How Does Toyota Do It?

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My friend bought a CPO 2015 Prius with ~48k miles on the clock. Windshield wiper motor croaked mid-rain storm ~3 months later and his attempts to get it fixed by Toyota were responded with 'sorry motor is on backorder, we will let you know when the parts come in'. Critical safety system broken with no repair in sight by manufacturer backed warranty - seems legit. He ended up buying used or knockoff part online.
 
Originally Posted by pezzy669
My friend bought a CPO 2015 Prius with ~48k miles on the clock. Windshield wiper motor croaked mid-rain storm ~3 months later and his attempts to get it fixed by Toyota were responded with 'sorry motor is on backorder, we will let you know when the parts come in'. Critical safety system broken with no repair in sight by manufacturer backed warranty - seems legit. He ended up buying used or knockoff part online.


This is a very real problem for Tesla now... parts availability.
So many better choices out there than battery powered cars.
 
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Originally Posted by super20dan
what kind of fool buys an equinox after the well documented problems . ?



My wife had a 2012 Equinox 2.4 she bought new and it was a good car. I think the main issue was the oil life monitor that had too long an interval. I always did 3,000 mile oil changes on hers and no problems.
 
Originally Posted by lovcom

My first was a 2014 PriusC running a 1.5 liter, and that model gave me near 100,000 miles with no burning of oil; just 0w-20 changes every 7k to 8k miles.

How is getting to 100k some sort of record? That's like barely out of warranty.

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Toyotas and Hondas used to be throw away cars.

IMO they're all throwaway vehicles. Use them for a while, do a few repairs, then move on. Some are worse than others to be sure, but none of them are gold plated and destined to sit on the mantle.
 
Originally Posted by skyactiv
You probably think my wife and I are fools for buying a new Audi and a VW I bet.

Not if you bought them because you like them and understand and accept them for what they are. That's with every tool.
 
Originally Posted by ecotourist
Toyota spent about a decade developing the original Prius. Everyone else has been playing catch up. It's all about the engineering.

We could develop a comparable vehicle in North America if a company was prepared to spend the money and time required for development. Oh wait, there is the Tesla.

Which is in no way comparable in build quality or reliability to anything but a loaded out North American Landrover.
 
Originally Posted by supton

IMO they're all throwaway vehicles. Use them for a while, do a few repairs, then move on. Some are worse than others to be sure, but none of them are gold plated and destined to sit on the mantle.


Very true, but the mantle some put Toyota and Honda to a lesser extent, on cannot be shaken.
 
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Originally Posted by supton

IMO they're all throwaway vehicles. Use them for a while, do a few repairs, then move on. Some are worse than others to be sure, but none of them are gold plated and destined to sit on the mantle.


Very true, but the mantle some put Toyota and Honda to a lesser extent, on cannot be shaken.



Yup. All vehicles have their pros and cons. Toyota and Honda's reputation is overrated in my opinion. They are good cars, but not "bullet proof" like they once may have been. My best friend of 15 years has a 2008 Tacoma right now. It has been by far his least reliable vehicle. It just broke 100k miles and the frame is showing rust, both brake calipers have frozen up, the A/C stopped working, idler pulleys needed replacing, TPMS system has been going wonky, the paint is super thin, and a second front wheel bearing is going out. His previous vehicles a 2001 Ford Ranger and 2000 Jeep Cherokee all went to 200k miles with very little issues besides basic maintenance. That isn't to say all Tacomas have these issues, but it is impossible to accurately state that "X brand" is more reliable than the rest. Even vehicles within the same model range show different reliability statistics based on their power train options, what they are used for, how they are maintained, etc.

I have family/friends that will only buy certain brands based on their experiences, and some who will never buy certain brands ever again also based on experiences. Reliability data is also very inaccurate most of the time because people have different ideas of what reliability means. Some of my customers say their cars are "very reliable" because they will start up and drive every day, even though as a whole the car is a huge POS and is falling apart, while others will claim their vehicle is a junker because the infotainment is slower than they would like.
 
