Volkswagen Taro CV Joints Replacement Parts

The Volkswagen Taro was a rebadged Toyota HiLux pickup sold in Europe in the late 1980s and 1990s, and it was available in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. CV joints exist on the four-wheel-drive variants, which use them in the front axle driveshafts; the rear-wheel-drive versions do not have CV joints and instead use a conventional propshaft and solid rear axle. If you have a two-wheel-drive Taro and are experiencing a clicking or knocking from the drivetrain, you may actually be looking for a universal joint (UJ) rather than a CV joint - worth confirming with a breaker what your exact drivetrain layout is.

A two-wheel-drive Taro does not have CV joints at all, so there is no direct equivalent part to cross over from a 2WD vehicle to a 4WD one. The four-wheel-drive Taro uses CV joints in its front driveshafts as part of the independent front suspension setup, which is entirely absent on the 2WD version. Always source CV joints from a donor vehicle confirmed as a four-wheel-drive Taro, and check your registration details with the breaker to ensure the axle configuration matches.

The Taro 4x4 was offered with different engine options, and heavier or higher-output variants may use driveshaft components sized differently to handle the additional torque and load. Because the Taro is essentially a Toyota HiLux of its era, running gear specifications can vary meaningfully between engine variants, so the engine size fitted to your vehicle is worth confirming with the breaker when sourcing a used CV joint. Do not assume that any 4WD Taro CV joint will interchange regardless of engine - quote your registration to the breaker and let them verify against the donor vehicle.

On the four-wheel-drive Taro, the nearside (NS, passenger side) and offside (OS, driver side) front driveshafts can differ in length and design due to the position of the differential and steering geometry, so they are not always interchangeable with each other. Always specify which side you need - NS or OS - when contacting a breaker, as fitting the wrong side could result in incorrect length or joint angle. Confirm the side against your own vehicle before placing an order.

Because the Volkswagen Taro was a rebadged Toyota HiLux, there is a strong likelihood that CV joint components are shared between the two, which means breakers with HiLux stock may be able to help if Taro-specific parts are scarce. However, the HiLux was sold across multiple generations and engine variants over many years, so you must match the year, engine, and drivetrain specification precisely rather than assuming any HiLux joint will fit. Raise this directly with your breaker, quoting your Taro's registration and any identifying numbers from the existing driveshaft, and let them cross-reference against their stock.

The Taro was sold in relatively small numbers in the UK and is now an older vehicle, so dedicated Taro CV joint stock at UK breakers is limited. Because of the Toyota HiLux shared parts, breakers who specialise in Japanese pickups or 4x4 vehicles may be your best route, and Findapart can help you get quotes from multiple dismantlers at once to improve your chances. Always confirm the exact donor vehicle specification - year, engine, and 4WD configuration - with the breaker before purchasing, as HiLux parts vary across that model's own generations.