I bought my runner about a year ago, from somebody who had been using it as a hunting truck, barely street legal. Got it because my 2005 Nissan Sentra blew a head gasket twice in 10 months and still didn't run right. Sued Nissan, and bought the runner for cash after the suit. I won't lie, I have had to do quite a bit of work on it. But I love the truck. And I don't care if it blows up tomorrow, I will fix it and keep driving. Won't be looking to buy anything else but Toyota from here on out.

 

380,000 on my moms 96 Camry. Still drive it everyday. Its amazing what scheduled maintenence can do for you. Granted you have to put a quart of oil in it everytime you fill the tank. But it will still smoke one tire.

 

I am in the process of reading this post so forgive me if it has been said already but I just had to say something before I got all the way through.

I have owned 2 Toyotas both 86's the first one way back in 1993 250,000 miles the motor went mostly my fault (long story) It threw a rod I was 25 miles from home and I was able to drive it all the way home. The truck sat for 2 weeks before I could take it to the shop. It started up and drove to the repair shop. (I know this doesn't say that it is reliable but I will take a truck that can get me 30+ miles on a blown engine any day) Also this truck was an auto and never a problem with the tranny even after the new engine and another 50k miles

Second Toyota 86 again bough spring of 2007 this truck was in questionable shape as the PO had made some bad repairs (broken alternator bolt replaced by lamp wire and a pry bar among others that I was unaware of until after I started fixing it up) I have my wife come over (120 miles from home) and she drives the truck home over a mountain pass while I am at work. Three weeks later and about another 200 miles I repair the alternator for $2.50 all other repairs on that truck have cost me less then $100 for a 21 year old truck with 240,000 mile on it when I bought it and 272,000 on it now.

The same can not be said for the GM trucks I have owned 3 of them all of them were less then 4 years old when I purchased them. Only one never had any problems as I only owned it for a year but blown tranny at 200K, blown motor at 235,00 blown hubs at 130,00 then the 2001 GMC blew the transfer case at 140,00 $1400 for a used case sold the truck the day I got it out of the shop and have never looked back.

I now own my 86 and a 2008 Subaru. It will be a long time before I am in the market for another GM truck. My 21 year old truck is my DD and while it has had a few issues because of the age it has never left me stranded starts in the coldest of weather and is damn fun to drive. Can you tell me what other 20+ year old car/truck you would trust to drive 200 miles round trip to work and back? (Thankfully I no longer have that commute but when I did yota was always there for me!)

 

My sister brought her '88 p/u new in '88. Back then I had a lifted '80 wagoneer that was pretty bad ass. The toyota pulled me outa mud several times, picked me up when I broke down several times and towed me to the road (I guess it wasn't that bad ass). She gave me the '88 last may. It is 20 years old. I absolutely love this truck and I will drive it till it dies! I have owned many many cars and trucks, everything from a '69 el'camino to '85 crossfire Z-28 to a ford escort, Nissan, Honda, Chrysler, etc etc etc...probably 30 some cars and trucks, Maybe 40. This is my second toy. Last one I had was '78 2 wheel drive. I had 4 studded pirellis on that bad boy and used to cruise loveland pass twice a week in some crazy weather. Back then I was a tower jock and I wheeled the shiat outa that little 2wheel truck. We made into a kicker and launched off it from our house roof. We used it in a bike trials demo. Never a problem, only sold that one because I had to. Toyota is the best hands down, no questions ! I will never, ever buy anything else again in my life!...Ever! The '88 I have now, I'm restoring, but rin reality the only thing I have to restore is the rusted out bed (which was made in the usa, the trucks were shipped piggy back from japan and the beds where built and installed by chrysler). The only thing that fails on it is american made. Don't take me wrong. I am a veteran and love this country, but we couldn't build a truck or car if our arses depdended on it!!!

 

ive owned many yotas (from corolla/ to trucks/ 2wd, and 4x4)...

yota's are so reliable and awesome...its amazing.
some are basket cases..and perhaps you got one that was sunk in huricane katrina ...who knows.
but
make no mistake..
there is no hype to the 80's toyota trucks...
its all true, and it takes time to make a legend...yet toyota did it in one lifetime...

when our grandchildren are driving our rigs on space gas... there will be no more doubt..


i just rebuilt my 3.0 engine w/350,000miles, and theres no scoring on the cylinder walls...
try that w/any other car...(lesss bmw or mercedes)..

but, don't take my word for it..
just drive your yota for 50 years, and see for yourself.