Originally Posted by GSCJR
I did an oil change today on an '09 with the 1.5L; It's an oil burner. Furthermore, I owned an '03 with the 3.3L 1MZ-FE and I never had to add oil between changes. That Highlander was trouble free until I sold it this year. Unfortunately I live in the rust belt and the undercarriage was not looking so good.


Just realized my typo; I had the 3.0L not the 3.3L
 
I think of Honda as taking more risks than Toyota, and Toyota as being very very conservative with new technology. Probably serves Toyota well. Having said that, Toyota products are not perfect by any stretch, and I just can't being myself to buy one. I am a bit of a contrarian, and like my slightly unusual cars just fine...VW GLI represents about 5% of Jetta production and Hemi-powered Grand Cherokees are probably less than 10% of GC production. Hated the last couple of Hondas we had, so don't necessarily believe the Honda hype either..
 
Originally Posted by jeepman3071
Yup. All vehicles have their pros and cons. Toyota and Honda's reputation is overrated in my opinion. They are good cars, but not "bullet proof" like they once may have been. My best friend of 15 years has a 2008 Tacoma right now. It has been by far his least reliable vehicle. It just broke 100k miles and the frame is showing rust, both brake calipers have frozen up, the A/C stopped working, idler pulleys needed replacing, TPMS system has been going wonky, the paint is super thin, and a second front wheel bearing is going out. His previous vehicles a 2001 Ford Ranger and 2000 Jeep Cherokee all went to 200k miles with very little issues besides basic maintenance. That isn't to say all Tacomas have these issues, but it is impossible to accurately state that "X brand" is more reliable than the rest. Even vehicles within the same model range show different reliability statistics based on their power train options, what they are used for, how they are maintained, etc.


All second gen Tacoma's have those issues. I've gone through or going through all those issues in my 5 month ownership of mine. Tell your friend to get that thing in for frame inspection ASAP before the 12 year warranty date is up. They coated mine, but even before winter it's flaking off and rusting out big time. I doubt it'll make it 2 winters. Dumb purchase on my part.

We also had a 2000 Avalon (in 2007ish?) with the 3.0 that we bought secondhand. Didn't last us 3 years before we had to dump it due to a failing engine. But yet we bought a couple more Toyota's. Guess I like the abuse...
 
The first Toyota I have ever owned was purchased new in 2008. That 2009 Corolla I sold to my son has 270,000 miles (435,000kms) on it and still runs flawlessly. The only repairs have been:
- alternator
- battery (he left the interior lights on one too many times)
- water pump.

The only costs to run the car for the past 11 years have been consumables; tires, oil, fuel, 4 spark plugs, 1 coolant drain and fill.


Now I am not a fan boy as I don't own any other Toyotas, but for me that is a pretty good impression of reliability.
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Originally Posted by Smokescreen
The first Toyota I have ever owned was purchased new in 2008. That 2009 Corolla I sold to my son has 270,000 miles (435,000kms) on it. The only repairs have been:
- alternator
- battery (he left the interior lights on one too many times)
- water pump.

The only costs to run the car for the past 11 years have been consumables; tires, oil, fuel, 4 spark plugs, 1 coolant drain and fill.


Now I am not a fan boy as I don't own any other Toyotas, but for me that is a pretty good impression of reliability.
coffee2.gif


I've done brakes on each axle and ... nothing else really for our '11 Camry. Trans oil changed a couple times, plugs, belts, tires, coolant D&F a couple times. Did change the battery around the 5 year mark, started cranking slow in winter. 192k so... not sure if I should consider that good or what should be considered normal for today. I mean, all cars go 200k now, right?
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My other two Toyota's have fared worse, the Tundra ate a caliper and needed the throttle plate to be cleaned, while the '99 has had a steady stream of cheap repairs.
 
