It had been a while since I’d driven the Aygo, but as my daily was at the local garage having its everything rebuilt, it was time for the runabout to pick up the slack. As you’d expect from a Toyota, it burst into life with the first turn of the key. However, five minutes into the journey, my exhaust developed a sickening clunk – not what you’d expect from a Toyota. My experience isn’t unusual. According to the UK’s largest aftermarket manufacturer of exhausts, Klarius Products, it’s quite a common issue.
“Our exhausts for the Toyota Aygo are among our best-selling products” says Doug Bentley, Head of Research and Development at Klarius. “These budget superminis offer exceptional reliability however, over time the exhaust systems require attention. The mountings degrade and the system itself is prone to corrosion. As they are a popular car in the UK, we have a large stockholding of these exhausts to meet demand for replacements.”
First introduced in 2005, the Toyota Aygo has sold well over a million units in Europe.[1] Offering frugal motoring, funky styling and engagement for novice and experienced drivers alike – it’s a big success story for Toyota. It delivered on its promise of low-cost motoring, but with many models now over 10 years old, maintenance issues are cropping up. In my case, the exhaust mountings had seen better days, namely 2011 when the car left the factory. Off to the garage then…
Doug continues: “We develop and test our exhausts on vehicles of correct make, model and production year. Our designs are type-approved to meet or exceed OEM levels of performance, and we also make improvements to overcome common failures too. We use a special grade of aluminised steel to ensure a robust and corrosion resistant exhaust, hence our 2-year standard warranty. Furthermore, we have model specific mountings available for a quality fit, which is why we offer a Fit First Time guarantee. This overcomes two design limitations of the standard Aygo exhaust.”
At the garage, my hanging rear silencer was quickly fixed with some new mountings, but a full replacement was recommended by the technician once I had my daily back. As someone who spends a surprising amount of time sending broken cars to garages, I appreciate when this work can be carried out quickly and to a high-quality standard. Klarius has this covered.
“We offer next day delivery to distributors and stockists nationwide, with many throughout the country holding stock locally already. This means quick dispatch to repair garages and vehicles getting back on the road faster. We have systems ready to go for Aygo models from 2005 to 2022,” says Doug.
Cars always seem to break at the most inopportune moments – even reliable ones. When the Aygo next goes in, I will be replacing the exhaust with a Klarius item. With this weak spot addressed, I should hopefully avoid any impromptu roadside exhaust inspections for a while yet.
Aygo with Klarius exhaust replacements
