Toyota and Consumer Reports
- Thread starter 01rangerxl
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I wonder if CR is getting bad reports on older models and extrapolating that the newer models are going to be trouble too. Anyone know if CR does that?
Supposedly the worst cars on the road today in terms of reliability are still better than the best of 10 years ago.
10 years ago I had a 1995 Ford Contour. CR rated it very low. That car is still on the road approaching 200K miles. It needed a waterpump, some sensors, and some suspension work to go that distance. Everything else was usual maintenance (tires/batteries/brakes/bulbs/etc.)
Interestingly I think the opposite after owning similar vintage Toyota pickups. The 84 and 89 Toy 4x4 both rusted into dust after 10 years of New England. They also felt like you were riding around on a skateboard. Reliability is great but rusted out pickups are not worth much. My sisters current Tacoma is comfortable and appears to have a significantly better built body without exposed seams (84).
The 84 and 89 are what I would take into the third world roads however are roads are too well maintained comparatively and paved.
My dad has the 2007 Lexus errr Toyota ES350. He has a cold start clatter every morning when the car has sat overnight. Its so bad that I have dubbed it the ES350D. It seriously sounds like a diesel truck and about to throw a rod.
He has what is dubbed a "flare". When going from 3rd to 4th gear when the car is not warmed up the transmission spikes about 500-1000rpms.
When braking, and car is coming to a rolling stop, the car surges a bit and can see the rpm needle going up and down.
We wont even talk about rattles. The car has 8k miles and the dash already creaks and there is a popping sound from the windshield and there is a rattle coming from the rear deck.
The dealer has re-flashed the ECU but all the problems are still there. The rattles, he needs to bring it in to get it checked but is worried he might get the car back with other rattles.
Yeah Toyota has dropped the ball alright.....I think I am going to Honda next...
He has what is dubbed a "flare". When going from 3rd to 4th gear when the car is not warmed up the transmission spikes about 500-1000rpms.
When braking, and car is coming to a rolling stop, the car surges a bit and can see the rpm needle going up and down.
We wont even talk about rattles. The car has 8k miles and the dash already creaks and there is a popping sound from the windshield and there is a rattle coming from the rear deck.
The dealer has re-flashed the ECU but all the problems are still there. The rattles, he needs to bring it in to get it checked but is worried he might get the car back with other rattles.
Yeah Toyota has dropped the ball alright.....I think I am going to Honda next...
I drive a 1995 Toyota Avalon and there is no problem it has ever had that has kept it from being driven. I had two relatively minor (according to the figures provided by Geico) repairs this year that are the first non-standard maintaince repairs that the car had in its history and both of them were more preventative repairs than actually necessary. I preferred to eliminate the oil leak that using Mobil 1 started and I also preferred to eliminate the possibility that the power steering would have a failure when I was driving, as certain components of the power steering were starting to fail (e.g. a steering column gear was damaged, the power steering pump was leaking and a power steering fluid hose was leaking).
It did not technically need either of them, but I like to take preventative measures (i.e. fixing power steering components before I get into a collision, eliminating leaks before my engine runs low on oil) rather than corrective measures (i.e. dealing with the insurance company following a collision that was the result of negligence, dealing with the insurance company to replace an engine that was damaged as the result of negligence).
I think that a Mercedes-Benz designed before the 1980s would be just as reliable if not more reliable than my car, with the same going for durability. The same goes for a Chrysler designed before the 1960s. After all, Chrysler and Daimler-Benz's subsidary Mercedes-Benz were the engineering companies of their respective periods. I think that if car manufacturers expect us to believe that their current vehicles are more reliable than what was made in the past, I have a bridge I can sell them. Perhaps their new stuff is more reliable than the garbage they tried to sell us in the past (e.g. my uncle's Chevrolet Blazer), but it is certainly not more reliable than vehicles by the manufacturers in the periods I mentioned.
By the way, regarding Toyota's new stuff, my mother purchased a brand new 2008 Toyota Avalon and the only complaint I can find is the fact that it suffers from obsessive vent opening disorder. Every time the car is turned on, it fails to remember that the vents were closed the last time it was operated. Having allergies, this is not something I like, although the cabin air filter really lowers the level of allergants that enter the cabin as opposed to my Toyota Avalon. Based off my experience so far as a passenger in my mother's Avalon, I really think that the problems are far more limited in scope than Ford, GMC and Chrysler fans would like it to be (i.e. restricted to the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Camry V6).
Go Honda!!!
Expecting all vehicles of one company to have similar reliability (which is different than durability) is, well, let's just all agree that it's moronic. Santa's elves don't make vehicles, people do, working for companies who are usually trying to gain market share while improving profits. If you consider what most people want in a vehicle these days, flashy, different, with lots of electronic doo dads, eleventeen speed automatics, etc.; it shouldn't be a surprise if every make has some serious, chronic problems at some time. It makes sense to see how a model fares, and then pick per your favorite survey; if you're only interested in short term problems then pick a trendy rattle survey, otherwise pick per a multi-year reliability survey. Don't trust estimated reliability or average reliability as everyone will get it wrong at some point, no matter the make. Otherwise accept the fact that you're making a $20k to $40k bet with a steep downside.
How many popular reliability surveys estimated that Honda would have serious auto tranny issues on several models extending over several years ? How long did it take for them to report on it ?
How many popular reliability surveys estimated that Honda would have serious auto tranny issues on several models extending over several years ? How long did it take for them to report on it ?
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