to getting the extension of the wheel brace extension engaged and it needs practice. You don’t want to find this out on the side of the road, at night and in pouring rain with your first flat tyre. Hands up all those owners who have never had the spare wheel out? Make a point of trying it out tomorrow!!

Any other high ‘mileage’ owners out there? Any snags to share?

/quote]

Was it Shakespeare who wrote 'hoist by his own petard'?

I have just tried to lower my spare wheel for it's monthly check and spent 15 frustrating minutes under almost ideal conditions trying to get the damned extension lined up with the winch dog. I was using a strong torch (flashlight) to assist and, as usual, that everytime the extension assembly was withdrawn, the securing screws were loose and had to be retightened. Now the hooked extension has come off and is lying on top of the spare wheel almost impossible to retrieve. I have done this task around 14 times in the past. It has never been easy but this takes the biscuit!

Come on TOYOTA, you have to come up with something better than this!

So, it's is fiddling time with a bent wire coathanger. Failing that, it's a trip to my Toyota agent for them to sort.

Any tips?

[Plus]

So people want more power from Fortuner. What do you want to do with it? Power is torque multiplied by revolutions, do you want more torque for better acceleration, or do you want redline extended by 2-3 thousand revs? In latter case the top speed might go up to 250km/h, and there should be an extra gear in transmission, too.

My guess is that Toyota will improve torque for the next engine - it hasn't changed since last model, still same 363 Nm, but redline used to be around only 3,000 rpm. Ford took different route - they increased torque and limited speed to 158 km/h. Makes more sense for a truck/truck based vehicles.

I survived the initial shock of not driving a Fortuner when everyone was buying one, so I think I'll wait for the midlife update, sometimes in 2008.

I'd like to see two wheel drive system, I have it on Sportrider and I don't see the need for 4wd. And I'd like to see a more advanced gearbox, perhaps with manual controls.

[PETERTHEEATER]

So people want more power from Fortuner. What do you want to do with it? Power is torque multiplied by revolutions, do you want more torque for better acceleration, or do you want redline extended by 2-3 thousand revs? In latter case the top speed might go up to 250km/h, and there should be an extra gear in transmission, too.

My guess is that Toyota will improve torque for the next engine - it hasn't changed since last model, still same 363 Nm, but redline used to be around only 3,000 rpm. Ford took different route - they increased torque and limited speed to 158 km/h. Makes more sense for a truck/truck based vehicles.

I survived the initial shock of not driving a Fortuner when everyone was buying one, so I think I'll wait for the midlife update, sometimes in 2008.

I'd like to see two wheel drive system, I have it on Sportrider and I don't see the need for 4wd. And I'd like to see a more advanced gearbox, perhaps with manual controls.

The current AUTO box on the Fortuner is easily controlled manually by just snicking it into the required gear making sure that the road speed is appropriate. I find myself using it a lot when driving two lane twisty rural roads. I am not a great lover of auto boxes because they tend to stay in too high a gear when cornering but when you have to drive in nose to tail BKK traffic in a manual constantly declutching your leg muscles go into shock!

How to get more power? Buy the manual and bypass the inherent losses of an auto transmission.

Your comments on engine power are valid. I certainly would not want higher engine RPM but would not object to a reduced top speed if it led to quicker acceleration.

[Plus]

Let's see which road will Isuzu take with their new truck later this year. If they beat Toyota's torque, as Ford did, then I supposed Toyota will have to react. Better engines have always been their strong selling points.

[nikster]

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

I would really like this feature on my Fortuner as parking is sometimes difficult with the high seating position, making lines on parking lot hardly visible. I wonder what the chance is for fitting a kit that automatically tilts mirror downward when the gear shift lever is in R position, a feature available in Japan as dealer option for similarly sized car Hilux Surf and Land Cruiser Prado (and other models), as shown in the link below. And also the retractable mirror that retracts automatically when you kill the engine and lock the car (another dealer option in Toyota Japan).

http://toyota.jp/landcruiserprado/dop/function/index.html

Maybe I'll ask the Toyota dealer from Japan in Lardprao (Toyota Libra) if they can fit it on my Fortuner if I'll bring the kit from Japan...

I keep forgetting to ask the Toyota agents if 'parking mirrors' are available as an option. My wife's G model YARIS has them. it's no hardship to park them manually in tight spaces but sometimes I forget. My concern if for pedestrians who walk into them when squeezing between parked cars.

I am in the process of buying one of these fine vehicles - getting the "exclusive" version because I like white - and parking mirror was an option offered to us by the sales agent. At BHT 4000. May get it now after reading these comments. I think it attaches to the rear spoiler kind of thing (which is totally useless, the car doesn't nearly go fast enough but hey, I want white).

[nikster]

Can any of the mechanical guys tell us how to get more "oomph" out of the 3.0?

