The car has 162k miles. Sticker price was just under $5k from a used car dealer. There are a couple things wrong that I would rather just ignore for now because it still runs smooth, shifts smooth, and rides well.
I have a noise coming from what I assume is somewhere in the rear. It only happens upon light acceleration and stops when I let off throttle.
I looked through the recalls and TSB's and there does exist a TSB about it that mentions the differential. I don't have the money to do anything major.
The other problem is that it has the 2.4L engine. The 2AZ-FE. It does burn oil and I want to take it to Toyota to see if they'll do the work it needs for it
to stop burning oil. I don't think it'll happen from the mileage alone. I have proof of it burning oil cause I changed the spark plugs and they were all carbon'd up.
Thoughts?
Unfortunately for you, because it says Pontiac on it you're at the mercy of the GM dealer if you're trying to get any sort of goodwill repairs done. The fix from Toyota to stop these engines from burning oil was to replace the piston rings and possibly the pistons, something that exceeds the car's value to pay Toyota to do. There's a few different ways to "help" with the oil burning but I can't remember them so I'll let someone else suggest those.
The AWD units on these were problematic... I'd get the diff oil changed first and see if that helps. If it's got a bunch of metal shavings in the gear oil, then count on having the diff rebuilt or replaced with a known good used one. Also check the rear subframe for rot, those like to rust apart and fail.
The noise in the back on minor throttle could also be a heat shield rattling, the exhaust rattling, or even a rear wheel bearing making some noise. Lots of different things to check and eliminate before going worst case scenario on it.
@dodge-aries-k
I had jacked up the back and looked around. I wiggled both rear wheels, and both had no play at all. No noise when spinning them. There is no rust on the frame, but there is surface rust on the exhaust pipes, but I doubt that this could be the culprit of the noise.
I was very reluctant to go to a used car dealer but I couldn't find any individuals who were selling any relatively lower mileage toyotas...
I'm going to continue to drive it and see what happens. I'll have the gear oil changed with the factory recommended viscosity, 80W-90.
I'd hop under there again and just see if the heat shields above the exhaust pipe or on the gas tank itself are loose. I've seen a few come loose a bit and buzz.