 

the way i c it im suprised toyotas hold up so well they r probably one of the most abused vehicle brand out there and still drive u to the grocery store my truck has been down a cylinder for about 4 months and is still kicking if it would have been ne other brand it wouldnt have lasted this long all hail toyota p.s. my rear bumper ate the front end of a ford f-150 last week again all hail toyota

 

Oh yeah, 180K and I have precisely ONE rattle which is from the driver's door hinge

I do have one complaint about one Toyota product. We have an 2000 Corolla and at first engine burned oil then (possibly due to being low on oil while I was away at uni) spun a rod. We replaced the engine with another 1ZZ-FE engine with ~60K. The other day, I heard the same rattle as it downshifted at higher rpms that the other engine did. It also has a knock when its cold. I either we've REALLY bad luck or these engines, or their absolute crap. That kind of boils my blood, cause Toyota knows how to make a good engine, but the 1ZZ-FE hasn't been one of them.

Other than the crap engine(s), our Corolla has been good, no other problems.

 

That was poetry right there

 

I had a '92 Corolla (a bit older than yours I know), but I got in a slight wreck a few months after I got it. The ladies insurance fixed my car, the day after I got it back the tranny took a crap. Then out of the blue, 6 months later it works again. Then later that summer I blew the engine (110+ in a 3 speed auto on a 100* day probably not the smartest). I replaced the engine and tranny at the same time. That tranny crapped out the very next day. So replaced it again and the 3rd tranny crapped out about about 4 months. This car only had 79,000 miles when I got it back in '06 and I sold it when it had 101,000.

Then my dad bought a '92 Corolla with only 24,000 actual miles!!! It was in mint condition. I was supposed to buy it from him but someone backed into and he didn't feel like repairing it so he sold it to a guy at his work that does body work and that guy gave it to his son. After about the next 1,000 miles the clutch went out. Turns out it had gone out before my dad had bought it as well.

Corolla's don't seem to do too well. My mom's '96 knocks on super cold mornings when you first start it up.

 

Thanks for all of your input. As for Toyota quality, i will just keep driving my truck and hope that the things that the reliability that you guys have will still be true in my truck. All your input has helped me understand the reason why people like toyotas, but i will still hold my judgment (either good or bad) for the time being.

Tim

 

Hey tim, just so you know. dodge was in alliance with mitsubishi for their 4 cyclinder motors just as ford and mazda shared parts. Even though it was made in america it had the heart of a foriegner. May be part of the reason it ran as well as it did.
Best of luck with your new truck.

 

I have 384,000 reasons why I drive a Toyota.

But the biggest reason is because I have to get to work every day.

 

Well are arses (economy) are depending on us making a quality auto product again. Alot of the economic tumoil can be attributed to our poor quality vehicles.

Now if the majority of our country wasn't a bunch of T.V. watchin, button pushin, fools who feel like they are entitled to everything and anything, then we would and could build an quality car. Just look at what amazing building is being done in some of the garages and backyards of many forum peeps on here. There as some bright minds round here.

I say we start building 66 bonneville station wagons again!

 

^ ^ ^ Well said!

 

jeep cherokee classics are still made in china under the mitsubishi name

 

i totally agree but i dont think its laziness, i think it comes down to money. they want people to buy new vehicles frequently and america's general mentality is thrrow stuff away and get new stuff so everyone complies. my dad has an 01 dodge ram. spent at least 10k in repairs on top of the 40k he paid for it in 2000. its got tranny issues, 4wd doesnt work drivers window doesnt work almost everything on the interior is falling apart and when he takes off from a stop it hesitates and sputters. he's been chasing the problem for ayear or two... no luck. so now he wants to buy a brand new truck. thats how american auto companies do business. i have 2 25 year old yotas and a 29 year old yota and combined, they have less problems than the dodge. oh and did i mention the dodge has 125,xxx mi and one of my 84's has 234,xxx the other has 168,xxx
its a pretty screwed up system that is now broken. if america made decent vehicles more of our money would stay local and we would have a lot better luck with this economy crisis.
sorry for the little rant hehe, i get talkin and...^^

 

Owned my truck for 10 years and have replaced the shifter bushing. Period.

