1984 Toyota Tercel DX from North America - Comments

CV Boots split and spewed lube all over the wheelwell, but I replaced both front halfshafts at about 92k miles.

Valve cover gasket started leaking oil, and that was replaced at the same time.

Engine runs a little rough, and it didn't like 87 octane. 92 octane made it run better

Car makes a creaking sound every time I go over bumps, but that will get fixed here soon.

My grandma's neighbor originally bought the 1984 Tercel back in 1984 from Big Island Toyota in Hawaii. I obtained it back in December 2003 with about 85,000 miles on it. I recently found the window sticker that came with the car. Brand new, the car was listed as $7,675 MSRP! The only options on the car were a rear windshield wiper, power steering, and 3-speed automatic transmission.

Today, the Tercel cruises around here on Honolulu, transporting me to college, work, and home. It has been nothing short of being a good reliable car. It's unmistakable quirky wedge design means serious business when it comes to being the ultimate utilitarian vehicle.

Underneath the hood is a Toyota 3A-C inline 4, and its layout underneath the hood makes it easy to do repairs for a first timer. The maximum output is 62 horses and 67 foot pounds torque, but that's good enough to be buzzing around town. I get about 26-29 miles per gallon, and it isn't very thirsty when filling up at the pump. With the continuous proper maintenance, The engine will serve you well.

Inside, the ride is fairly comfortable and stable. The interior materials are still in excellent condition, and it still retains the quality Toyota fit and finish. With its tall wagon ceiling, cargo capacity is great, and folding the 50/50 split rear seats down makes it hold even more. The only gripes I have about the car is that it does not have air conditioning, and the radio's position in the car makes you lean forward quite a bit to adjust it.

Driving it is very easy. The blocky design makes judgment of its corners a snap. Big windows in the back and sides make backing up almost as easy as driving forward. Blind spots are absent due to the great boxy design.

I know this car will stay with me for a long time. I know I'll miss it when it comes time to sell it when it breaks down. It is an ugly duckling, but its beauty is all about no-nonsense function.

That's interesting, but my '94 Tercel didn't like 87 octane gas either. With 87 octane there was some detonation, low power, and higher fuel consumption. Too bad the '94 model year had the valve seal problems. Because of that engine was consuming oil, and if not checking it every few days, the car would be very low on oil. Due to that, the rest of the engine wore down quickly and when it needed rings, I donated it with 107 000 miles. My review is there in 1994 section Tercel, "a car that deserves respect"

I have an '84 Tercel Hatchback and I will try the higher grade fuel as the car does idle a little rough. I think that it has something to do with the carburetor adjustment. When idling the car sometimes chokes and dies. I replaced the wires, plugs rotor and distributor cap, but this did not solve the problem. It is otherwise a really good vehicle. Wonder if anyone else has gone through the same situation?

I just traded in my '84 Tercel hatchback a couple days ago, for a 2007 Honda Fit, and reading how great these little cars are makes me sad already. It broke down in January, dead on the side of the highway, and I didn't want to get it fixed, but I did, and as I kept driving it I forgot I wanted a new car, but then I bought the new Honda, and now I'm wondering if I made the right decision.

My Tercel only had 164,900 miles on it. I know the head gasket leaked oil, and Firestone said it needed new axles, but the suspension was replaced a couple years ago, and it was on its third alternator and regulator, fifth or sixth battery, the a/c was dead, and the stereo too (but that could easily be repaired). I know it still had a lot of life left in it and now it is going to be scrapped by the Honda dealer. Oh well, right? :)

09:35, Why didn't you just keep the Tercel and buy the Fit straight up? They surely couldn't have given you enough on trade-in to make it worth giving it away. Go back, give them $200, get your Tercel back, and have both cars! I had a '93 Tercel that I sold, and I miss that car far more than any other I've ever traded or sold. Oh, well, maybe it's not practical to have two cars sitting there, right?

Right, it's not practical to have two cars sitting around. I'd have to pay insurance and registration/tax on both. Plus, I am no mechanic, so I couldn't fix what needed to be fixed, nor could I afford to have it fixed, especially now that I have a car payment. The dealer gave me $500 for it, which seemed like a very good deal at the time. I know blue book is considerably less, yes? I'm happy with my new car, but I'll always miss the old Tercel.