Have a look at this:

http://www.eng-tek.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=129

Does anyone have personal experience with this? Is it snake oil or the real deal? And.. whats the catch (besides higher fuel consumption, which is to be expected). And it probably voids any warranty on the engine...

[PETERTHEEATER]

Parking door mirrors (may be available as an option)

I would really like this feature on my Fortuner as parking is sometimes difficult with the high seating position, making lines on parking lot hardly visible. I wonder what the chance is for fitting a kit that automatically tilts mirror downward when the gear shift lever is in R position, a feature available in Japan as dealer option for similarly sized car Hilux Surf and Land Cruiser Prado (and other models), as shown in the link below. And also the retractable mirror that retracts automatically when you kill the engine and lock the car (another dealer option in Toyota Japan).

http://toyota.jp/landcruiserprado/dop/function/index.html

Maybe I'll ask the Toyota dealer from Japan in Lardprao (Toyota Libra) if they can fit it on my Fortuner if I'll bring the kit from Japan...

I keep forgetting to ask the Toyota agents if 'parking mirrors' are available as an option. My wife's G model YARIS has them. it's no hardship to park them manually in tight spaces but sometimes I forget. My concern if for pedestrians who walk into them when squeezing between parked cars.

I am in the process of buying one of these fine vehicles - getting the "exclusive" version because I like white - and parking mirror was an option offered to us by the sales agent. At BHT 4000. May get it now after reading these comments. I think it attaches to the rear spoiler kind of thing (which is totally useless, the car doesn't nearly go fast enough but hey, I want white).

Some confusion here 'nikster'.

The mirrors that I referred to are the door mirrors. It would be useful to have an option of adding motors and a switch so that the mirrors can be folded inwards after parking between two other vehicles in order to create more space for people to walk between the vehicles without banging into the mirrors. My wife's YARIS "G" model has them as standard.

The Fortuner already has reverse parking sensors (manually selected) to give an audio indication of distance between the rear of the vehicle and sensed objects behind.

The 'spoiler' to which you refer is more to help keep the rear window clean (it doesn't) during rain that to create downforce for traction!

[teej]

So people want more power from Fortuner. What do you want to do with it? Power is torque multiplied by revolutions, do you want more torque for better acceleration, or do you want redline extended by 2-3 thousand revs? In latter case the top speed might go up to 250km/h, and there should be an extra gear in transmission, too.

My guess is that Toyota will improve torque for the next engine - it hasn't changed since last model, still same 363 Nm, but redline used to be around only 3,000 rpm. Ford took different route - they increased torque and limited speed to 158 km/h. Makes more sense for a truck/truck based vehicles.

I survived the initial shock of not driving a Fortuner when everyone was buying one, so I think I'll wait for the midlife update, sometimes in 2008.

I'd like to see two wheel drive system, I have it on Sportrider and I don't see the need for 4wd. And I'd like to see a more advanced gearbox, perhaps with manual controls.

Last thing I want to see is a Fortuner barreling down the road at 250kph with stock wheels, tires, brakes (drum brakes?!?!), and suspension... I've noticed a lot of Fortuner drivers on the freeways driving their stock Fortuners as if they were sports cars, not a good sight... One idiot even wanted to race me on the tollway, was just waiting for him to roll the thing off the tollway onto Vipawadee Rangsit... scary.

Nevertheless, more torque would be nice I suppose, since Ford's Duratorq 380 seems like it has some low end grunt. I would say that would be next on the plate for the Fortuner.

BTW, what ever happened to that Brembo dealer guy who had his souped up Fortuner?

[Nordlys]

The mirrors that I referred to are the door mirrors. It would be useful to have an option of adding motors and a switch so that the mirrors can be folded inwards after parking between two other vehicles in order to create more space for people to walk between the vehicles without banging into the mirrors. My wife's YARIS "G" model has them as standard.

This doesn't seem to be available for Fortuner. At least it's not on dealer option/accessory catalogue. Like I said in the previous post, retractable mirror doesn't come standard on Land Cruiser Prado or Hilux Surf either (at least in Japan) , therefore I am assuming the reverse mirror tilting feature and auto retractable mirror kits that can be fitted on both of these models as dealer option in Japan might be fitted on Fortuner too.

The rear view mirror nikster is referring to can be attached, but as an after-market, non-genuine accessory and Toyota dealer won't fit it for you (but can refer you to a vendor that can do it). As PETERTHEEATER said, I don't really find that to be necessary when the rear reverse sensors come standard.

The 'spoiler' to which you refer is more to help keep the rear window clean (it doesn't) during rain that to create downforce for traction!

I always wondered why the SUV and hatchbacks have rear window wiper when the sedans don't. Now I know why!

[Meerkat]

Oh, one other thing I'd have liked to have seen fitted...a turbo timer.