You really have to compare to new models - because the big declines seemingly started somewhat recently. The Rav4 is still the same car I bought in 2019. Camry and Corolla are the same also I believe?
An interesting thing my buddy told me. New Camry has a prop rod after decades of hydraulic struts. I posted here and nobody cares about such things. Many said they prefer a rod. YouTube seems to agree with me, a sign of cheapnessYou really have to compare to new models - because the big declines seemingly started somewhat recently. The Rav4 is still the same car I bought in 2019. Camry and Corolla are the same also I believe?
2 models designed post pandemic are I think only Taco and Tundra - no?
Pricing on the older models has risen in line with their peers (still crazy). Whenever something new comes out it seems like they add 20% on the top for the new benefits? They been taking lessons from the BEA inflation Hedonics
It seems pretty small for aluminum that gets hammered. We have even seen titanium - used in good faith - fail and be replaced with carbon steel. It’s not even an opportunity to save weight like an engine block - or the whole body etc …
I haven't bought many Toyota parts because mine is pretty new - but I have noticed that parts prices are a bit nuts. The Fanboi's say there normal, but compared to Nissan there not. Funny thing is Nissan uses a lot of the same suppliers.An interesting thing my buddy told me. New Camry has a prop rod after decades of hydraulic struts. I posted here and nobody cares about such things. Many said they prefer a rod. YouTube seems to agree with me, a sign of cheapness
Also, nobody seemed to agree with me on another forum that $600+ for a Corolla power window switch is nonsense. And it’s used even in Lexus.
I finally thought of a way to elaborate. If there were a contest where a person had to repeatedly put windows up and down to various exact positions, man alive would a Toyota owner want to jump out a 58th story window. Tactile feel is one thing it lacks, but the ability to precisely control the windows is another.
This is what I mean—this generation. List price $200 tops on a BMW.
Without reliability, it makes sense to get a less expensive vehicle and skip the expensive to maintain Toyota. The prices of parts are a comedy skit.
It’s alarming if one compares OE to OE list prices, Toyota to BMW.
Ironic perhaps, but that’s my point. I’ve had no issues. But Toyota gets a pass while anything domestic is a pile of junk.
I encountered a VERY interesting failure on a first gen Taco. No rust. BOTH framerails cracked THROUGH on the bottom horizontal and the outside vertical. This allowed the upper horizontal of the "C" to fold and the bed folded up to meet the cab.
Euro cars have far better rust protection. The US market did get VW's that had similar rust protection as Toyota, and well, they had same issues.
Yet still another reason to have a strong preference for manual crank windows.
Price on a side. The problem is that some parts, especially suspension and brakes, are nowhere near in quality.
That's how it goes. If GM or Ford eliminated the strut in favor of a prop rod, the forum would be all over them for their cheapness. But when Toyota does it, its awesome! Suddenly we all prefer prop rods.An interesting thing my buddy told me. New Camry has a prop rod after decades of hydraulic struts. I posted here and nobody cares about such things. Many said they prefer a rod. YouTube seems to agree with me, a sign of cheapness
Interesting case. My son is a welder and in one of his previous jobs worked for a big welding and fabricating company. One of the things they did a lot was weld frames on all kinds of farm equipment and trucks suffering from cracks and rot. He said they would get just as many Ford's, Chevy's, GMC's and Dodge's with rusted out frames as Toyota frames. He hated working on them because he said it was messy work. One of the things he said they saw frequently was cracked frames on Dodge pickups. He said it was usually in the same spot but I can't remember where he said on the frame it was. Just goes to show when you live in a state that uses a lot of salt, no brand is immune to frame rot.
The numbers and work load would tend to hit the big 3.
