CCN is a great example of how things get distorted on the internet and people behave irrationally as a result. A couple of thoughts:
He is a very knowledgeable mechanic but he is not an engineer. Early in my career I had the opportunity to work alongside power train engineers at a very large auto company, but to be clear I was not there in an engineering capacity but rather as an attorney- I don’t want to overstate my experience. But I did come to appreciate the level of expertise it takes to become a powertrain engineer at a large auto company. Mechanics also have an impressive skill set and the good ones are very intelligent, but he is not really qualified to diagnose the cause, and his sample size is too small. So now he will have everyone changing coolant every 15 minutes because if you don’t you may not get 600k miles from your truck.
Second, how long do people expect a vehicle to last? I keep our cars for a very long time, but to make them reliable at a certain age - and I define that as being able to be taken and driven pretty much anywhere without packing tools, spares, rosary beads and food and water - it takes a lot of your time and money, or more of your money if you are paying a shop. People here obviously talk a lot about engines given the forum, but on a 200k mile car, everything needs to be checked and validated. So if the motor is shot at 200k for whatever reason, what kind of shape is the rest of the vehicle in, even one that is cared for?
Finally, why do people insist on buying a car like Toyota based on perceived reliability and durability but then question all of the service recommendations? I know that a little additional preventive maintenance is common and I do it myself, but to pronounce yourself a Toyota fan as well as a master tech and make videos generating lots of revenue claiming Toyota has a “big problem” here or there based on an n=1 (or some small number) sample is kind of idiotic and intellectually dishonest. Toyota is pretty conservative - their most reliable cars aren’t the most reliable because they hire geniuses and the other majors hire morons, it is because the designs are proven and have been in production long enough to get the bugs out. So in my mind the service recommendations are based on all of that experience. This guy gets clicks claiming this or that major problem based on inadequate service intervals, but if you watch he never gets to the point - his videos are way too long and rambling. That makes me question his agenda.
Backto the experience with the large car company - I learned pretty much every component on a vehicle, even a door handle, has an expected lifespan. So let’s say Toyota is conspiring to screw the customers with an inadequate coolant replacement interval that means the motors will be damaged by 200k. That means that the other components on the car, and certainly the major ones, have only been designed to last that long as well, so you are wasting your time because even if you could save the motor, there are about 3,000 other things they can and will wear out. This reality is consistent with the experience we have all had where cars start to go from “the one repair to the other” phase of life.
If I draw anything from this video, next time I am in the auto store I will buy some test strips. And if the motor on my Toyota develops problems at 200k, I will disclose the problem and sell it to someone who wants to roll their sleeves up with a 200k mile vehicle and I will move on. Dumping thousands of dollars into any vehicle with 200k miles is generally a fool’s errand.
Have a good weekend everyone. I am going to rebuild a carb on a 30 year old Briggs powered riding mower. I can’t stand small carburetors with all those little springs I have trouble seeing now so there will likely be some profanity involved.
