toyota

[Traffer]

I don’t think my 2007 Corolla had any “gadgets” on it that my 1997 didn’t, other than variable valve timing.

Both the 2007 and 1997 are in the same era. We are talking about cars built in like the 2012 and newer here.

[fatelk]

I've been following this thread with interest. My newest automobile is a 2001. Raising a family on a single income doesn't leave room in the budget for nice cars. A car with 100k on it would be a new car to us. The thought of buying a brand new car is a completely foreign concept to me.

Sooner or later one of our high mileage vehicles is going to need to be replaced, and we've been contemplating what type/brand of used vehicle to buy when the time comes.

[respiegel]

Without diving into the brand loyalty of who makes better whatever, i like Toyota and have owned three and i find them easy to work on and replacement OEM parts inexpensive.
Toyota only uses a few suppliers, have you looked for the OEM part numbers? It might be above the DIY level, but you could find a local shop to install new parts cheaper than the dealer.


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[glockfan]

I've been following this thread with interest. My newest automobile is a 2001. Raising a family on a single income doesn't leave room in the budget for nice cars. A car with 100k on it would be a new car to us. The thought of buying a brand new car is a completely foreign concept to me.

Sooner or later one of our high mileage vehicles is going to need to be replaced, and we've been contemplating what type/brand of used vehicle to buy when the time comes.

nothing beat a toyota or a honda when it comes to finding a used,but reliable car.

[john.k]

Landcruisers are still unbeatable for reliability and long life...........rarely see one with less than 400,000 on it.

[fatelk]

nothing beat a toyota or a honda when it comes to finding a used,but reliable car.

We currently have two Toyotas and a Saturn, all around two decades old with high miles. They've all been really reliable over the years. Coincidentally had starter issues on both my Tacoma and the Saturn earlier this year, but I did the work myself and both were cheap fixes. Knock on wood, we've never had any expensive repairs.

I have to say, that little Saturn, for a cheap GM car, has been a great little car. At a quarter million miles I suspect it's on its last legs, but it's still going strong, still gets great mileage on the open road. My wife bought it new before me met and we love that little car. If it dies tomorrow, it doesn't owe us a thing.

[Idaho45guy]

I've been wanting a new vehicle lately and narrowed it down to either a Jeep Wrangler unlimited or a Toyota 4Runner.

Both were around $35k, both met my needs, both had excellent resale value. The Jeep was better looking and more fun.

I visited forums for both the Jeep and the 4Runner. I was shocked at the difference in the number of threads regarding problems. Out of 40 threads on the first page of both forums, the Jeep forum had 20 threads about problems. The 4Runner forum had two.

Pretty obvious which vehicle is the more reliable one.

[Traffer]

When I bought my Honda Civic new in 1999 the salesman asked me if I wanted to extend the warranty. I told him, "If I needed a warranty I wouldn't have bought a Honda."
I still have the car. It is still the most reliable car I have ever owned. 240K miles and just broken in. It would last over 700K if i would drive it a lot but time itself tends to do damage to these units. Rubber dries out etc. So instead of miles now, I am just looking at another 6 years of service out of it till I get a different car. I wish I could find a low mileage small Toyota pickup from about 2005-ish. Then I would have my last car ever.

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree. My first little p/u was a 1980 before named them and it was mechanically bulletproof although the body rusted away. My 1995 Tacoma suffered from the rusted frame fatality and was bought back by Toyota in 2008 for 10x what it was worth. My 2008 Tundra has suffered from the same fate amongst other problems. My take is that US cars got better from the 70-80’s and Japanese cars got worse and they now met at mediocrity.

[Elkins45]

Both the 2007 and 1997 are in the same era. We are talking about cars built in like the 2012 and newer here.

My wife has a 2015 Corolla. It doesn't have any gizmos that the 2007 didn't other than a backup camera. If that dies then it's still drivable.

Agree. My first little p/u was a 1980 before named them and it was mechanically bulletproof although the body rusted away. My 1995 Tacoma suffered from the rusted frame fatality and was bought back by Toyota in 2008 for 10x what it was worth. My 2008 Tundra has suffered from the same fate amongst other problems. My take is that US cars got better from the 70-80’s and Japanese cars got worse and they now met at mediocrity.

Like I said, my 2007 Corolla went 178K trouble-free miles and was still in perfect mechanical condition when I sold it. If that's mediocrity then I'll take it. Of course it was made in Canada, so maybe it really wasn't a Japanese car?

Your car operates on CAN-buss technology. Every modern car uses CAN-buss to do everthing about carburation, timing, emissions monitoring, etc. Your driving patters are even in there.

It’s there.....it just is transparent to you driving the car.

That's not particularly new. Certainly not new since 2007.

[rancher1913]

Without diving into the brand loyalty of who makes better whatever, i like Toyota and have owned three and i find them easy to work on and replacement OEM parts inexpensive.
Toyota only uses a few suppliers, have you looked for the OEM part numbers? It might be above the DIY level, but you could find a local shop to install new parts cheaper than the dealer.


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thats part of what is pissing me off, its a dealer only item and the refrigerant is also dealer only, otherwise this would probably be a 500 dollar fix.

[Lloyd Smale]

OK, folks here we go again:
It's not the brand that is the problem. It's the "modern technology". They are selling cars nowadays by "how much crazy computer stuff they do" Not good folks, Not good. So how reliable is your 6 or 8 year old computer? Nobody knows because they are all replaced every 5 years.

brought to you by those wonderful japs. Used to be you bought a Curtis mathis or rca tv, a Westinghouse or General electric or norge fridge washer dryer ect it was bought with the intention it would last 10-20 years. We had appliance repair men that could actually come to your home and fix something broke. today you buy something and repairing it usually cost more then its worth and in 5 years you throw it in the landfill and buy another. But lucky us get all that space age technology. We bought a washing machine yesterday. Our old one was 6 years old and the bearings and the ring the tub rides on (front loader) were shot. that's with just my wife and I living here with no kids. Paid 600 bucks for it and the repair man said over the phone that I was looking at north of 300 bucks and a 75 dollar charge just for him to come over and look at it. Now this new one has more buttons then I can figure out. All I wanted to do was wash clothes not go to the moon.

