2010 Yaris ABS + Check Engine ~AFTER~ Repair

Maintenance/Repairs
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Hey there. I bought a 2010 Yaris second-hand this fall from its original owner. It has about 190,000 miles on it.

About a week after a bought it, the check-engine and ABS lights came on, simultaneously. The first mechanic thought it was an ABS-sensor issue, replaced the ABS sensors, and then reset the warning lights. A month or so later, the warning lights came back on.

I drove it like this for a while (just a little tight on money), until the transmission appeared to slip when switching gears (accelerating uphill, it’s an automatic). A few weeks ago, I took it to a new mechanic, who (I thought) correctly diagnosed it as a common issue with Yaris’s having to do with the exhaust filter and water circulating into the gas tank and engine. They replaced the filter – it’s the evaporative one, I think, on the exhaust; it was an $1100 repair (so not a normal air filter or anything) – and I was on my way.

This week, there are heavy rains, and, wouldn’t you know, both warning lights come back on again .

I’m curious – has anyone else dealt with and successfully resolved this problem? I’m a bit weary at this point of spending more and not quite sure what to do. I’ve trawled the Yaris forums and would genuinely appreciate any advice. I can go to Autozone later to have the engine codes pulled, if needed.

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Water leaks into gas tank? Not good

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Ha, yeah - I am pretty sure it’s this: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2012/SB-10043709-8310.pdf

It’s apparently been a common problem with Yaris’s.

4

Have the codes read and post back the code numbers. That is the starting point.
Your mechanic might not have used the new replacement parts as specified in the link you provided.

5

I fear you may have purchased someone else’s unsolvable problem.

Either way, whatever the first mechanic did for $1100 didn’t fix the issue. I’d take it to another mechanic, myself. Given there’s a TSB on this issue, I might consider taking the car to the Toyota dealer and get their take. But that’s going to be expensive.

Good luck.

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Yeah, that’s my fear too! The seller likely reset the codes before I bought it. I’ll get the codes read at Autozone and take it from there, and find a new repair guy. Thanks all.

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For your next car, pay a mechanic you trust to do a pre-purchase inspection on something you like before you buy it. This will cost about $125, so it isn’t something you would do on every car you come across. It will help you avoid costly repairs by finding issues before you buy the car. Good luck on the Yaris.

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