Quote:
Originally Posted by kluken
Trust me, if I coudl get decent money for it I would trade it. I just expected more from Toyota. Wondering if anyone else is seeing the same creaks, buzzes and rattles.
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I put 11 years on a '93 Camry LE wagon, and 9 years on a '98 Lexus GS300, have 2 years on my '05 Siena Limited, and about 8K miles on my half year old TCH.
My TCH has had the center console squeak, which was mostly eliminated by the dealer at the first oil change. All else has been near perfect. My Siena had two minor interior trim pieces replaced that were DOA (a latch and a cup holder insert) and has otherwise been without problem. My Lexus had the radio display go out in the first year, but not another non-scheduled repair for about 5 years, and about four total non-scheduled repairs over nine years (radiator overflow tank cracked, steering wheel position memory module failure, interior blower motor replaced, ONE battery replacement!!!!). My '93 Camry had a radio volume knob crack, the electric antenna fail, both front U-joints replaced, and the passenger window regulator was repaired three times between years 5 and 7.
Other cars I've owned that have been similarly wonderful maintenance wise: '73 Pinto Wagon (5 yrs), '78 Accord LX (6 yrs), and a '86 Saab 900S (11 yrs). I've also owned three cars that were maintenance nightmares to the tune of multiple non-trivial failures every year: '88 Aerostar (6 yrs - most problems in first three), '94 Volvo 850S (7 yrs), and the worst POS that I will never touch the brand again in my life, a '88 Mercedes 300 TD-T. The Volvo, Lexus, and this TCH were all first year new designs. All my vehicles get 10-12K miles/year.
In my opinion, Toyota (and Lexus!) take reliability very seriously, and have minimum misses. Toyotas are not 100% perfect, but your odds of getting a bad one are very low. My problem with MB was disgustingly bad design with respect to reliability. The long list of failures due to poor design is very long. All my other cars were designed pretty well, if not constructed perfectly.
I almost did not buy my first Toyota because I felt the interior was full of cheap plastic that would not hold up. I bit my tongue and trusted the company reputation, and found that the appearance of cheap plastic was completely wrong. The only crack or rattle that first Camry ever got from a piece of plastic was the radio volume knob. I've shied away from GM, Chrysler, and VW products because my parents had many, and all had interiors that did not hold up well at all, and all had a fair amount of unscheduled maintenance.
Six months with this TCH has been the most wonderful experience I have ever had with a car, and I expect it to be typically "Toyota" reliable for many, many years. My Volvo was by far the most fun to push to the limits, the Saab the most comfortable for very long trips, the Lexus the most luxurious, but this TCH has been an overall GREAT experience.
-- Alan