What should I check when buying a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

On a Yaris Cross, check 12-volt battery; recall work; service history, on top of the checks for any used car: the body, tyres and engine, a test drive, and the paperwork for money owing, a write-off and the odometer.

How much is a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

Most 2024 Yaris Cross are advertised at $32,000 to $39,000, with 11,000 to 50,000 km on the odometer. Prices depend on the year, the kilometres, the badge and the condition.

Used Toyota Yaris Cross Buying Checklist: What to Check

Before you go

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What a 2024 Yaris Cross is advertised for

Asking price: $32k to $39k
Odometer: 11k to 50k km

Asking prices, not sale prices: the middle 60% of the 589 advertised in the last 12 months, one listing per car.

Get the rego or VIN From the ad or the seller. Enter it at the top of this page: the make, model and year should match the ad.
Compare the price With what similar cars are advertised for.
Ask the seller How long they have owned it, why they are selling, any accidents and any money owing.
Ask for the service book And for the engine to be cold when you arrive.
Meet in daylight In dry weather. For a private sale, at the seller's home: the address should match the registration papers.

Inspection

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Panels and paint Uneven gaps, paint that does not quite match and overspray on rubber seals point to accident repairs.
Rust Under the doors, around the wheel arches and under the boot floor.
Tyres At least 1.5 mm of tread, even wear across each tyre, and a spare.
Glass and lights No chips or cracks in the windscreen, and every light works.
Oil and coolant Check them cold. Milky oil under the filler cap, or oil in the coolant, can mean a head gasket fault.
Cold start Watch the exhaust and listen for rattles in the first few seconds.
Wear inside The pedals, steering wheel and driver's seat should fit the odometer reading.
Warning lights and controls Lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs. Try the air conditioning, windows, locks and screen.
Flood signs A damp smell, water marks or silt under the carpets.

What to check on a Yaris Cross

12-volt battery Ask whether the car has ever gone flat and how old the 12-volt battery is. It should go into READY first time, even after sitting.
Recall work On a 2020 or early 2021 car, ask for proof that the hybrid damper and rear seatbelt recalls were done. On a GR Sport, ask about the tyre recall.
Service history Look for servicing every 12 months or 15,000 km. Toyota's extended hybrid battery cover can run to 10 years, and its terms have tied that to a yearly hybrid health check, so ask for the records and check Toyota's current terms.
Hill and freeway drive Drive up a hill and onto a freeway. Expect engine noise under load, but no misfire, jerking or warning lights.
Tyres and noise Drive on coarse bitumen and check the tyre brand and tread depth. Worn or budget tyres add to the road noise.
Driver aids Make sure no lane-keeping, pre-collision or blind-spot warnings stay on. Ask whether the windscreen has been replaced and the camera recalibrated.
Screen and phone Pair your phone. Cars before the 2024 update have a 7-inch screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Later cars have an 8-inch screen, and recent ones connect wirelessly.
Spare wheel AWD hybrids carry a tyre repair kit, not a spare, so check the kit is there and not expired.

The Yaris Cross's known problems, in full

Test drive

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20 minutes or more On slow streets and at highway speed.
Steering and brakes It runs straight with your hands light on the wheel, and stops straight without shudder or squeal.
Gear changes Smooth, with no slipping or flaring revs. In a manual, a clutch that bites near the top of the pedal may be worn.
Noises Knocks over bumps, and whines or hums that rise with speed.
Temperature and leaks The gauge settles and stays put. After the drive, look under the car for fresh drips.

Paperwork

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Money owing A car with finance owing on it can be repossessed after you have paid for it. A PPSR check shows it.
Write-off A statutory write-off can never be registered again, and a repairable write-off needs an inspection first.
Odometer Compare the reading with earlier records of the car: service book stamps, earlier listings and other records.
VIN match The VIN on the car matches the registration papers and the PPSR certificate.
Seller's licence The name and address match the registration papers.
Safety certificate In Queensland the seller needs a current safety certificate, and in Victoria a roadworthy certificate is needed to transfer the registration.
Receipt The date, the price, the VIN and rego, and both names and signatures.

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

Line drawing of a LandCruiser 200 Series, numbered where the VIN is — LandCruiser 200 Series · where to find the VIN

1. Base of the windscreen. Passenger side, where fitted. Read it from outside.
2. Chassis, front right. Stamped into the frame just behind the driver's front wheel.

Drawn on one Toyota model: others may differ, and the owner's manual lists the places. Reading a Toyota VIN

Older cars also carry a compliance plate, usually under the bonnet or on a door pillar. A car supplied new since mid 2021 may have none: it is entered on the Register of Approved Vehicles instead.

After you buy

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Transfer the rego Into your name before the deadline, usually 14 days.
Stamp duty Worked out on the price you paid or the market value, whichever is higher.
Insurance Before you drive the car away.
Recalls Check that no recall work is outstanding.
Next service Book it on time.
Keep the papers The receipt and the PPSR certificate, with the car's papers.

What it costs on top of the price

It opens on $35,500, the middle of what a 2024 Yaris Cross is advertised for. Put in the price you're offered for the stamp duty, the transfer fee and a year's rego.

State Price of the car What you pay, GST included

Is the car worth more than the price?

Duty is on the market value when that is higher than the price

Stamp duty (motor vehicle duty): $1,065
Transfer fee: $42
Rego, 12 months (estimate): $375
On top of the price: $1,482

Duty at Revenue NSW rates as at 27 October 2026 (revenue.nsw.gov.au).

How stamp duty works in NSW

Used Toyota Yaris Cross Buying Checklist

The Yaris Cross checklist

Before you go

Inspection

What to check on a Yaris Cross

Test drive

Paperwork

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

After you buy

What it costs on top of the price

Questions

What should I check when buying a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

How much is a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

Used Toyota Yaris Cross Buying Checklist

The Yaris Cross checklist

1Before you go

2Inspection

What to check on a Yaris Cross

3Test drive

4Paperwork

Where to find the VIN on a Toyota

5After you buy

What it costs on top of the price

Questions

What should I check when buying a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

How much is a used Toyota Yaris Cross?

Before you go

Inspection

Test drive

Paperwork

After you buy