Toyota 2AZ-FE: Everything You Need to Know | Specs and More

Toyota introduced the 2.4L 2AZ-FE engine in 2000 as a replacement for the outdated 2.2L 5S-FE engine. The 2AZ-FE used advanced features to improve efficiency and reliability.

Unfortunately, this engine does have the same cult following that the 1UZ, 1JZ, and 2JZ have, but it’s still a cool little engine.

2AZ-FE: Engine Basics and Specs

The 2AZ-FE uses an all-aluminum block design with cast iron cylinder liners to help save weight which was important for the economy-focused vehicles it was designed for. Toyota also used an aluminum cylinder head with a DOHC design to improve power and efficiency.

This engine also featured advanced technologies such as; slant-squish combustion chambers, offset cylinder and crank center, and Toyota’s variable valve timing system, VVT-i. The cylinder block uses an open deck design to improve the cooling system’s efficiency.

Later versions of this engine used Toyota’s direct injection system to further improve efficiency and power output. Some of the later engines even bumped the compression ratio all the way up to 12.5:1 with the help of an Atkinson cycle design.

• Production Run: 2000 – Current
• Cylinder Block Material: Aluminum
• Valvetrain: Dual Over Head Cams – Four-Valve per Cylinder
• Stroke: 96mm
• Bore: 88.5mm
• Compression Ratio: 9.6:1, 9.8:1, 11:1, 12.5:1
• Horsepower: 149 hp, 160 hp, 162 hp, 170 hp
• Torque: 138 lb-ft, 161 lb-ft, 162 lb-ft, 165 lb-ft

Cars That Came With The 2AZ-FE

The 2AZ-FE was equipped in various automobiles ranging from sedans, coupes, and small SUVs. Toyota did this because of the initial success and efficiency of this little engine. Unfortunately, later down the line, a large issue with this engine in the 2007-2009 Camry came to light which lowered the resale value of those vehicles.

• Toyota Avensis
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Previa
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota Alphard
• Toyota Ipsum
• Toyota Blade
• Toyota Sai
• Lexus ES240
• Lexus HS 250h
• Scion tC
• Scion xB
• Pontiac Vibe

2AZ-FE: Known Problems

As we mentioned above, a large issue came to light with this engine in the 2007-2009 Camry as well as other vehicles. This issue was extremely excessive oil burning.

This issue forced Toyota to offer free inspections to determine if your engine was affected by this issue. Most vehicles affected by this issue will burn over a quart of oil every 1,200 miles. Around 1.7 million vehicles are covered by Toyota’s inspection.

The component that causes this massive issue is the piston rings. Another known issue that can cause excessive oil burning is the cylinder head bolts. Some of the bolts are known the slowly thread out of the aluminum block and cause head light.

2AZ-FE: Tuning Potential

Unlike four-cylinder from Honda or Ford, Toyota’s four-cylinder engines generally aren’t modified. Their engines are designed solely for efficiency and really nothing more.

The 2AZ-FE in the Scion tC had an optional supercharger that raised the power output to around 250 horsepower. The 2AZ-FE does feature piston oil squirters which is a very nice feature to have when forced induction is introduced to an engine.

The pistons are the first component to fail when increasing power. With an aftermarket bottom end and a larger supercharger, the little 2AZ-FE can reach up to 400+ horsepower.

A stock TRD supercharger will improve the 1/4 mile of a Scion tC from 15.7 seconds to 15.1 seconds. Although that’s still relatively slow, it isn’t that bad for an economy-based coupe.

After some searching around the internet, we put together a consesus of the most effective modifications:

1. Cold Air Intake: This is often the first modification many enthusiasts make. A cold air intake helps the engine breathe better by providing a larger amount of cooler, denser air, which can result in a small increase in horsepower.
2. Exhaust System Upgrade: Upgrading to a performance exhaust system can help to reduce back pressure and increase power output. The increased pipe diameter and more efficient mufflers allow exhaust gases to exit the engine more quickly, freeing up horsepower.
3. ECU Tuning/Remapping: This involves adjusting the software within the car’s engine control unit (ECU). ECU tuning can optimize parameters such as fuel injection, ignition timing, and boost pressure (for turbocharged versions), leading to increased performance.
4. Performance Camshafts: Upgrading to performance camshafts can provide significant power gains, particularly at higher RPMs. However, this modification is more complex and may require professional installation.
5. Forced Induction: Adding a turbocharger or supercharger is the most effective way to increase power, though it’s also the most expensive and complex modification. It should be noted that the stock internals of the 2AZ-FE are not designed for high levels of boost, so additional modifications (such as forged internals) may be necessary to ensure reliability.

2AZ-FSE

The FSE version of the 2AZ features Toyota’s direct injection system, and when combined with the increased compression ratio, the power output was increased to 161 horsepower and 170 lb-ft.

This version of the 2AZ didn’t see much use and was only installed in the Toyota Avensis.

2AZ-FXE

To further push the boundaries of this little four-cylinder Toyota developed a special version just for their hybrid electric vehicles. This version, known as the 2AZ-FXE, used an Atkinson cycle design which allowed for a 12.5:1 compression ratio.

The Atkinson design reduces total power output but greatly increases efficiency. This version of the 2AZ, when combined with an electric motor, outputs 211 horsepower and 108 lb-ft. This version was used in the Alphard hybrid, Estima hybrid, Camry hybrid, HS 250h, and Toyota Sai.

Summary

If you’re still craving more information, check out this 2AZ Wikipedia article. To summarize all this info, the Toyota 2AZ-FE is a four-cylinder, inline engine produced by Toyota from 2000 to 2015. This engine was part of Toyota’s AZ family of engines and was commonly used in both Toyota and Scion vehicles.

Here are some key details about the 2AZ-FE engine:

1. Design: The 2AZ-FE has a displacement of 2.4 liters (2,362 cc). It has a dual overhead cam (DOHC) design with 16 valves, four valves per cylinder.
2. Construction: It uses an aluminum alloy block with cast-iron cylinder liners, and an aluminum cylinder head.
3. Performance: Output varies based on the vehicle and model year, but typically the engine produced around 160 to 170 horsepower and 220 Nm of torque. The engine is also known for its reasonable fuel economy.
4. Fuel Delivery: The engine uses sequential multiport fuel injection, and some versions also feature Toyota’s Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) system, which optimizes both power and fuel efficiency.
5. Reliability: While the 2AZ-FE engine is generally reliable, there have been some issues reported with excessive oil consumption, particularly in models produced between 2007 and 2009. Toyota issued a warranty extension for this problem.

Like any engine, the 2AZ-FE requires regular maintenance and proper care to maintain its reliability and performance. This includes regular oil changes, and attention to any unusual behavior or noises.