Toyota Motor Company is an effin racket!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Sorry, just have to rant a bit here. My 2004 Corolla, 56,000 miles, which I got suckered into taking after my wife got a new car, has to be possessed. I've never had one car make so many odd, unexplained noises before, or have so many random lights come on and then off for no reason whatsoever. Whenever I stop, the thing sounds like a rusty door hinge. There's some rattling sound that eminates from somewhere within the car, but I've got no idea how to pinpoint it. And this weekend, it started making this unexplainable high-pitched squeel, not when I step on the brakes, but rather when I'm not on the brakes.

So I take it in to the Toyota dealership today, and first the guy tells me it's one of the belts, but after he looks at it, he says its not the belt. Instead, he tells me that it's because I had the brakes replaced, but because I got the aftermarket brakes instead of the official Toyota (c) model brakes, the brake parts don't "fit" right and thus that is the source of all my noises. And surprise, surprise, the official Toyota (c) model brakes literally cost twice as much as the regular brakes you get at the brake shop. So basically, I was told if I want the stupid car to shut the hell up, I have to line Toyota's own pockets for their "special" brakes that cost double what I would be paying otherwise.

What's worse is that this is not my first time I've tried taking this damn car to the Toyota dealership. Multiple times I took it while it was under warranty to address the "rusty door hinge" sound it would always make whenever I parked it. And everytime, the people swore there was nothing wrong. Not only that, they actually acted insulted that I brought the car in for service, telling me "These are the best cars out there" and "We never get any of these types of complaints about Corollas". Now, I know there are a lot of Toyota fans out there who swear by these cars, but please don't insult my intelligence. Toyota is no different from any other car manufacturer in that it is just as capable of making a piece of crap as anyone else.

I swear, this is it. I am never buying another Toyota product again! :banghead: :mad: :grr:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Sounds as though you have a lemon...

And have you tried another Toyota dealer, or are these folks it?

I've been driving Toyotas since 1980, and will never drive anything else...

Now I have a Camry hybrid, which I just love!

I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with these folks...

They do sound crooked to me...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Nope, I've tried three different Toyota dealerships....

All of them gave me a look of "how dare you" when I brought up the problem. And when it was under warranty, none of them ever wanted to honor the warranty when I demanded they fix it.

I was driving a perfectly good 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer before all of this. But because the Corolla was almost all paid off, the wife convinced me to trade in the Lancer for the new car instead of the Corolla. :shrug:

[Perseid]

3. over the years

I've had two celica's, one Corolla, and now a Yaris.

I love toyota

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Want a 2004 Corolla?

Only 56,000 miles, only one owner, "sport" edition. Will entertain all serious offers so I can get myself a real car.

[LynneSin]

20. How does the Yari handle?

I would love to get a Prius but not in my price range. I want a smaller car because I have to street park and want something a bit smaller to squeeze into tight places. To be honest, I never really drive much and work will soon be about 2 miles away (and I'm switching to bus)

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Well, there's a good chance the...

rusty door hinge is a torn boot over a ball joint so the greae all ran out. Could be easy to fix, except some Toyotas require the whole assembly to be replaced, not just the boot. Or maybe the ball joit is shot by now.

Squeals are almost always belts, and are always belts if the thing aqueals when it's not moving. It's possible whoever did the brakes screwed it up, but I've done the brakes on my three Corrollas with aftermarket parts and no problems. Without knowing more, I'd say the dealer is screwing you, but note that Toyota parts are ridiculously expensive. A radiator cost twice what a radiator for my Chevy van cost, and other stuff was worse.

Three Corrollas that I got because they were dirt cheap or free-- I doubt I'd ever actually pay real money for one. Wait till you have to replace the starter that's hidden under the exhaust manifold. Ot the harmonic balancer. I think they finally went back to timing chains on yours, but the water pump is still a bitch to find.

