1991 Toyota Tercel Reviews - Page 3 of 7

Blew a main bearing, but that was out of carelessness.

Nothing else mechanically has gone wrong with it, except it burns oil rather fast.

The best little car anyone could own. Fast enough for anything with room for upgrades.

As almost all older, high-mileage Tercels, the valve seals were bad and caused the vehilce to burn about a quart of oil every 500 kilometers. Even thought this was my beater, I decided I would replace the valve seals because I've never done anything like that before and wanted to see if I could do it. The seals are about $5 each (car needs 12) and were actually not hard to replace at all.

I have replaced a couple parts as preventative maintenace, such as the water pump and all belts, but everything worked fine, even before the replacement.

Even though this car is inexpensive, it is very good. Even though I'm only 20, I've had a lot of experience with Toyota's. My family has owned 9 Toyota's in total and still owns 6 at the time, 3 of which are mine.

A couple things I like about the Tercel:

- Excellent fuel mileage

- Roomy interior for its size

- Built quality (no rattles or loose plastic pieces, etc.)

- Reliability

- Manual transmission shifts very smoothly

- Clutch has a good feel to it. (Not to soft or too stiff)

Things I don't like:

- Car has no power and I dislike driving it on the highway. (you don't really notice the lack of power in the city though)

My verdict: If you're looking for a cheap reliable car, the Tercel is good, but a Corolla is a lot better.

Complete tune up at 133,000 miles ($260)

Something in the engine was clogged at 137,000; (I'm still not sure what he was talking about) ($300)

Breaks and axles at 137,500 miles ($600)

Blown head gasket at 141,000 ($1500)

It burns oil like crazy, but that could be the way I drive.

Can get uncomfortable during long trips.

I blew the stock speakers last year.

Can't have the A/C on while on the freeway, slows the car down. And more than two people in the car causes it to slow down as well.

The backseat is tiny.

I love this car. Loved it from the moment I saw it. For it to be some 15 years old, the body is in great condition. The paint shines when I actually take the time to wash it.

It has some decent get up and go on the street and once it gets going on the freeway, it can be pretty quick. It is not fun in traffic. And it hates hills.

My biggest issue is that it burns oil. I go through about 8 quarts every three months (between oil changes) My mechanic says it's the way I drive (Apparently, I'm not supposed to go 85mph in a tercel)

The first year I had it, I was at the mechanic like every month, but after I had the complete valve job done (with the blown head gasket) the car has been a dream. I wish they still made tercels, because I would definitely buy another one.

Nothing.

This is the best car you can get when it comes to affordability. Whether you need a daily driver, commuter, or a weekend race car, this car is perfect for you. I currently own 4 Tercels, ranging in years from 1992 to 1996 and I love all of them. Other than basic maintenance, I haven't had to do ANYTHING to ANY of them and one is now at the 250k mile mark. I use one for racing (total cost less than $5k and it's FUN to drive) and I use the rest for driving around and having fun.