bad luck on my toyotas (1 Viewer)

[Paul O]

In response to the I hate american cars thread Ive owned 6 new cars in my life and 3 of the worst experiences have been with Toyota's. Each one had an annoying problem that dimished my ownership experience - one a clutch that engaged too early and could never be adjusted properly, second a engine vibration and third a transmission that never shifted out of second until a high rev - its possible that the last two items were design issues and not a defect . The other 3 cars have all given me very satisfactory ownership and repair experience - a Honda Prelude, a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Mercedes E Class. I steered someone to a Honda CRV versus a RAV 4 based on my experience and frankly there's a lot of good choices out there - toyota doesnt have a lock on reliability and their cars are BORING. I do understand that millions of people are satiisfied with their 'yotas but i don't get the attraction except perhaps for their pickup trucks.

 

[Jay H]

Boring? maybe some are boring, but I love my MkIII MR2, it's fun on wheels. It doesn't have acceleration like a Z28, but it certainly handles with the best of them as stock and that is fun in my eyes. I'm currently playing with some flex plates and soon to add a front strut tower bar, eventually going with a suspension package to even further improve the handling, but stock, the MR2 is a very very good handling car.

The only thing wrong with the car on delivery is a rattling speakerbox, but I have yet to open the wheel to fix it, heck, who needs a radio?

Jay

 

[Tony Whalen]

Hmmm... I've owned two Toyotas, and my wife and I are picking up a new Rav4 next week.

My previous two were very reliable, and they put up with some seriously poor treatment from me. I don't know that I'd call them boring. God knows I currently have more fun with my Firebird than I did with my old '88 Tercel, but our new Rav4 is certainly fun to drive. (It's a manual... I love driving a stick.)

 

[Ron-P]

I've owned 3 Toyota trucks, an 85', 90' and a 96'. We now have a 00' Sienna (bought cert. used) we bought almost a year and a half ago, no problems yet. Sorry to hear about your troubles, but I swear by Toyota quality they've all run flawlessly.


Peace Out~

 

[Karl_Luph]

My foreign car mechanic who has worked on all Japanese cars for 30 years says that Toyota engines are the "diesels"(meaning they hold up longer) of the Japanese manufacturers. Their engines are engineered for dependability above everything else.Even the Hondas aren't quite as dependable. He said the closest in engine dependability to Toyota is Mercedes-Benz. I don't doubt it, coming from him. One thing I will add, I've always gone with a manual tranny in a foreign car.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

In my experience (32 years working in a Toyota dealer shop) most complaints on Toyotas are objections to normal behavior on the part of the car--easily discovered during a test drive prior to purchase.

I do strongly agree that in the vast majority of models the reliable but boring description is about right. With the exception of the occasional MR-2, Supra twin-turbo or the late lamented FX-16, Toyota makes transportation appliances.

The last real sporty Corolla was the GTS coupe last built in 92.

With so many other mfgs making good cheap little Corolla class sports sedans with real handling suspensions and 4 wheel disc brakes Toyota is really missing the boat.

While I still put great importance on reliability, there are plenty of cars out there good enough in this respect without boring ya to death.

 

[James T]

I've had my Tercel since 91 and it's still the main car in use. It's going to die soon, so we'll be getting a new car. Haven't decided what car, though but most likely, another Toyota.


Steve,

I can't remember if I heard this from someone or read it somewhere, but is it true that the Matrix engine is the same as the Corolla, just in a different frame?

 

[Greg Rowe]

is it true that the Matrix engine is the same as the Corolla, just in a different frame?

The engine in the matrix is the same as in the Celica GTS if I recall correctly.

My father drove a corolla - an 88 corolla I think. He finally let it go somewhere between 230 and 275 thousand miles. The body had fallen apart beyond what bondo could fix. He never had a major repair on that car.

Mostly because of the experience my father had with that car I bought a 2002 Celica. I've only had it for 1 year (18k miles) and I haven't had any problems. I take that back, a seal on the window is broken but I have a feeling that is my fault from hitting it very hard with an ice scraper. My dealer is replacing it under warranty anyhow.

Greg

 

[Steve Schaffer]

The Matrix is available with 2 different engines. Base and midline models get the 1.8 liter Corolla engine, rated about 130-140hp, with a 4 speed Auto or 5 speed stick. These two models have front disc and rear drum brakes. The top-end model gets the 180hp engine used in the Celica GTS, with 4 spd Auto or 6 speed stick, and comes with 4 wheel disc brakes.

The extra hp only happens at stratospheric rpm (around 7,000 rpm) so is basically useless in normal driving.

The Matrix is built on the Corolla platform, and is basically a sportily-styled Corolla wagon.

The Pontiac Vibe is the same car with different styling. Matrix models come from an assembly plant in Canada, Vibes are built in the NUMMI plant in Fremont California, which also builds most of the US market Corollas.

 

[BrianW]

The extra hp only happens at stratospheric rpm (around 7,000 rpm) so is basically useless in normal driving.

I tell people this, but do they listen? Nooooooooo! They gotta have the Extra Power(tm) and put up with a headache-inducing, buzzy engine that does a crappy, noisy job dragging them from traffic light to traffic light on their way to work.

Jeez, why do people buy cars as if they intend to race them on a track?

Oops, sorry. I love the new Matrix, but I know someone who hates his because he wouldn't listen to reason. He got the bigger engine and wonders why he has no useable low-end torque.

I'm one who thinks Toyotas are mostly boring, but soon we'll be dumping our Plymouth Neon for a new Matrix (with the "sensible" engine) or Rav4, with a very non-boring manual transmission.

 

[James T]

They gotta have the Extra Power

I never really understood people adding extra power to their car. Do they really need 500 hp to drive to the grocery store?

I guess I can see it useful if you like to gamble cars like in the Fast in the Furious, otherwise, I could care less. As long as it gets me from point A to point B. The look is just an extra plus.

 

[Jay H]

The 1ZZ-GE motor that is in my MR2 Spyder is basically a tweaked Corolla engine, (138 HP versus the ~130HP in the corolla) but the key for me is low weight. The 5-spd MR2 is just slightly less weight than a MX-5 Miata, we're talking maybe 10lbs or so stock so it's not much a difference. The upcoming Lotus Elise that is coming to the USA is going to be even less weight than the MR2 by around 150lbs or so and the current rumor is that it's getting the 2ZZ-GE which is the 180HP motor that is in the Celica GT-S. (Lotus tweaked to about 190HP according to various sources). The Elise is rumored to have an MSRP of just under $40k but should be a rocket of a car.

Of course, some people do race their cars on the track, but probably not the ones that look like they don't have a scratch on their entire car, i.e. the showroom cars. And the ones that race probably don't look like they just came from the set of 2F2F either.

Jay