All in all, the big repair money doesn't happen until well over 100,000 miles, so most people never see it. You actually have a pretty good deal-- it's paid for and you probably won't have to sink too much more into it for years.

Just find a decent mechanic-- your dealers suck.

(Or, maybe you're a sucky customer-- can't tell from here)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. Let's hope so...

It's paid for and it gets good gas mileage, which is the only reason I'm keeping it. It hasn't had any major engine problems yet--knock on wood--but knowing it so far, I'm not holding my breath on that one. I will say I'm not going to bother driving it past 100,000 like I have with some of my other cars--I've got zero emotional attachment to this bucket of bolts.

It's not the worst car I've ever had, but it is by far my least favorite.

[XemaSab]

33. Oh, and the starter is... haphazard.

I haven't had to replace it YET. :scared:

I just spent close to 400 bucks replacing the hose for the steering fluid. :(

Also, the car goes through tires a lot, even though the shocks and struts have been replaced. A lot, like 2 new tires a year minimum. :(

[lildreamer316]

44. Sounds like the balance/alignment is off...

do you take it to the same place every time to get tires? If so, take it somewhere different next time.
It is also possible (I have this problem with my Del Sol) that the frame is tweaked. That sounds worse than it is.
Of course, I could be completely off base.

[Initech]

6. I drove my bro's Corolla. Blech.

Thing handles like a shopping cart with a motor attached to it. Not a car I would purchase at all.

[CRF450]

7. Most econo cars handle like crap anyways, the new Corolla's drive nicely though

But because their fwd, I wouldn't own one. Any car that drives and handles like crap, I will not own! I dont care how good the fuel milage is. I want a nice rwd sporty coupe with good power and decent fuel milage, and a good pick up truck, well thats pretty much what I got now. An 01 Trans Am, very fast and fun car, looks awsome with the ram-air hood, averages around 22-23mpg, and has gotten 31mpg on the interstate. And the my truck is an 04 Dodge Dakota 4x4 4 door, it averages 16mpg and probably 20+mpg on the highway cause thats what my brother's got. I dont drive it that much except durring my summer job, but I like the size of it. Not too big like a full size, and not too small like a compact. Decent power/acceleration, can tow 6500 pounds when I need to, rides nice, and way smoother than the T/A, back seats have plenty of leg room for adults, easy to park cause its one of the sharpest turning trucks I know of! I wish it had a sunroof but other than that I love it!

I would like another car though so I can keep the miles off the T/A. I'm really liking the G35 coupes! That would make a nice daily driver.

[Initech]

37. I have an Altima, it's a great car!

'07 model with all the cool shit on it. It drives nicely and handles great. I would highly recommend it!

And yeah, I agree that most econo cars handle like crap. Last time I rented one, I got a Chevy Colorado (nice little truck) and the time before that it was a Kia Rio, and that thing was a piece of shit. Worst car ever.

[CRF450]

40. mmmm, Colorado's are ok. They should have a v6 instead of an inline 5

The Xtreme models are pretty sweet though! Love the how the 18" rims look.

GM did have a concept of a Colorado SS which had an LS2 v8, the same 400hp engine the Vettes used. And then they dropped it, which is a shame cause that truck would have sold like hot cakes.

[JCMach1]

8. Renting a 2007 Corolla at the moment while my Hyundai is in the shop

All I can say is YUCK!

[Tyler Durden]

9. ALL cars suck. No difference except perception.

My history:

Subaru Legacy wagon: Blew one head gasket, then another, 2000 miles after the warranty expired. Bupkiss.

Datsun (Nissan) 310: CV joint disintegrated and driveshaft smashed a hole in the block 5000 miles out of warranty. Ditto.

Datsun (Nissan) 210: AC compressor cratered, overheat caused major computer failure 3000 miles out of warranty. Same here.

Toyota Sienna: Sensors gone nuts, numerous alarms for no reason, plug change requires MOVING THE ENGINE. 5000 miles out of warranty.


