Avensis,....british And Eu Crap. Nothing To Do With Japanese

[newwy]

The build quality on the Avensis I have just bought is vastly inferior to any of my older Corollas, which of course where all built in Japan. Its a year 2000 Avensis Vermont 1.8. It looks very nice but having had it a few days and inspecting it, I notice that all the components are made throughout europe and then nailed together at the Derby factory. The rear light cluster had a made in France on it, the wheels -made in Italy, the mudflaps Polish, the hydraulic boot struts German etc, etc...you get the drift. The car is not Japanese and I'm afraid only Jap built will do for me.

Over the years I have owned several Corollas, a Celica, a Camry, a Carina and now an Avensis. I can cleary see a differance in build quality and I never had an problems with my jap built Corollas, and the Jap built Celica and camry. However, my Carina was a problem car and now this Avensis is giving me the worries (re: the oil burning problem with the VVTi engine and also I have a leak in the boot which is causing me a headache). So, out of all the Toyotas I have had over the past many years, its only the 2 British built ones that have been a pile of *****e.

My faithful old 1992 Corolla 1.6 Liftback which I had for 10 years and covered 180,000 miles in, still had its complete, original exhaust and it was 15 years old. Not once did the old girl fail me in 10 years...no leaks, no electrical problems, no bother at all. Towards the end it did start to need a few things like a new radiator, new ignition barrel but this was down to sheer wear and tear, after all it had covered so many miles. Unbeleivable JAPANESE build quality on that car. They just don't make them like that anymore.

So, we are left with British built Toyotas now and theres not much we can do. I will be on the look out for a Jap import Toyota....a REAL Toyota...one that is made in Japan with quality parts and quality build, not crappy French rubbish nailed together in Derby.

[T V O R]

I totally agree

Mercedes Benz had the same problems with quality control and are now trying to build back their reputation.

I feel Toyota are going the same route with models built outside of Japan.

My Yaris T Sport was born and bred in Japan and hasn’t missed a beat. It has been the best car I’ve ever had and that’s why I’m keeping it. If it’s not broke, don’t change it

[Stelios]

Are all Avensis built in UK? How can you check that? I live in Cyprus and I would like to know where my Avensis I bought (1600cc) was built.

Stelios

[T V O R]

Are all Avensis built in UK? How can you check that? I live in Cyprus and I would like to know where my Avensis I bought (1600cc) was built.

Check the VIN, Japanese built cars will have a JTD******** prefix (it does on the Yaris – not sure with other models)

[slarti54]

All Avensis are built in the UK.

[newwy]

That's correct, the Avensis are only nailed together in UK at the plant in Derbyshire (Burnaston) and they are not made anywhere else.

[Parts-King]

That's correct, the Avensis are only nailed together in UK at the plant in Derbyshire (Burnaston) and they are not made anywhere else.

Nonsense!

We have been here before, and I make no excuses, but build quality has nothing to do with where they are built. You are comparing todays cars with models built 1992, most cars in those days were very good, but crude by modern engineering standards. Few had EFI let alone A/C, Sat Nav etc etc. The problems with modern cars are, that they are made from cheaply sourced parts (No matter what manufacturer) and everything is built to a price. We all demand cheaper new cars with more and more gadgets. Years ago batteries lasted 10 years, today maybe only 5 years, nothing wrong with that, but from a perception point of view, that Battery lasts half the time it used to!. You cant blame that on where it's built. Don't slam the good people of the UK who build them, blame a culture of wanting more and more for less and less.

Kingo

[bjw]

That's correct, the Avensis are only nailed together in UK at the plant in Derbyshire (Burnaston) and they are not made anywhere else.

Nonsense!

We have been here before, and I make no excuses, but build quality has nothing to do with where they are built. You are comparing todays cars with models built 1992, most cars in those days were very good, but crude by modern engineering standards. Few had EFI let alone A/C, Sat Nav etc etc. The problems with modern cars are, that they are made from cheaply sourced parts (No matter what manufacturer) and everything is built to a price. We all demand cheaper new cars with more and more gadgets. Years ago batteries lasted 10 years, today maybe only 5 years, nothing wrong with that, but from a perception point of view, that Battery lasts half the time it used to!. You cant blame that on where it's built. Don't slam the good people of the UK who build them, blame a culture of wanting more and more for less and less.

