25th Oct 2012, 08:45
Yeah, our feelings were hurt too. Especially when our Toyota based Pontiac Vibe blew the engine at 48,000 miles due to the sludge problem.
We will stick with real personal experiences, as opposed to whatever these quality surveys claim.
25th Oct 2012, 14:38
I have a hard time believing that someone would have all of their "Imports" fail before 100,000 miles. Then again, an import could be anything, so I guess if they were all Yugos... well maybe.
But anyway, the problem with about 99% of the anti-Toyota comments I see here and elsewhere is that the comments made are usually based off of nothing. Usually some sort of anecdotal story, some generic claim, or some sort of story is made to "prove" a point. The lovely thing is that there are accurate ways to determine things like sales, quality, popularity, and long-term reliability. As it happens, and is conveniently ignored in such arguments, is that once again, and as should not be surprising, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda are all within the top 5 of the overall most reliable brands. These reports are based on a broad base of many thousands or even millions of owners.
So if the math works out to show these brands as being the most reliable, then there really isn't anything to argue about. Those are the facts, and everything else us hearsay.
25th Oct 2012, 15:39
We test drove the Vibe when it came out, but when we discovered it had the poorly built Toyota drive train, we bought a Ford.
25th Oct 2012, 16:57
Car manufacturers use smaller batteries and brake pads purely to cut costs. I can't see why shaving weight would be a concern on a luxury car or a truck.
25th Oct 2012, 22:36
I can't say what the new Mazda 3's are like, but I have a 2004 3 GT and have had a number of annoying issues (I have a review up). The amount of rust is almost unbelievable for a car its age, and it was a problem that they had throughout the model's run (I looked at a 2008 recently, and it was starting to have rust in the same place mine started).
The new one is a different generation, but I have heard a few rumours that it may also be affecting the new one. All I can say is that it's a common Mazda problem -- keep your eyes out for 3's and Proteges, and you will see just how many of them have rusting around the rear wheel well and on the trunk lids (the latter on sedans).
26th Oct 2012, 08:49
Blah, blah, blah! Why does everyone get so emotional in regards to Toyota's to Ford's/GM's - Or at least in the USA, they do. These comments aren't even about the car anymore. Who really cares how long brake pads last.. in my book, that's no real reason to change brand. I have owned Fords and Toyota's, but do you know what? My current Volvo is better than anything currently made by either brand. Neither is as comfortable or safe as my current car, and safety is far more important to me than anything else - all new car manufacturers make safe cars, but one stands out as making the safest.
26th Oct 2012, 10:44
Wow, now we have a Volvo on a full size truck review.
Honda's top of the line Acura should have not needed rear brake pads in 20000 miles, wouldn't you think? I would hope that a new Volvo would be of higher quality in its price level vs Toyota and Honda's regular vehicles.
We have mixed brands in my family. My son has the new Ford F150, and the new ones are great. I have a late model Silverado. Both have great riding comfort. I will give the nod to the Ford 4 door version vs mine. The truck has nice SUV characteristics, and nice room.
I do not like the sad grilles on the Dodge, and the Tundra needs some styling updates.
I like the Volvo too by the way. I rode in one to Oregon Inlet to go fishing with some guys with a big cooler in the back. Great ride and nice. I agree with you.
27th Oct 2012, 05:04
Thanks for the heads up on my daughter's new Mazda 3 Touring. I bought it for college, and she works and helps to pay some of it. If that becomes an issue, we will switch again.
Our family is probably the least loyal of all the commenters on here. Why is that? Our viewpoint is we actually pay completely for the vehicles the manufacturers sell to us. They are not free. People will defend a purchase on here, even when serious issues develop. That may be so that they do not look foolish. Or they think that perceived reliability from the past will remain constant. And Toyota has slipped dramatically in my opinion. If in 5 years I only hear stellar quality reports vs thousands of recent issues, I may buy again.
There is one commenter that dismisses it all and indicates some domestics have recalls. Which exact model we are never certain. Pinto perhaps? Guess what, I won't buy the negative model on the domestic side either. I want to acknowledge exact negative issues and not feel taken advantage of next on the next new buy. I will not defend any lousy model. Do not forget who buys these cars. If they have major issues, buy another completely different brand.
Toyota has slipped. I am sure you can go to a Mazda dealership, GM, Ford, Nissan etc and get off this brand til they get their act together. I at least acknowledged the Mazda issue; something the Toyota commenter would never do. Just go on the attack on another brand that has had recalls before is the solution. How does that really help you with a sludged engine, for example, by saying Broncos from the 80s caught on fire? Buy something else, and then wait til they are acceptable again.
28th Oct 2012, 06:37
Most of the comments I have reviewed indicate not everyone's Toyotas they bought in the past 30 years were bad. Our family did not not have serious issues until after 2000. I guess you could say recalls have no bearing on reliability statistics, as it is after all a manufacturer's responsibility.
If you enjoy running back and forth with a Camry to the dealership a lot over this crap, it's up to you. It ties your car up, inconveniences someone to get you there, and our time is limited and valuable. So to answer your statement, we never said all of our imports were bad. So there's no surprise on your part. Our surprise is how poorly these cars seem to be built, especially the past 5 years. And since not all imports are bad as you say, we can find another import manufacturer. So you can rest easy that it's not anti import rhetoric. It's anti Toyota, til they start making cars to the level of the distant past.
25th Oct 2012, 07:49
I just got my company vehicle, a Ford Edge, done with over 70000 miles, and had 30 percent of the pads left. I had new ceramic pads, not the el cheapos put on.
My worst pad wear was on our new Acuras at 20000 miles. The rear discs wore out twice as much as the fronts. Not sure why. I think some manufacturers use smaller calipers too. Even small battery sizes under the hood. Keeps the weight down for higher MPG at the cost of long service life is my guess.
There are some imports I like. The new Mazdas are good. My daughter has the Mazda 3 Touring. Well worth considering. Many nice amenities, and a nice ride in that package.