Will Your Next Motor Be A Toyota?

[steve evz]

Im new to Toyota, apart from driving the other half's MR2's, personally i think my Avensis 2.2 ticks most boxes, safe, comfortable, great on the M ways with my family on board, etc etc.. But massive questions are they reliable enough? Have they lost their quality edge?

[t-spiritpete]

Im new to Toyota, apart from driving the other half's MR2's, personally i think my Avensis 2.2 ticks most boxes, safe, comfortable, great on the M ways with my family on board, etc etc.. But massive questions are they reliable enough? Have they lost their quality edge?

Answer to both your questions is YES but ..... at least they step up to the mark when they make mistakes and fix it ... usually for free, what other car maker does that?

I will buy another if the two I have now ever wear out :D

Pete.

[kcummins]

my 53 reg has given me quit a bit of trouble.i would be slow to go back to toyota or even a diesel. petrol engines are so much simpilar!

[kcummins]

my 53 reg has given me quit a bit of trouble.i would be slow to go back to toyota or even a diesel. petrol engines are so much simpilar!

[nick j]

I have had no trouble with my Toyota but I fancy going back to a Merc next time, and next time is April...

[Den B]

Changed my 55 plate avensis in november for 2010 TR model ( petrol ).Shortly afterwards it developed a problem with release bearing,back to dealer I go.A complete clutch kit was fitted and car was back in a day and a bit.In the 5 years that I have owned a toyota I have had complete satisfaction with both car and dealer.

[cabcurtains]

Deffo, they give the Mrs no grief and its the car she uses. Thats the main thing for me.

Petrol or Diesel is the main question.

[Parts-King]

Im new to Toyota, apart from driving the other half's MR2's, personally i think my Avensis 2.2 ticks most boxes, safe, comfortable, great on the M ways with my family on board, etc etc.. But massive questions are they reliable enough? Have they lost their quality edge?

They are far more reliable than most. Mr Toyoda the president stated that the quality had slipped and that it would be addressed. It has been addressed and will continue to be so for the future.

The replacemet of 2AD engines shows just how committed they are to sorting out problems, and they could have easily washed their corporate hands. In future models you will see a far greater emphasis on quality, that is already coming through on the new Yaris

Kingo

[Heidfirst]

it probably would have been a T27 1.8 Avensis Tourer (been very happy with dealer & the car apart from the HG sword of Damocles) but apparently my elderly mother is planning on giving up driving later in the year & she'll be giving me her Focus Zetec which only has ~6K miles on it.

Bit smaller than I would like but I think that I'll give it a try!

[Kallew]

Yes, in my opinion Toyota has with no doubt lost its quality edge. If the build quality would have been what expected from Toyota, none of these HG problems and other major engine problems would have occoured in the first place.

And if you for some reason buy a AD-engined diesel Toyota, which is out of warranty, its a very risky choice. I mean who would accept, if the worst case scenario comes true, the thought of spending (or even affording) thousands extra just to keep an ordinary so called reliable family car running? Its of course good that Toyota has extended the warranty for AD-engines, its certainly good customer care, but also the only possible way to go for them as I see it. And it doesn`t change the fact, at least in my opinion, that the quality of these diesel engines is poor.

It was quite a surprise to find out, when talking to my local garage, that the whole engine must be lifted out from the car just for a head gasket change. Next surprise was that the cylinder head can´t be skimmed. And if your totally out of luck here the whole engine must be renewed ... Not funny if you are out of warranty. And this on a Toyota ... who would have expected that? Wonder if anyone has only renewed the head gasket without new cylinder head?

As you maybe can tell from my writing I´m out of all warranties and would hardly buy a diesel or any Toyota again. Now I have to get rid of the car while it´s still working ok after the first engine change (or 3/4 engine) which was done due to excessive oil consumption ... under warranty though. With a broken engine the car is worth next to nothing (which it is anyway when it has no warranty left).

[Heidfirst]

As you maybe can tell from my writing I´m out of all warranties and would hardly buy a diesel or any Toyota again. Now I have to get rid of the car while it´s still working ok after the first engine change (or 3/4 engine) which was done due to excessive oil consumption ... under warranty though.

I think that it's 2 questions though - would you buy a modern diesel & would you buy a Toyota.

All modern diesels seem to have problems with DMF, DPF, injectors, EGR etc.

Even 10 years ago when I was looking at buying a Vx Omega 2.5TD (engine sourced from BMW) I was put off by someone that I knew who had one & was on his 3rd engine in 6 months.

So, would I buy a modern td again - only if I was doing enough mileage for the economics of higher mpg to pay for itself in warranty.

Would I buy a Toyota again, yes.

With a broken engine the car is worth next to nothing (which it is anyway when it has no warranty left).

well, in general any car with a broken engine isn't worth a lot.

Out of warranty (& it's 7 years/112k - longer than you would have got if they hadn't had a problem) with a working engine it'll be worth something but any mainstream car with 112k on it or 7 years old isn't going to be worth a fortune. The general populace don't know about this potential problem so it probably won't have an effect.

[jedi134]

Only if its a pre 2005 model. Or has german guts and running gear.

[Jamesbelfast]

Once the genie escapes form the bottle it extremely diificult to get it back in. Even though Toyota have addressed many faults under warranty it doesn't mean the public opinion will have changed. It would seem that once the car has gone beyond their warranty even though it may be extended - confidence in the second hand market buyers is likely to be affected. This in turn can seriously affect depreciation rates. In times gone by many people could safely buy a second hand Toyota with confidence and many may even have gone on to buy a new Toyota based on that experience so you can see their reluctance to do so nowadays.

Maybe Mr T should be reminded that quality is about getting it right first time not fire brigade action after the event. Many manufacturers (not just cars by the way) fail to do so miserably.

Toyota who once had an enviable quality record seem to have sadly lost that aspect of their business and I suspect it may take many, many years to recover the quality aspect of their brand. In many ways it is a sad sight to see.