 

At least the Chinese are presumably already used to Jeep-level quality.

 

wow ring worm.. my yota weve had for over 10 years we did the front pads a few times.. rotors once.. shoes and tires..

 

Well I didn't read all 4 pages of this thread, but to give my opinion about Toyota quality...or Japanese quality for that matter, I can just give my own personal experiences over years of experience with almost every brand of vehicle, between myself, family and friends.

Let me just start out by saying, no matter what you think of American machines, there is NOTHING worse than a German or British car.....I'd drive a Ford everday for the rest of my life over any German or British POS.

Anyway, when I was 16 my first car was an '81 Oldsmobile Omega, that I got with around 70K on it, by the time it hit 80K it was shot. Then I got a '84 Corolla with 120K on it, and it seemed almost brand new, I drove until it had 247K on it, at which point the body was rusting all around it, I only got rid of it because it looked so bad...it still ran perfect, and the carb had never been rebuilt.

Because of that car I had a love of Toyota's and all Japanese cars. At the time I go trid of that Corolla, I was working as a Nissan tech, so I bought a Nissan 240sx, with 140K on it...ran like new, looked great. I had a few more Nissans after that, a Pathfinder a Quest, Hardbody pickup. The Pathfinder is still around today, my father is driving it with 170K on it, original drivetrain, doesn't burn or leak any oil and tranny is tight as can be, no rust, interior is perfect and believe it or not original rear brake shoes....I'm seeing how they will go. I got my sister a '90 Celica a few years back with 90K on it, she still drives it today with 180K on it, original drivetrain. I currently have a '91 Runner with 200K on the original 3VZE and original tranny....it runs great, runs on the beach and pulls a boat, with 200K.

Now to the American side of my experience. Well I already mentiones the Olds Omega, probably one of the ugliest car I have ever seen, but it was my first car so, I will always love it. Supposedly it was the American answer to the Japanese compacts....yeah GREAT job, make and ugly POS box with 4 wheels on it, and compare it to the Celica, Corolla or Civic of the same vintage.

My dad had an '88 Dodge Caravan....it was SHOT by 80K, went through a tranny, a new ECU, tons of other pain in the ass problems...and this is way before the 100K or lifetime warranties. Then he got a Saturn...total junk, he spent 7K in repairs in the 5 years he had it, one of which was a head gasket, and also a timing chain...with like 60K on it. He swore off American cars after that, got an Integra and now drives the Pathfinder, just drove it across country with 170K on it.

Then my mother got a '98 Grand Prix, it went through 3 trannies by the time it had 70K on it, and it leaked oil from every friggin place you can imagine, by 85K. Then for some reason she bought another one, this one is a '05, it has 65K on it, the front end sounds like it is about to fall off, and there is probably about 3 gallons fo water in the dash, from what I can only assume is a blocked A/C drain. She won't let me work on her cars anymore because all I ever do is tell her how bad they suck and to get rid of them.

My wife got an brand new '08 Grand Prix last year, company car. When I first got in it, I went to turn the interior light on and the whole ceiling headliner moves up and rattles when you go to hit the switch, it feels like it is made from carboard. The fog light switch on the dash is just stuck in a piece of plastic and the whole piece of plastic moves when you hit the switch, like it is gonna fall out. By the time it had 12K on it, it has squeeks and rattles all over it.

I have a friend right now with an Explorer, he bought it with 40K, and the brakes have never worked right, the belt tensioner has always squeeked since he got it, and now with 75K on it, the gauges freak out when it's cold out, the tranny is starting to slip and the wheel bearings are shot.

The one American car I did have that impressed me was a '87 Cherokee, that I got 4 years ago with 160K on it. It had been sitting for 2 years, I bought it for $200, did some work on it, and EVERYTHING worked on it, and it never gave up and I beat on it. I sold it a few months ago running and driving perfect with 175K on it.

Basically the overall point to my rambling is....American cars are made cheaply, some are better than others, but overall they are cheaper and sloppier than any Japanese vehicle....no matter what make or model you compare.

Other than drivetrain quality, just look at the little things inside of the cars, that is a huge difference...everything is tight inside the Japanese cars, the American cars are just slapped together and are crap.