Yaris mk1 reliability

[donkeychomp]

Talking of insurance my quote came in yesterday. Last year (I forgot she's now qualified for classic insurance) it cost £199.43 and I thought that was a bit excesssive but okayish...this year it's GONE DOWN and is £142.70. This has never, ever happened to me before. 

Alex

[Astronaut]

I see that the topic is old, but I want to leave my comment...
During my driving experience (about 15-16 years), I had about 8 cars(and 4 motorcycles)... from Honda Civic Vtec kicks-in, Fiat Bravo "Sport", VW Jetta Sportwagen and even Volvo S80... so far, Yaris -  is the most reliable car I've ever owned...(Volvo - is the second).
Even considering that the previous 2(?) owners in 165,000 km - did almost.... nothing... except maybe change the oil and brake pads.
p.s. sorry, the previous owner(as she said) replaced (imagine!) the entire rear right bearing(!)... (But when I changed the air filter - there were leaves and nuts... and definitely not from last year)) +spark plugs (definitely from the factory) where the electrodes were burned right to the the beginning of the worlds... 

[CrazyCatman]

My wife hate my 2004 Yaris - but only because it refuses to die! She even threaten me that once I retire the Yaris as a daily driver (estimated in 5-15 years when it can be insured as Classic or Vintage), I won't be allowed to keep it. She does however enjoy the handling of the little kawaii car - although she has a hard time admitting it: As mensioned before, it handle like a go-kart.

But hey; if she hates it so much, she gets to drive the 2019 Camry and I us the 2004 Yaris 😉

I do annual service at Toyota, and it keeping it below the "service miles", next service will be around 86,000 km (I think it was) or early August - which will be the condition to come first. She is around 76,000 km right now. So far at service I have had a bit of rust fixed (two years ago I think), got a warning last year that there was a hole in my exhaust but I could drive it and get it changed at next service - and had the exhaust changed this year. Only thing I hate is that we got an unoriginal exhaust that absolutely sucks (even Toyota who picked and installed it was surprised how badly it fitted!) - it rattles (probably hit the bottom of the car) sometimes when ideling and at specific RPM - now this is not the car's fault but since I had to cost reduce this year (Toyota recommended the non-original exhaust before I had a chance - it was 1/4 of the original's price).

 

Bad points of the car:
- Rust; mine is not very much attacked, but I do begin to see visible surface rust that I intend to correct.

- Electronics: The Panasonic CD-Radio, which I can't remember the model number of, is notorious for failing (dying, working, dying, working) - same CD-Radio is also in the 2004 Honda Accord where it does the same issue. I've tried to bake it and that worked 1½ year - I might change it for a newer system next year.

- Electronics 2: I do not know if this is only in my car, but the dashboard in mine is flinchy; The RPM is stuck and "broken": No movement, and part of it is cut off - and no I am not running it full throttle on this gif 😉 The speed is stable at least and the fuel is also showing correct apart from sometimes showing the top bar all the time (so tree bars in bottom - and on in top: not a critical problem)

- Japanese vs French: Bare in bind that some parts are not interchangeable between the Japanese and French (almost, if not all facelifted models as I understand); some need to be the correct ones else they won't fit. Rear wiper motor is one of them (this I have not been able to find after market, only front wiper: I bougt a second hand one in Poland, and it is still working).

I can't think of many other problems (right now) - apart from some parts are difficult to find such as new original mats (my velour mat in the driver side has huge heel holes in it - and one wheel cap is different from the three other) - but all important parts are available.

I think it is cool that I still see many first generation Yaris' in the streets (I mean the first models are 25 years old this year!) - and just where I live I know for sure that excluding mine there are at least five of them. Compare it to other contemporary cars in the same segment it is rarely that I see a VW Polo III/IV - I think I still see a good amount of Peugeot 206 - but I am not sure of which models (or if they are 207s or 208s - I really can't tell them apart much) - and almost no Ford Fiestas or Ford Kas of the period (a few Fiestas once in a while, but very rarely Ka)! The Opel/Vauxhall Corsa C almost never. Givin' how well they survive, I can imagine that starting from in 10 years or so, the first generation Yaris will become the modern VW (old) Beetle at vintage car meets (if that sort of things even will be allowed at that time) - a small famly car you will see at least one of - every time.

