Legendary Toyota Reliability . . . ????

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Oct 2, 2016
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That's a myth. They require maintenance like all other cars. They are more reliable than most other cars. They may withstand more neglect than other cars, but I don't think so. They are definitely not bullet proof. I prefer Honda's and Toyota's in general myself.
The myth I’ve heard is different than what you imply. I’ve always heard that normal maintenance was required. 😁
 

danwolf

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Aug 15, 2021
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My wife's 2006 Rav4 has the same engine and on the door sticker says it was made in Japan. Doesn't burn any oil, no has any other Toyota I've owned or own, (2011 Tacoma, 2012 Tundra, 2006 Rav4).

If its a reasonable cost to repair I'd day its worth it. Of all the 4 cyl car engines I've worked on, its a pleasure to work on, though I've done very little to it (replaced an alternator).
 
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That's a known issue with 06+ 2az-fe engines. All of them do it, in every single model they're in. It was a dumb way to attempt to increase efficiency and reduce emissions.
Good news is, it's a really easy motor to work on. It's probably a toss up fixing vs jumping ship. If you don't mind dumping it on someone it's likely you can get what you paid for it. Look for one with the V6.

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Can you imagine being a know it all car wholesaler that posts on here how amazing Toyotas are and not know about this?
That must be embarrassing.
 

svivian

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Nothing is better or more reliable than the leaf springs of a Toyota Tacoma. Also the frames are completely rust proof.

I know Subaru had an era in the foresters from 2011 to 2013 that also had terrible oil burning engines. But a lot of those guys drive the crap out of them and just add oil.
 
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So, there was no way the OP could have detected this before buying?
In my experience, no. A quick google search would find the common consumption issue with these engines, and then asking the seller, would be really the only way. Or a tail pipe emissions test maybe would, but have no experiece with that.

Sometimes oilburners will have deposits on plugs or on tops of pistons that can be seen, but most of the time in a healthy (meaning good compression) engine it is burned pretty cleanly. If you picture dribbling 1/2 qt of oil in a cylinder over a 700 mile time frame (as in the OPs car) it isnt surprising that it wouldnt show up.
 
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Yea, I have currently have four of those engines in LX470s. They are fairly incredible pieces of work. I personally AM about skipping the $1000+ 90k timing belt intervals for the exact reason you mentioned. They rarely ever fail. I have over 200k miles on the timing belt and water pump in at least one of mine maybe more. Of the 13 Land Cruisers and LXs my family has had the last 27 years, I have had one water pump go out and it was right after being replaced from previous owner. I've saved a pile of money not being OCD with maintenance and have over a million miles between them now. However, I will get the timing belt service done on our '06 LX due to it being the VVTi version of the 2UZFE and an interference engine. Pre 2006 are NONinterference so no worries harming engine if I happen to be the only one on the planet with a failed timing belt.

Just got back home in my wife's '04 LX and rolled over 358k miles. Not a drop of oil burned or a drop of oil leaking from valve cover or anywhere. Clean and runs and drives like a Swiss watch.
I have seen one of these belts fail, and it was the belt and not a component (pulleys, tensioner,) at 260k.

Unfortunately, it bent valves/ broke one off and broke that piston.
 

Poser

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04 tundra, used very hard. Seeing the way that this pickup got used, and also the other one that he uses, Changed my opinion of the that generation of tundra. They are pretty bomb proof.

The timing belt that failed had 260k on it? or it was within the 90,000 mile recommendation and failed?
 
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Truck had 260 on original belt. He had owned the truck since 90k. didnt remember original owner saying anything about having the belt done. Was toyota parts, and maybe it did have the belt done before that?

Have seen subarus make it to the 160 to 180k mark, but that tundra was pretty surprising. I could never gamble with it as expensive as the repair/breakdown could be.
 

Burnsie

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My wife's 2006 Toyota Sienna van had the timing belt go at about 210,000 on the original.
Put in a new one, now at almost 245,000.
 

Sapcut

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My 2000 LX470 I drive every day has 399,400 right now. Last time timing belt, water pump, pulleys, etc was replaced was at 120k miles on 7/20/07. It will be changed again when it breaks or water pump bearing rattles. The main reason these parts never go out is because they are replaced waaaay too often and waaay too much money wasted.
 

Poser

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My 2000 LX470 I drive every day has 399,400 right now. Last time timing belt, water pump, pulleys, etc was replaced was at 120k miles on 7/20/07. It will be changed again when it breaks or water pump bearing rattles. The main reason these parts never go out is because they are replaced waaaay too often and waaay too much money wasted.

My 2000 LX470 I drive every day has 399,400 right now. Last time timing belt, water pump, pulleys, etc was replaced was at 120k miles on 7/20/07. It will be changed again when it breaks or water pump bearing rattles. The main reason these parts never go out is because they are replaced waaaay too often and waaay too much money wasted.

I’ll gladly pay the extra money to not have parts fail at wildly inconvenient places and times, be it on the side of the interstate far from a trusted mechanic or high on an alpine shelf road, where a recovery may cost $2,000+

Pushing 280,000 miles on a 90,000 mile part that is integral to the vehicle’s function and where failure comes at great risk for catastrophic engine damage for a savings of $1300 or 8 hours of your time and a whole lot of cussing is not a reasonably proportional tradeoff. It is a rubber belt, afterall.
 

Sapcut

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I’ll gladly pay the extra money to not have parts fail at wildly inconvenient places and times, be it on the side of the interstate far from a trusted mechanic or high on an alpine shelf road, where a recovery may cost $2,000+

Pushing 280,000 miles on a 90,000 mile part that is integral to the vehicle’s function and where failure comes at great risk for catastrophic engine damage for a savings of $1300 or 8 hours of your time and a whole lot of cussing is not a reasonably proportional tradeoff. It is a rubber belt, afterall.
I hear ya and get it but….it isn’t a 90k mile part as you can see from the large majority of examples around the world and unless it is a VVTI variety of the 4.7 V8 I mentioned, there isn’t a risk for engine damage. And I mentioned I will and have had timing belt service on my VVTI interference engine.

What if you were told that 200k+ mile part should be changed at 30k mile intervals? Gladly waste your money?
 

Poser

WKR
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I hear ya and get it but….it isn’t a 90k mile part as you can see from the large majority of examples around the world and unless it is a VVTI variety of the 4.7 V8 I mentioned, there isn’t a risk for engine damage. And I mentioned I will and have had timing belt service on my VVTI interference engine.

What if you were told that 200k+ mile part should be changed at 30k mile intervals? Gladly waste your money?

You could probably put 02 and air/fuel ratio sensors in that very category, though, when they fail, or start to malfunction, you can still drive. They are annoyingly expensive and almost nobody replaces them proactively.
 
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