Kingo

Yes your are quite right it does not matter what you buy today it is not made to last whether it is a shirt from M+S or a DVD player from Sony there are made to a price ( accountants )

But on saying that I have a Verso which was built in Turkey and I think the quality is better than the Avensis .

Where a car is built is not as important as the quality of the components used

[newwy]

Both very good points and I agree. Things are not made to last these days, however Japanese made Toyotas are still better made, or rather the components are better made. I am not having a dig at British workers either, they assemble the parts that have been sourced all over Europe and out comes an Avensis at the other end. An equivalent priced car that is assembled in Japan, using Japenese parts will be a better car. Take a look at the next Camry or Lexus you see/drive, beleive me ..there is a difference.

Like I said, I have owned and driven many different Toyotas over the past 15 years and I really only want a Japanese built one, but that is becoming increasingly difficult.

My next car will not be a British built Toyota, I will either get a Lexus or will find something else. This is a shame as I have sworn by Toyota's all these years. I have even converted my whole family to them and many friends and collegues. When they were moaning about their Fords and Vauxhalls etc, I would always remind them that I never have problems with my Toyota and over the years I can honestly say that I have converted many of them over.

Mr T should have been paying me as a salesman for Toyota !! ...lol

Anyway, back to reality. I don't care what anyone says....Japanese cars (built in Japan) are far superior.

Regards

Dave

[Parts-King]

An equivalent priced car that is assembled in Japan, using Japenese parts will be a better car. Take a look at the next Camry or Lexus you see/drive, beleive me ..there is a difference.

The only trouble with this theory is that Lexus is Toyota's "Premium brand" starting at 23K going upwards of 58K, "Premium" is what it is, Premium, no matter where it's built

Kingo

[UKDM323]

Quite interesting read about this post, though i not had any problems or unhappy with quality & build of my corolla t sport thats built in UK i like to compare it one day if i see one again to a JDM Run X / Allex whats the corolla hatch is called in japan infact i found the corolla to be more solid & better quality/built than my recently sold 2003 mazda 323F even that i was happy with....sorry to hear of your dissapointment....i got feeling that the Carina E was worse quality than the japanese built ones, its what i heard....i heard few yrs back maybe 2000 era that mitsubishi used bad quality stuff as they cut cost & sourced cheaper materials elsewhere but dont think thats the case now,maybe it was the case with lot of car manufcturers back then??? however some may know/remember that Nissan UK at sunderland exported Primera's back to japan as the quality on UK ones are better then the JDM Primeras at the time! Anyone know what the current Avensis is like in terms of build & quality as the JDM ones are built in UK even though they have the Corona/Allion thats similer size cars.

[Chris Dance]

I remember in the 80s when we were asked to buy British to support the likes of Leyland etc. Like an idiot I bought a Montego and it was the biggest load of junk I ever owned. The car was more in the dealers being fixed than on the road and the corrosion was built in. Oil consumption was high and oil leaks everywhere.

Vauxhall always had corrosion problems in the 60s and 70s and 80s.

My Avensis: Reliable, economic, comfortable, very good spec, safe with air bags. All this a bit different to the Montego which in a crash would have disintegrated and killed all inside; even intermittant wipe was an extra.

The only thing I do not like about the Avensis is the road noise on some road surfaces and the stupid design which makes a headlight bulb change a major operation.

I must admit my last car was a Volvo it was strongly built and an excellent car. To get the spec of an Avensis on a Volvo though costs a lot more.

[Stelios]

Are all Avensis built in UK? How can you check that? I live in Cyprus and I would like to know where my Avensis I bought (1600cc) was built.

Check the VIN, Japanese built cars will have a JTD******** prefix (it does on the Yaris – not sure with other models)

Whats a VIN?

[Parts-King]

VIN= Vehicle Identification Number otherwise known as a Chassis number.

Kingo