I bought my 1997 Saturn SL1 for $800: uses a little oil, $100 for exhaust repairs, plugs, wires, COMPLETE PARTS FOR A FRONT END BRAKE JOB (rotors, pats, etc.) less than $50 and 20 minutes to do MYSELF. 40 mpg.

If you think you got a better vehicle from Toyota, you're kidding yourself. I used to work for the auto supply industry, and we sent the same SHIT to Honda, Toyota and Nissan that we sent to GM and Ford. The engines are now all built in Mexico, and they put them together in Georgia, 25 miles from the Saturn plant. Give ME a reason to buy a Japanese car.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

15. I'm tending to agree with you...

Every once in a while you'll get a great, great car, and every once in a while you'll get a nightmare of a lemon. And all the others are going to have their problems, regardless of brand. No brand is immune from problems.

My frustration with Toyota is not that my car is having problems, because I've had far worse problems with some cars in the past. My frustration with Toyota is they act like their sh*t don't stink and actually get offended when you say your car is having a problem. None of the other brands of cars I've driven (Dodge, Mazda, Mitsubishi) have ever given me that type of condescending attitude like that--they simply fix the problem and that's it. Plus the fact they want to shove Toyota parts down your throat to solve the problem and charge you twice as much for it. Which is why I likely won't be buying another Toyota the next go-around.

[Tyler Durden]

16. I had a Mustang II hatchback...

4 speed, 4 cylinder. Drove it HARD for over 110000 miles, then traded it in for that shitbox Datsun 310 that committed seppuku. The 'Stang never gave me ONE MINUTE of trouble. The 310 froze its gas line the third day I had it.

[Tikki]

48. I had a "89" Camaro.....

With the small 6 cyl and a stick....finally said goodbye to her (Missy) after 250k miles.
She was just set up correctly..all systems worked together perfectly.
She was my commuter car..100 miles round trip 5 days a week while I attended University. She never took me to the
side of the road.

Sometimes, now, when I drive up the Coast I get to a certain place and see where I used to park her
to catch the University shuttle...and I tear up a bit.


Tikki

[CRF450]

49. All the better reason find another one!

Get a 4th gen firebird or camaro with the 3.8L v6. VERY reliable and bullet proof motors, there way more powerful and get better fuel milage than 2.8 v6 like yours had. You can find those cars pretty cheap now.

[LiberalEsto]

11. Toyota has gone downhill

Our 1989 Corolla was a gem, rarely needed repairs, and looked good right up until we gave it to a relative, whose girlfriend totaled it 2 years ago. It only had two tiny rust spots after 14 years.

The 1992 Corolla is still running but starting to show signs of age. The body looks okay.

My daughter's 1997 Corolla also looked nice and ran well, but had an unfortunate encounter with a deer earlier this year.

The 2001 Camry is a downright lemon. We bought it "Toyota Certified" which is a total scam. It's gone through 2 transmissions and a new engine after the original one mysteriously developed a hole. It had no signs of the usual sludge problem, so Toyota refused to pay for the new engine. The body is covered in scratches and dings, unlike our older Toyotas. I can't count the number of repairs it has needed.

The 2005 Matrix has a cheap plastic rear interior that cracked badly when a piece of firewood bumped it. The exterior paint scratches far too easily. The engine hesitates on acceleration, but the dealer says there's nothing wrong with it. It's definitely a disappointment compared to our older Toyotas.

As a result of our problems with the 2001 and 2005 Toyotas, we got our daughter a used 2000 Honda Civic to replace the Corolla that got wiped out by the deer.

Toyota has traded on its past reputation and gotten smug. Their quality has gone far downhill, and I wouldn't waste my money buying another one.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. My wife had a 1996 Corolla

Which was actually a pretty decent car. Very peppy and not at all sluggish. Then she decided to replace it with this monstrosity, which besides all the other problems I've described, feels as though you're driving an 18 wheeler up hill.