 

[Stevie J]

I had a Mk1 Yaris, a 1999 T reg 1.0 CDX in silver,  between 2011 and 2016. It was initially my mother's - she had it between 2004 and 2011, so it was 5 years old when our family acquired it.

During my mother's ownership, it needed nothing, was totally reliable. But early into my ownership, it needed the fuel filler neck pipe entirely replacing as it rotted through and let fuel vapour escape. Exhaust failed and needed new centre and rear box, but that was the original one failing after 12 years so it did well really. I had the usual issues from 13 years old with the rear sills and inner rear wheel arch corroding into holes, with advisories for further corrosion on the rear springs and crossmember.

I had problems with the tyres losing pressure - all 4 wheels due to the rims of the alloys corroding and losing the air tight seal with the bead of the tyres, so I had to replace the wheels with aftermarket alloys. A/C stopped working also.

Aside from these issues, it never really broke down, and when I got rid of it at 17 years old and 70K miles on the clock, the new owners drove it for a further 3 years to almost 100K miles and 20 years old until it failed the MOT with loads of things to be done, after which they appeared to scrap it.

Was a nice car to be honest and my favourite Yaris - had so much more storage in the cabin than my current mk3, and it had really cute looks too. The Yaris Mk1 may well be 25  years old in design now, but when it came out to replace the aging Starlet, it was light years ahead of its time.

This was my Mk1 shortly before I sold it on, at 17 year old

 

[donkeychomp]

Love those alloys!

Alex

[Tintaglia]

I was going to change my daughter's MK 1 Yaris Spirit 1.3 for a Skoda Yeti because she could do with some more room for her wheelchair. but it's still so good even at 21 years old I think if I can keep the rust at bay and with normal mechanical work, it's good for two or three years more.  A dying breed these truly old reliable cars.  If you could time travel in the difficult forwards direction 😀 you might find people buying these as future 'usable classics'.  🙂   

[2003YarisT3]

Glad to see everyone’s having positive experiences with their Yaris. 

just had my insurance quote come and it’s £335 cheaper than last year ! Another  reason I keep my Yaris. 

I never intended to buy a mk1 yaris , I was looking at the aygo/citroen c1/ peugeot 107 trio as they are even cheaper to run. I nearly ended up with a blue 107 but choose the Yaris and it was cheaper to buy, had less miles and  I knew the history from new ( brought from a friend ). I’m glad I ended up with a Yaris as the boot is more practical than those other cars.

I cannot fault mine , I’ve literally had no problems in the two years and 12,000 miles I’ve covered in it , all I’ve replaced is the front wipers , washer fluid cap , reversing bulb and a rear tyre ( had a puncture) , it’s passed it’s mot with no advisories 5 years in a row. 
 

long live the Yaris !
 

[Cyker]

I really miss the sliding rear seats for that in my Mk4!!

[2003YarisT3]

Hi all back again with another update 

had my mot Monday and unfortunately it failed with a fairly long list :

 

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) ADVISORY

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c)) FAIL

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both front (5.2.3 (e)) ADVISORY

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both front perished (5.3.4 (a) (i)) ADVISORY

Nearside Rear Parking (secondary brake) on a single line braking system has inadequate effort at a wheel (1.3.1 (a) (i)) FAIL

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) FAIL

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i)) FAIL

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) ADVISORY

Front Brake disc significantly and obviously worn (1.1.14 (a) (i)) FAIL

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f)) ADVISORY

Everything on the list is pretty much just wear and tear that would happen on any car, just frustrating it happened all at the same time. 
 

Garage said the rest of the car is mint and as always mentioned the lack of rust so decided to go ahead with the repairs 

As mention before this is the first time I’ve had any repairs in 2 year and for a 21 year old car I don’t think that’s too bad 

long live the Yaris !

[Rhymes with Paris]

It is a bit of a list, but sounds like the whole lot could be sorted for less than a lot of folks pay for a couple of tyres, and fixes on more complicated newer cars.

As long as the dreaded rear end rust is absent,as it seems as though it is, and serviced, I see no reason that these old Yarisissses should not run for 40 years or more.

[wildtapholer]

If you'd bought the C1 it has a Toyota engine.