Faults:
Same back tail light has been replaced twice.
Front axle makes a sound on hard turns.
Gas meter only goes to 1/4 full never E.
Engine sounds like a "sewing machine" when idling.
Exterior paint is fading on the roof and trunk from sunlight.
General Comments:
When I bought this car in 2004 it ran great, but had to take it back to the dealer twice within the next few months after the check engine light came on. Once was a leak in the coolant holder, another was a transmission problem that was not too expensive to fix.
We purchased the 3 year warranty with the car that covered the costs. The dealer was generally speedy on the repairs.
I feared I had bought a lemon! HOWEVER, since then the car has had zero problems.
The interior is still in great condition with all original parts and nothing has broken or fallen off. The factory Cd player and radio are still in excellent condition. The vinyl has no tears.
The interior is very comfortable and spacious seating 4 average size adults with no problems.
The cloth seats are very comfortable, I do not enjoy leather especially since I live in Texas.
I love the automatic seat adjuster on drivers seat, and it still works excellent.
The backseat cup holders have a horrible design, cups are held by a small ring of practice that could break off with the combination of a big cup and sharp turn.
The exterior has a very simple modern design that still looks fresh even though it is 7 years old.
The ride is very smooth and still pretty quiet, but feels like you are driving a bigger car than you are. I guess that could be a good thing.
This car has great gas mileage! It also has a very large 19-20 gallon tank! I don't know the exact mpg number, but I put on about 10,000 miles a year and usually only fill up once a month.
Overall a very reliable car with few problems, a great ride, and great gas mileage.
I would also like to add that I had a 1994 Celica before the Solara that also was very reliable, my mother's 1997 Camry has over 120,000 miles and is still running strong, and my father had a 1982 Toyota truck with over 250,000 miles that lasted to 2004.
6th Nov 2012, 09:29
Update to my original posting above: I now have 121,000 miles and have replaced 2 oxygen sensors and the starter. Not bad at all for a 13 year old car! It still runs like the day I bought, and my only regret is that it doesn't have a sunroof.
Handling is amazing for a car of its size and age; power from the V6 is still incredibly strong.
My next car is either a Camry or Lexus ES300, simply because I'd rather have a sedan.