1990 Toyota Tercel Hatchback review from North America
"A trouble magnet"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Radiator changed due to major rust.
Mechanical fuel pump changed due to a leak of oil.
Exhaust seal at front keeps blowing out and causes air filter to clog.
Front calipers stopped working after a year of storage.
Emergency brake cable snapped.
Water pump leaks prestone.
Oil pan gasket leaks oil.
Rear transmission support tore apart.
A 'LOT' of rust on fenders and under-body.
Carburetor is simply stupidly built and consumes a lot of fuel (275-300 Km a tank).
Many more things...
General comments?
First I got this car from my aunt. It was in really bad shape and I spent my summer restoring it. Even though I keep having problems with this little piece of @$#@. Especially with the carburetor that can't be cleaned without a complete overhaul. That's right, you can't shoot some carburetor cleaner in this one because it will jam the variable venturi. This is the main problem with this car right now. Toyota made this car SO cheap, never you will see me buy one of theirs again.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1990 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 - 12 valves Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 1 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 0 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 201000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 209000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Nissan Sentra |
| Date of Entry | 22nd January, 2003 |