UZZ32 Information

From UZZ32.info
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Toyota's 1991 press-release about the then-new Soarer

The UZZ32 "active" Soarer, produced by Toyota for the Japanese market from 1991 to 1996, features computer-controlled hydraulic suspension and active four-wheel steering.

In other regards, the UZZ32 model shares many similarities with the other Toyota V8 Soarers (UZZ30 and UZZ31 models), as well as the left-hand drive Lexus SC400 of the era.

Toyota’s 1991 press release provides an introductory overview, while this video shows a walk-around of a nice example.

How common are they?

As no more than 872 UZZ32 Soarers were produced over some six years, these vehicles are now becoming increasingly rare.

What is the build number?

To determine the "build number", just check the Build Plate, where the last three digits of the Frame Number (which should start with UZZ32) will be a number in the range 001 to 872. The build number can also be used to look up the year and month of manufacture.

UZZ32 build plate

How to recognize a UZZ32 active Soarer

The UZZ32 active Soarer looks, externally and internally, very similar to other Soarers, though there are clues for How to recognize a UZZ32 active Soarer.

Where are they found?

Of the "known" vehicles, the majority are located in Australia and Great Britain, with others appearing in eg New Zealand as well as their native Japan. Since these vehicles were only produced in right-hand-drive form, they are generally not found in North America or (continental) Europe, though there are exceptions, including at least one vehicle in Norway and one in Canada.

Many of the 872 vehicles are "yet to be located", while others are known to have been wrecked and/or dismantled. The UZZ32 Registry is used to capture details, including eg locations and specifications of the known vehicles. As of December 2024, the UZZ32 Registry (which was last updated on 2023-11-7) contains details of approximately 176 UZZ32 Soarers.

UZZ32 Features

Seethrough.jpg

The UZZ32 has many impressive standard features including active suspension and 4WS as well as a number of manufacturer's optional features including eg Reversing Camera, Sunroof, LSD. Some of these features (eg the sunroof) were not available on initial release, whereas others (eg the second windscreen washer bottle) were removed over time.

Maintenance & Repairs

Although Toyota designed the UZZ32 to high quality standards, UZZ32 Maintenance and Repair is still necessary. Like any motor vehicle, they require basic regular servicing (including items such as, eg, new oil and oil filter). There are also service tasks that are more specific to Soarers in general (including sagging door hinges on older vehicles). Finally, there are service items that apply only to the UZZ32 Soarer (eg the suspension pump etc). Non-standard "improvements" by previous owners may also need to be re-visited.

Knowledge of the meaning of the various (Japanese) warning messages on the dash, as well as how to perform system diagnostics and decode the various error codes is also highly recommended.