23rd Jul 2012, 18:24

That's would be your problem. Personally I'd take a Jeep (any Jeep) over a Toyota when in comes to 4x4s all day, every day.

25th Feb 2013, 05:37

Wow, a Jeep over a Toyota!

In Australia, Jeeps are level with Land Rovers in the rubbish factor.. If I was driving across the continent, I wouldn't be seen in anything but a Landcruiser.

7th Jul 2013, 21:58

Toyota had a recall, for the head gaskets. I believe it covered 1989-1995. They replaced the head gaskets with another material. Many people that bought used, were able to waltz in and it was covered. Look around at all those years, they're still going strong.

GMC had a class action Dexcool lawsuit, it covered a staggering 30-35 million cars and trucks.

1. You had to know about the lawsuit, and millions didn't.

2. If you made a claim and won, the maximum payout was $800 bucks! That doesn't buy a new motor where I come from.

3. Look on the web to this day for "Dexcool class action" and you can find archived tales of people that say they jumped thru all the hoops, and were never acknowledged or repaid in any way.

My brother's Chevy Silverado started having problems, and the truck went boom. We looked inside, and it wasn't pretty. He always used Dexcool. He never received a penny. The truck was scrapped, as the dealer wanted 6000 for a new motor.

8th Jul 2013, 09:55

I change my Dexcool max every 2 1/2 to 3 years, and had zero issues. I have a # of GM models, including late model Corvettes. My Silverado models - I have had no issues as well.

I never topped off with anything other than Dexcool, and that included Universal Yellow. And never Green! My caps say Dexcool only. Keep fluids in there 5 years, and I can see issues. Mixing Dexcool can and often happens with the uninformed.

I also change my brake fluids at the same interval; 3 years. Moisture can get in.

I label each of my anti-freezes for each of our cars. My classics I use green or universal. I also unbolt all the reservoir containers and thoroughly clean them, turn them upside down and flush them out. It may cost a bit more to change fluids more often, but it pays dividends on those that turn the key and just drive.

I like to remove the thermostat and refill on late models with no radiator cap. That way there are no hot pockets of air trapped in the block.

Anyway, I have had zero Dexcool issues whatsoever.

8th Jul 2013, 11:54

One of our worst vehicles ever was a Range Rover. It had engine issues and the air suspension failed.

8th Jul 2013, 14:00

Toyota also had an engine sludge problem and blamed it on the customer not changing the oil when recommended, when in reality it was caused by a faulty PCV system.

Also if you didn't have the dealership change the oil, you were pretty much screwed and had to pay out of pocket... Yeah, great service!

9th Jul 2013, 10:06

I haven't actually met anyone who has ever had a sludge problem with their Toyota, save for one, and they hadn't changed the oil in something like 10-15,000 miles. That would do it.

On the other hand, my Brother's '98 Avalon had about 300,000 miles, and it had the V6 in question here, and when we changed the timing belt, the valve train was totally clean.

11th Jul 2013, 10:11

I had an Acura TL that went through 2 transmissions. A low mileage car, purchased new. I never met anyone either. But looking through numerous reviews on Car Survey, I found plenty of others like us.

This is a Toyota review, but the illustration is the same. In time someone with 300000 plus miles will encounter issues and may shop for a new Toyota. They may be one that has their first taste of numerous major issues. At 300000 miles, systems do wear out. On a car loaded with power options, electrical issues, air heater cores, and power windows etc are likely to fail as we experienced. You may become a statistic as well. Right now things are OK. Some of us have updated ours in the past 5 years and are now anti import, where it was reversed before.

14th Jul 2013, 02:37

I drove my 1992 Buick Regal GS 3.8 for 100,000 miles with leaking intake gaskets caused by Dex-cool. At 300,000 miles it still caused imports' fart can mufflers to emit a sad note of despair when they realized they had no chance of passing a car with a real motor. The Silverado and F-150 are the only trucks documented with over 2 million miles on their original engines. I have owned many cars in 33 years, and the only engine that blew-up was a Toyota.

14th Jul 2013, 09:41

Dex-cool wasn't used in 1992; it came out in 1996.

15th Jul 2013, 10:23

I had the coolant flushed in 2004, shortly after buying the Buick, and Dex-cool is what the lube shop put back in.

It was my mistake to continue adding it, and not switch back to green. Probably would've saved my intake gaskets.

16th Jul 2013, 10:13

The reason there aren't any documented full-size Toyota or Nissan trucks with over 2 million miles on them, is simply because they haven't been in production for the 80-90 years that the Big three's trucks have, so naturally of course the Big three's products have had more time to be driven to get to those miles. But my Dad's now 11 year old Tundra might be one of the first to break that trend, because his already has 325,000 miles and shows no signs of slowing yet.

Oh - and I'd love to see any Buick just try and pass a Nissan GTR. Nope - ain't happenin'...

16th Jul 2013, 14:02

Buying used, it may have been in there 5-7 years and had acid build up. I have had no issues, as I flush it in half that interval.

17th Jul 2013, 07:22

I didn't know that the Silverado has been out for 80-90 years. And I own them. We put up to 300000 miles on trucks in 5 years at work. And they are used for work, not commuting every day.

17th Jul 2013, 08:44

I guess you never heard of a Buick Grand National with the GNX package?

17th Jul 2013, 12:35

You should ask your dad about the 1987 3.8 turbo Buick Regal GNX, or the 1970 Buick GS 455 stage V.

18th Jul 2013, 11:25

He is right, the Nissan is faster. Any time he can compliment an import, it sounds like it's going to happen automatically.

1st Mar 2014, 14:40

I am proud to show my face in my Silverado, towing my 27 Fountain Fever on weekends.