Toyotaness

[2o6]

It's interesting how everyone loves to hate on Toyota, but honestly they are the best in the business for a reason.


One fact I can personally attest to is the ease of service and maintenance.


Alternator on the Yaris went out last week. I would like to consider myself decently mechanically inclined, and given the past experiences I have had with other mechanics, I decided to give it a go myself.


- Alternator is held on with two bolts.

- Belt falls away (manual tension, via the alternator itself) and the serpentine belt is done in such a manner that when a new belt is installed, there should be no tugging to get the new one back onto the pulleys.

- Water pump and AC compressor also run on this belt (PS is electric), they are also a pretty easy job

- Alternator ground/connector is facing outward, comes apart with a 10MM socket.

- most of the bolts on the car are 10MM

It only took an hour; most of it due to my incompetence (put the belt on wrong). Now, I could do it in as little as 20 minutes.

Compare this to my old Neon, when I had to take the alternator off

- Manual tensioner, but held on via the PS pump.

- Alternator is very inaccessible - I needed to take a wheel off and reach it from the bottom.

- Most of the assembly time was forcing that stupid belt back on.


I never did anything mechanical on the Focus; it was just too hard and too frustrating. I sent it out (with horrible results...).



Coupled with the fact that the 1.5L engine and transmission is used in pretty much ALL of Toyota's small-car lineup, it's easy to see how they can make so much money and have such loyal customers. It's interesting to see how Toyota gets it so right, and everyone else gets it so wrong.



I'm a believer. I wouldn't be surprised if I got another Toyota after my Yaris.

[2o6]

The cars themselves may be bland as toast, but they're really, really, really reliable.

[CJ]

Our Camry was absolutely the best vehicle we've ever owned. 

[Raza]

The cars themselves may be bland as toast, but they're really, really, really reliable.

From the sound of it, your car has been nothing but trouble since you got it.

[2o6]

From the sound of it, your car has been nothing but trouble since you got it.

Read the issues I had. Most of them are wear related or are issue that are known with the car. Not uncommon with any car, and the car has always run like a champ.



Gas tank - previous owner related.

Cooling fan - blown fuse

airbag light - bad clockspring; Toyota should do something about this, but it too is a very simple fix

alternator - these things break. 80K for the stock unit is par for the course



That's about it.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

My 94 Rolla is maintanece friendly also. Thats a rarity now a days.......

[Rupert]

The cars themselves may be bland as toast, but they're really, really, really reliable.

Says the guy who just replaced his alternator at only 80 kmiles.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Replaced mine at over 200k. I guess the 90's Toyotas really were the best. 

[CJ]

Our Camry was still original everything, except battery. 

[2o6]

Says the guy who just replaced his alternator at only 80 kmiles.

That's about right. Neon's went at 100k.

[GoCougs]

80,000 miles of life for an alternator is NOT par for the course or anywhere near it.

[TurboDan]

The cars themselves may be bland as toast, but they're really, really, really reliable.

How does a thread about replacing the alternator on a young car turn into a thread crowing about said car's "reliability?"

These preconceived notions about reliability is why I don't trust anything but my own experience as a judge. Your Yaris has been falling apart since the day you bought it, but we're supposed to believe it's reliable. My VW Passat was still running fine when I traded it in with 155,000 miles, having had minimal repairs in its life, and VW is somehow "unreliable."

[GoCougs]

Toyota literally changed the entire world of manufacturing (there are entire companies that consult on Toyota manufacturing consulting; there are even whole college degrees on the subject). A lot of those changes revolved around vastly better ways of putting parts together (which included designing those parts to that end). Sometimes that results in those parts being easier/better to take apart.

Here however, IMO you're more or less lucky that the alternator was an easy swap; it was a means not an end. Automakers don't purposefully design cars to be repair friendly, even Toyota. Toyota changed the automotive industry by taking the opposite tack - instead of purposefully making cars easier to repair (which adds waste and cost) simply design cars so they need less repair.

[Rich]

I can see how it'd be nice to own a Toyota; it operates as competent transportation. 

[AutobahnSHO]

80,000 miles of life for an alternator is NOT par for the course or anywhere near it.

that was the maximum life on Gen1 Taurus fuel pumps and alternators.

I was just amused talking with the wife that we have all Japanese now. And in the 3 years we've had the Yota van it's needed 1/6 the work our Dodge needed for the same time period and miles driven. Bought both vans with about 120k miles on them.

[sportyaccordy]

80,000 miles of life for an alternator is NOT par for the course or anywhere near it.

How does a thread about replacing the alternator on a young car turn into a thread crowing about said car's "reliability?"

These preconceived notions about reliability is why I don't trust anything but my own experience as a judge. Your Yaris has been falling apart since the day you bought it, but we're supposed to believe it's reliable. My VW Passat was still running fine when I traded it in with 155,000 miles, having had minimal repairs in its life, and VW is somehow "unreliable."

Both of you are making the mistakes of using 1 data point as indicative of a million data point pool. Toyotas are generally pretty reliable. VWs are (well, were) generally unreliable. One example of each is hardly enough to validate/invalidate millions of prior examples.