[kwassa]

12. There are also repair shops that specialize in Japanese cars

at least in my area.

You might try one of these. I've heard very mixed things about Toyota dealers and repairs.

[AllegroRondo]

13. I have a 2004 Corolla

not a single problem with it, and nearly 90,000 miles. And I still get close to 40 MPG.

[Tyler Durden]

17. 40 mpg on a 1997 Saturn SL1 at 145000.

SL series Saturns ROCK.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. Parents and sister both drive a Saturn S series

My parents own a 2000 S Series, and my sister drives a 1994 S series that used to belong to my grandfather before he passed. Both seem to be happy with them. And they get boffo, hybrid quality mileage from what I've heard.

[flying rabbit]

25. 1992 Saturn SL1 150000 miles

had it for 9 years - new clutch, alternator, water pump- I,m thinking I can make 250K with it.

[driver8]

30. My wife had a 1993 Saturn SL1 that was an awesome car.

It had 110,000 miles on it and I was going to use it as my "back and forth" to work car. We had it all tuned up and it ran like a dream.

We parked it on the street and some asshole ran into it (hit and run) and totalled it.

I thought my wife was going to cry...I thought I was going to cry!!

I miss that car.

[LeftyMom]

26. I only get about 30 with my '97 SW1, but 1. it's an auto 2. I am a terribly aggressive driver

[SacredCow]

36. I got rid of my '95 SL2 about 3 years ago...

The engine was still going strong, but the AC died and some electrical problems (windows, instrument lights, etc...) were starting to crop up, so I decided to dump it for a new Ion.

Saturns are OK, but the quality level of the interior leaves a lot to be desired. Nothing major- just the fit and finish seems a little sub-par.

[LynneSin]

19. Sorry to disappoint you but most Car companies work that way

If you want the 'official' brand name replacement parts you're gonna pay for.


And I've had aftermarket brakes - perhaps they were just crappy brakes put on the car. Did you consider going back to the people who did that?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

22. I did, but....

I took it back to the brake place and had it looked at multiple times.But after yesterday's conversation at the dealership, the blame rests on Toyota--it's as though Toyota designs their cars only to work with Toyota brand parts. None of my other cars have ever had a problem with aftermarket brakes or parts.

[LynneSin]

23. Well, from what I've read in this thread - it seems this is an isolated incident

I've had Pontiac, Dodge and now Toyota - every single one of those companies charges more to get their own brand parts and every single company will tell you that their parts are the best fit for their product. Heck, I use to sell cars for 2 years back in the late 80s and it was the same thing with Subaru too and we were taught to always promote the brand name since it was more business for us.

Toyota never claimed to build a perfect car but they do have some of the most reliable cars out there and I've had little complaint about mine except the trim that is peeling on the inside.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

24. To each his/her own, I guess....

My experience with Toyota dealerships has not been very pleasent, to say the least, less pleasant than other car dealerships. It has soured me on the Toyota brand, I'm afraid.

[XemaSab]

34. Is the trim peeling or FALLING OFF?

:shrug:

[DainBramaged]

21. You want to see lemons, GM is the lemon stand

My friend in town bought a 2006 SS Supercharged Cobalt from us last year. It has been in over 25 times. GM offered him an extended two year 100% warranty. He is going to get it replaced under the NJ lemon laws. No kidding, the car has had so many problems and has spent so much time in our shop that he bought a 8 year old trade in for cheap that hasn't been in yet as his driver.

Sometime you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.

[driver8]

29. I wouldn't drive a GM car if you gave it to me.

However, my brother in law has an Envoy with 90,000 miles on it that has never given him any trouble. I would drive that.