THis thing can be started and stopped with your I phone (which I don't have) Who the heck would need to start there washer with there phone. That is the jap **** were paying for. I would have much rather they put that money and technology into better bearings but if they did that they wouldn't be able to sell you another one in 5 years that you can start and stop by just thinking it. But the yuppies love **** like that. I can see some wife intentionally not starting her washer at home so she can show the girls at work how lucky she is to have this technology.

Just a form of mind control that makes them richer and drains our wallets. Who the heck needs a Nissan cube?? the most but ugly car ever manufactured. Put a green sticker on them and every 18 year old yuppy thinks there saving the planet buying one. They've done more damage to our environment with there throw away electronics then they ever will with a smart car!! Ever wonder how many just smart phones and computers end up in a land fill every year when they brain wash you to think you need the lastest greatest when the last one blew you away with its capability's 2 years ago??????

40mpg to save energy. My sister had a chev chevette back in the 80s that got 35-40mpg with a carburetor. I guess it didn't have a back up camera and an info center or an ipod hook up. All things essential to have to go get grocerys. You think the American companys that have those technologys build it themselves? Nope its the japs and Chinese that brain washed us into thinking we cant live without it. I say build another wall! Build it on both coasts and keep our money here where it helps our economy. But nope they have us brain washed into actually believing your a stupid backwater hillbilly if you buy an American made car or truck. So much so that they can stay 3 years behind in technology and sell them for 5k more and still people believe there getting more for there money! Say a Toyota is made in America and I cant argue that. tell me where the majority of the profits selling one goes!! Some fat cat in Japan. Wonder how much of his money is used to buy American products???

I also have to wonder why so many liberals and yuppies drive them. They don't have a clue as to which one is better. they just know to be cool in there little liberal clicks they sure cant drive a ford truck. Even though it gets 4mpg better fuel mileage and using less fuel obviously put less pollution in the air and has less of an impact on the environment. But I guess being cool to there friends and starting wash machines for there desks at work REALLY mean more then that. Kind of like the newest craze, electric and hybrid cars and trucks. Are they so stupid that they think the electricity is created in that wall plug and don't realize that coal fired power plants are one of the biggest pollutions sources in the world. Buy something like a "leaf" and think there saying the world. Right up to the time they back into a fire hydrant and total that tiny ***. But there cool anyway!

[snowwolfe]

Maybe I missed it, but when did the warranty expire?

[bangerjim]

WOW! Glad you got that off your chest! Now tell us how you REALLY feel about modern up-to-date life in America.

Now I remember why I have you on my ignore list.

Bangerjim

[bangerjim]

Maybe I missed it, but when did the warranty expire?

The part about 30-36K miles on non-drivetrain items. He has over 50K on it.

[historicfirearms]

The last gm I bought was made in Mexico. The last three "jap" cars I bought were made in Ohio. The profits from a sale go to the corporation, who are really just investors. Most people with a pension or retirement account are invested in auto companies, foreign and domestic.

[snowwolfe]

The part about 30-36K miles on non-drivetrain items. He has over 50K on it.

I realize that. Was looking for a month and year.

[Elkins45]

Lloyd it sounds like you need to shop for appliances on Craigslist. Or maybe just get a tub and a washboard. I’m pretty sure it won’t talk to your phone.

[johnho]

I have a 2015 Highlander and have only had a few minor problems. When I bought the car I declined the coverage for 7 years or 100,000 miles. When I got in it to drive it off I noticed all the electronic stuff and went back in and got the coverage. yes it was not cheap, $1800 as I remember. But now I cruise along not caring if something goes wrong. I will drive it till it gets to the 100K mark, about 7 years, and get another car. Figure for roughly $260 a year it's worth it. Cars just cost too much to fix today.

GF just had to have her front headlamp replaced on her 2008 4Runner to pass inspection. Cost was $350 and that was not a T headlamp. Found a Youtube video on how to do it, figured how hard can that be, it's just a bulb. Ha. Remember when all you had to do was remove the little chrome trim around the bulb, take off two screws as I remember, buy a $10 bulb, put back in? then drive up to a wall and adjust it. But then again, the cars didn't last like they do today. I remember that if you got 100K on a car you were doing pretty good, today they're just broke in.

[alamogunr]

We are on our 3rd Toyota Avalon. Kept each of the first 2 for over ten years with very few problems. Have had the Tundra for 5 years and it will probably last longer than I will.

When we bought the '17 Avalon, we dicided to go for the top of the line since it may also be our last car. Knowing how many things on this car are computerized, we also bought an extended warranty on them. If we don't have a claim, we will be refunded over half of the original cost of the warranty. I've checked on the cost to fix some of the computer stuff and just one item can cost over half of the warranty cost.

None of the four Toyota's have given any trouble. The first Avalons and the Tundra did not have all the bells & whistles which probably contributed to the lack of problems. I know that all makes are much more reliable than they were 20+ years ago but Toyota has always been straight with me. Before the Tundra I had an F150 that I drove for 15 years. Granted it had less than 100K when I sold it, but it never gave any trouble either. Of course, being retired 12 years, I don't drive nearly as much as I did when I was younger, but even then, I was starting to slow down when I reached my sixty's. Reliability is of primary importance now. I do consider gas mileage but not very seriously.