1981 Toyota Tercel SR5 review from North America
"I wish I could find one of these cars new, for I could make it last another 20 years"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I had the clutch replaced in 1993 at 90,000 Km.
I replaced the transmission at 110,000Km.
I replaced the front axles at 120,000 Km.
I repaired the rear shock towers at 205,000 Km.
I replaced the left front wheel bearing at 260,560 Km.
General comments?
I bought this vehicle with 76,000 Km on the odometer after owning a 4 speed model of the 81 Tercel for the three previous years.
I attribute the clutch failure to the previous owners, as the replacement unit has lasted over 150,000 Km's.
The transmission failure was caused by a bad shift (clutch disengaged while still shifting).
The Achilles heel of this vehicle is the three (only) bearing outer CV joints that do not last -- Later models had 4 or more bearings in the CV's -- and much better reliability. CV wear is accentuated by accelerating while cornering -- coasting through corners decreases wear dramatically.
Hope to get to the 300,000 Km mark without major work, engine performing well and burning only a small amount of oil. I attribute this to regular oil changes (5000 to 8000 Km's).
Recommended reviews
| I'd own it again if I could.. tough little car |
|
| A great aging economy car! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1981 |
| First year of ownership | 1991 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 76900 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 261000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Tercel |
| Date of Entry | 11th February, 2002 |