[DainBramaged]

41. I will never drive a Asian made car, we're even

:hi:

[driver8]

42. Sorry...I just noticed your avatar.

I hope I didn't offend you with my comment...that wasn't my intention. :hi:

[DainBramaged]

43. It's real ok, I understand how pissed off people are at us

My only concern is that the UAW remains strong and in control of it's own destiny. Bad, bad management at GM corporate has put the corporation on the brink. But hundreds of thousands of Americans' jobs are threatened if GM or Ford or Chrysler go belly up.

This ain't your father's Aspen driven, Lee Iacocca, bail out cheap as single digit billions bail out, it could affect everyone in America.

Oh, PS, Toyota has enjoyed the lawsuit to stop the increase in the CAFE average. Rich little socially conscious low mileage vehicle producing Toyota.


They are all whores in the end.


Be well.:toast:

[Metta]

27. We had the same trouble with Subaru.

Dealer protection and the run around instead of customer service. Real stone walling. No heart.

[trogdor]

28. My Scion xA runs aftermarket brake pads just fine.

Stops on a dime and gives change.

[XemaSab]

31. Word.

My Corolla has been great mechanically, but all the trim on the inside is falling off.

All the little doors, all the little panels, all the stripping around the windows, the sun visors, the panels between the door and the windshield... just fallen to shit. :(

[driver8]

32. I have been driving Toyotas for 12 years and have never had a single problem.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble.

Do you live in the Los Angeles area? I've got the best mechanic in the world -- he specializes in Toyotas!!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

46. Nope, South Florida

But it's always good to have a mechanic you know you trust. I had a couple of great ones at one of the local Tires Plus franchise here, but they all got transferred away, and ever since the place hasn't been the same since.

[Beaverhausen]

47. Is it Gary at Bethlehem Motors?

:hi:

[SacredCow]

35. I've had a few Toyotas....

While I had good luck with them, you are absolutely correct in stating that they run a mega-racket with their parts and accessories, and that their past rankings with Consumer Reports has over-inflated their opinion of themselves. Honda is in the same category, but I've never owned a Honda so I can't say what their parts and service experience is like. My dad was a complete and utter Toyota fanatic- wouldn't consider buying anything else until his last car purchase when what they were offering for 17K was basically a stripped down truck, and the sticker price WAS the price. Across the street at the Mazda dealership, he got a nicely-equipped truck for more than 5K less without any haggling whatsoever.

To an extent, I think they're all this way. My current car is a Saturn Ion, and so far the maintenance costs have been reasonable and when I tell them something is wrong, they seem to listen and take care of the problem. My previous VW was much of the same, except that every maintenance trip that wasn't covered by warranty required the financial reserves of a small country.

[zabet]

38. I have had 1 in my life.

1978 Corolla that I paid $150 for. It had
a blown head gasket and the owner thought it
had a cracked head. Replaced gasket, adjusted
the valves (all work by me) and drove the car
for 2 years. I sold it for $600 when I got rid
of it. I like Hondas better.
The longest I have had any single vehicle last is
a 1990 Chevy truck that we bought used in 96. It
had 105,000 miles on it when we got it. It now has
317,000 miles on the original motor. Other than tires,
brakes and a belt here and a hose there, tune up once
in a while, the truck has been very cheap to keep up.
It is used on the farm every single day and I would not
be scared to drive it cross-country.

[Beaverhausen]

39. My advice- don't take your car to the dealer to get fixed

Dealers are notorious for overcharging for repairs and for doing what you describe in the OP.

Ask around and try to find a good mechanic in your area.

I have a great one who I think goddess for every day.

[lildreamer316]

45. AAAAA-MEN!! (& I still think the OP has a loose belt!)

Took me FOREVER and a DAY to find the right mechanic. AND, he doesn't talk down to me (a blonde woman)! I Luuuuuuuuuuurve him.

AVOID THE DEALERSHIP like the plauge!!!!

..and just for good measure, I have never heard of brakes that squealed when you did NOT apply them. Something smells like bullshit, but I am not a mechanic. My money's on a belt.