1984 Toyota Van LE from North America - Comments

Needed a new clutch at 260,000 kilometers.

Alternator wore out at 250,000.

Blown both universal joints twice since I owned it.

Exhaust rusted out.

Interior is substandard quality. Parts (like the gear shift and door handles) have fallen off. Carpet has a mind of its own. Bad sealing - LOTS of dust got in on gravel loads.

Safety belts don't feel very safe.

Very prone to rust.

A tough and multi purpose little van. I beat the crap out of it on back country logging roads in northern British Columbia and it kept going. It never left me stranded. The 7 passenger seat configuration converts nicely into a bed for one person.

It got me from Vancouver to Halifax and back, no problems.

Don't buy one of these things with an automatic transmission. It's gutless enough with a 5 speed.

Anybody thinking of buying a VW microbus should give up their fantasies of hippydom and buy one of these things.

I'm not sure if you like or hate this vehicle. It almost sounds as if two people wrote it. On the one hand you say people who dream of Volkswagen vans should buy it instead and then you say that you wouldn't buy it again.

I own an 84 Toyota Van with a 4 speed automatic transmission and it's got plenty of power.

Sounds like it wouldn't have been such a bad vehicle for you if you hadn't "beaten the crap out of it." Our 1984 van has been on many a road trip, and never had lack of power or left us stranded. We sold it two years ago, but I just saw it last week going strong.

Reading this review I feel that the reviewer really has made positive comments regarding these wonderful vans. I myself love Toyota's and I own one that is in good condition and tried to buy another that sold for $2386.00 on Ebay that I myself verified was in a collectors condition as being "like new".

When these vans were brand new in 1983-1989 I certainly had the means to buy one new, the only reason I did not buy one I felt that the engine was too small to last very long, to be honest I made a great mistake assuming this My 1987 Toyota Van has 111,000 miles on it and still has a very long way to go. At the time I bought a 1985 Tercel Wagon and I have owned 3 of these with very satisfactory results. (about 330,000 miles between the three of them).

With the current cost of gasoline I will only own 4 cylinder or Hybrid Vehicles.

Because of the slow Road and Highway speed limits I see no need for more power in a vehicle in fact I feel that this van is a nearly perfected work of engineering of what one needs and does not waist a penny of one's money. I have to carry plywood, electrical supplies, and a 8 foot Werner Step Ladder in it and the rear door can be closed with room to spare.

The NTSB crash test result is the reason that Toyota does not offer these awesome vans any more. In fact Nissan removed sales of it's van in the middle of a model year.

I myself feel very safe when operating the van because I always allow a safe distance between me and others driving in front of me.

I must also make a comment regarding using it when carrying "Gravel Loads" in it. I can only suggest that he has his gravel supplier provide a different aggregate mix that contains less dust in it.

This post seems to be some 6 months since the last, but I gotta ask... Are you a planter? My 84 LE and I have seen our fair share of BC logging country. Duct tape a screen on to the side windows and you're set.

Re: "Bad sealing - LOTS of dust got in on gravel loads".

I'd be willing to bet that contributor of comments meant to say gravel ROADS (s)?.

May I suggest, lots of dust would get "in" if you were shoveling "roads" of gravel into your vehicle. Just a guess. Anyways, I'm interested in either the van or the Tercel. I haul music gear, drums etc, and since I am a musician,

(not exactly a get rich quick scheme) MPG is important.

I read 2 comments re: MPG wherein one states, "30+MPG, another 17 to 20?. What's up?.

Regarding general reliability experience; the van would/wouldn't leave you roadside?. That's my greatest concern due to the fact I'd be leaving equipment stranded. Can I get a response here re: the Tercel experience? Thanks.

The reason for the demise of the Van was two reasons; One. It was at the end of it's model line after being on the market for six years; Two, lackluster sales caused by Reason One. The Previa was the replacement and it was also mid engine. Nissan performed a "Buy Back" on their Van because they were prone to catching fire. If the Nissan was discontinued in 1988 and the Toyota was discontinued after 1989, How could the Mitsubishi- which was derived from the same government blueprint as the Toyota and Nissan- able to survive until 1991? Easily. The Van wasn't as successful as Toyota had hoped it would be. Surprisingly, the Toyota held up well in crash test was what I read.

I posted this review several years ago and just happened to check back on it recently. I was surprised to see so many comments.

I did use the van for treeplanting - which entailed long trips up very rough logging roads in the back country of British Columbia. Most of the problems I had with reliability were a result of conditions in which I drove it - bumpy gravel roads. I have no doubt that a more merciful driver would have fewer reliability problems than I had, not that I really had that many.

The van never left me stranded because I was careful to do the work BEFORE I went out into the bush. Toyota mechanics are few and far between in the deep woods.

Despite the gutless four cylinder engine and sloppy interior finish, I still loved my Toyota Van. It stood up to the abuse I dished out better than any similarly built or priced vehicle on the road. It was heads and tails above any VW van in terms of performance, reliability and durability. Despite the sad face the editor attributed to my original posting, I really do think these are great and quirky little vans.

I would recommend one of these vans provided you know a mechanic who can work with it's unusual layout, don't mind the lack of power, and feel OK about your legs being part of the crumple zone in a head on collision. They are not glamorous, but they are very functional.