1994 Toyota Previa LE review from North America

The condition of the van when I bought it:

Leaking distributor O-ring, number 1 Valve Cover, and oil pan.

Rough idle.

Jerking transmission was noticed when the van came to a near stop.

Gear pattern illumination was out.

Sliding door didn't close properly.

This van is like a person who recovers from sickness when receives proper care.

After I bought a repair manual and went through routine maintenance (which any backyard mechanic can do) :

Oil change 100 mile and 500 mile to clean the engine (without using any engine flush) ; 100 mile and 500 mile transmission fluid change to clean the automatic transmission.

Distributor O-ring and oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket were ordered from Kragen and put on.

Last X'mas we made a round trip from San Francisco to San Diego with four people and stuff on the van. Our lovely Previa averaged 23MPG highway/city and didn't lose a drop of oil or coolant. The engine and the transmission are now in perfect condition, smooth and dry like new.

I believe that if we don't abuse, this quality built machine will last very long.

Last week we bought a 95 LE S/C Previa with 145000 miles and this one runs like a champ, I would say even better than our 2000 Sienna with 88000 miles, probably due to mid-engine design. The torque by the supercharger is very noticeable when power is needed, but I am usually very gentle on the accelerator.