As for Toyotas, say what you want, but the cars do their jobs for the people who own them. I would def do an old Corolla for a commuter. When you throw mods at it its all the same shit anyway.

[Rupert]

That's about right. Neon's went at 100k.

No, it really isn't about right.

I don't know how you manage to buy shitty cars all the time, but it sure is funny watching you justify your ownership when they (frequently) break.

[Rupert]

Both of you are making the mistakes of using 1 data point as indicative of a million data point pool. Toyotas are generally pretty reliable. VWs are (well, were) generally unreliable. One example of each is hardly enough to validate/invalidate millions of prior examples.

As for Toyotas, say what you want, but the cars do their jobs for the people who own them. I would def do an old Corolla for a commuter. When you throw mods at it its all the same shit anyway.

Cougs hasn't said anything about brand reliability, and Dan's main point was that, with this particular car (i.e. 2o6's Yaris), the evidence does not support the statement that it's, "really really really reliable".

[GoCougs]

Yeah, what I stated was fact - Toyota changed the world of manufacturing and pretty much most anything manufactured today has benefited for the better.

[Rupert]

Then again, what don't you state as "fact"?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Toyota has a good manufacturing process. They are good a building shit, but they don't build good shit.

[2o6]

80,000 miles of life for an alternator is NOT par for the course or anywhere near it.

Suppliers for early MY cars made crappy parts. This got better with later models.





The thing still charges ok, but the voltage regulator failed.

Cougs hasn't said anything about brand reliability, and Dan's main point was that, with this particular car (i.e. 2o6's Yaris), the evidence does not support the statement that it's, "really really really reliable".

Read what failed. What failed on my car isn't hard to fix, is generally common (maybe not the fuel tank, but you have to consider how it failed) and stuff that IMO is quite minimal. It's not like the motor has thrown a rod through the block.


The focus had far more trouble areas, both related to age and design.

[2o6]

No, it really isn't about right.

I don't know how you manage to buy shitty cars all the time, but it sure is funny watching you justify your ownership when they (frequently) break.

What am I supposed to do, break down and cry and say "you guys were right"?


You freaking kill me.

[Rupert]

You could not spend three days of posts freaking out then deciding which shitty mechanic to take it to then bitching about the job they do then saying how wonderful the car is, even after all that.

[Rupert]

Suppliers for early MY cars made crappy parts. This got better with later models.





The thing still charges ok, but the voltage regulator failed.



Read what failed. What failed on my car isn't hard to fix, is generally common (maybe not the fuel tank, but you have to consider how it failed) and stuff that IMO is quite minimal. It's not like the motor has thrown a rod through the block.


The focus had far more trouble areas, both related to age and design.

Right, but stuff still failed.

[Onslaught]

1. I don't hate Toyota. I'm not sure I agree they're the best in the business but that's another debate.

2. It's not uncommon for alternators to be held on with just two bolts.

3. It's not that uncommon for Japanese belts to be easy to put on. It's not just a Toyota thing.

4. Most bolts are 10mm on Japanese cars. I can take a Mazda, Toyota and Honda apart with a 8, 10, 12 and 14 mm socket. Hey US domestics, please learn from this.

5. And hour to change a belt? I took a 13B engine block apart in about an hour. If it wasn't for the flywheel and vacuum hoses I'd had the whole damn thing done in 2 but it took longer because the parts are 20 years old.


Other then Honda I think the Japanese make the overall easiest cars to work on. Sure you can find a few things they do that's half ass backwards. But most of the time it's easy compared to German or US cars. This isn't just a Toyota thing.

[Onslaught]

Oh, my Miata's A/C compressor, alternator and PS pump all have over 200K on them. I don't see the big deal.

[TurboDan]

4. Most bolts are 10mm on Japanese cars. I can take a Mazda, Toyota and Honda apart with a 8, 10, 12 and 14 mm socket. Hey US domestics, please learn from this.

Everything I've fooled around with on the LR2 (really just exploring) is bolted on with a 10mm.

My American-made outboard boat engine, which actually needs to be unscrewed every so often as it's a carbed 2 stroke. Holy shit. Figuring out the right socket is half the time it takes to do anything.

[TurboDan]

Toyota has a good manufacturing process. They are good a building shit, but they don't build good shit.

They have some good shit in the lineup. HiLux is a pretty cool truck. Land Cruiser is a beast and always has been. 4Runner has always been a great midsize SUV. There's something cool about the FJ, even though it's not for me. In the past few years, SC430 and MR-2 Spyder were both awesome IMO. Their cars are generally vanilla, but when they put their mind to building something cool, they can.

If they updated the MR-2 Spyder and re-released it I'd scoop one up when the LR2 is paid off.

[Onslaught]

Everything I've fooled around with on the LR2 (really just exploring) is bolted on with a 10mm.

My American-made outboard boat engine, which actually needs to be unscrewed every so often as it's a carbed 2 stroke. Holy shit. Figuring out the right socket is half the time it takes to do anything.

Yea, the Euro stuff isn't that bad but I'm not a fan of the torx head bolts that the Germans love so much.

The Domestics have got much better then in the past but still need to make up their minds on if they want to use metric or standard. I've got to take half my tool box over just to take a door off a Chrysler. It's nuts.