Originally Posted by CR94
Originally Posted by lovcom
... You rarely hear about Prius engines burning oil. ...
Not so. Complaints about oil-burning are very common for the 3rd-generation (2010-13, at least) regular Prius with over 100k miles. Whether it's due to effects of frequent starts vs. the same kind of ring coking that affects some modern non-hybrids may be debatable.

That said, mine is ok on that front, so far.

The gen 2s are burning oil too. Mine is, I'm losing a quart every 2500 miles. I suspect how the engine operates and low-tension rings. If I ever buy another hybrid, I'll try to drive in a way get the ICE to run more during the 1st 1K to help the rings seat.

The Prius is actually a fairly durable car save for the battery and brake actuator issues. The Gen 3 cars are known to eat head gaskets, there is an updated gasket but from what The Critic told and showed me, it might be a repeat of the 7M-GE/GTE head gasket issue on the 1989-1993 Supra and the Cressida of that era. The head bolts weren't sufficiently torqued at the factory.

The Prius was the car for Lyft and Uber drivers. Now, those guys are driving Nissans and Hyundais on sub-prime leasing.
 
The Prius is a success for Toyota but a crapola car. A gocart will get you from point A to point B....is that what rational humans with any means really want? I think not.
A trinket novelty for the tree hugging ilk, at best.
 
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Originally Posted by lovcom
Prius hybrids or any hybrid, how do they provide for excellent engine longevity, and provide the most dependable model that Toyota makes when their gas engines start and stop and start and stop hundreds of times a day?

Does anyone know what technology they use?

I'm on my 2nd Prius, a 2019 hatchback running the usual 1.8 liters plus 0w-16 synthetic.

My first was a 2014 PriusC running a 1.5 liter, and that model gave me near 100,000 miles with no burning of oil; just 0w-20 changes every 7k to 8k miles.

You rarely hear about Prius engines burning oil.

I ask because you hear so much about how stop and go traffic, short trips, etc are hard on engines.

Other companies have hybrids too.
But to your point, very simple engines.
Their complex engines are completely different story.
 
Originally Posted by Toros
The Prius is a success for Toyota but a crapola car. A gocart will get you from point A to point B....is that what rational humans with any means really want? I think not.
A trinket novelty for the tree hugging ilk, at best.


Stereotype much!

Notwithstanding all the other brands of hybrids I don't consider Prius owners as eco-bunnies any more than I think of pickup owners as red neck hillbillies. Being wallet or environmentally conscious is not a bad thing. Even I'm more aware and concerned of these issues than I used to be like I'm sure a lot of other people are. Prius' 0 to 60 and ¼ mile times are adequate enough for most normal driving situations. Even in my Yaris with its marginally better times I don't need to redline every gear to easily keep up or pass traffic. I don't drive slowly.

What's your experience with the Prius?
 
We have had excellent results with Corolla, Matrix, Scion XB.

Nothing but scheduled maintenance on all three, or wear items.

Compare to my Sonata, which has had to be flat bedded to a repair shop 3 times in 3 years.

Toyota is a good boring car for my wife to drive, and it requires much less upkeep than the Hyundai.
 
Originally Posted by dishdude
How do they build such a bland vehicle with terrible driving dynamics, horrid interior quality and comfort along with attracting the worst drivers on the road to them?



When it comes to quality-many would say how bad VW's are...............................Volkswagen is sixth from the bottom in initial quality surveys. Toyota is the top eleven.


https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2019-initial-quality-study-iqs
 
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Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by dishdude
How do they build such a bland vehicle with terrible driving dynamics, horrid interior quality and comfort along with attracting the worst drivers on the road to them?



When it comes to quality-many would say how bad VW's are...............................Volkswagen is sixth from the bottom in initial quality surveys. Toyota is the top eleven.


https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2019-initial-quality-study-iqs

spankme2.gif
We all know "Initial Quality" doesn't amount to [censored].

[Linked Image]
 
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