"But It's A Toyota, Why Would I Open The Hood?"

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The Toyota maintenance tip you will not see in your owner's manual but should do it at least once in your car's lifetime. Especially if you almost never raise its hood.

Toyotas are the most well-built and longest-lasting car brand made today. There's no disputing that fact. The irony of this is that sometimes carrying a reputation like this misleads car owners into assuming that because "… it's a Toyota, why would I open the hood?" they never or rarely ever feel the need to maintain their car.

But don't blame the car, don't blame the car owner (too much), but do blame the marketing messages that touch on this selling point that appeals to many customers who choose a car more for convenience than anything else. Every week, you will find a new testimony of a 300,000-mile plus Toyota that supports the dual points of best built and low or no maintenance needed―Especially if you are a car owner only needing it to last no more than 150,000 miles before deciding it's time to get a new one.

The truth is, however, that Toyotas today are not low- or no-maintenance vehicles. But they are certainly sometimes the most abused car brand because owners know they can get away with it…at least for long enough until it is time to unload it onto someone else looking for a used car deal.

The Toyota Maintenance Tip You Will Not See In Your Owner's Manual

What brought my attention to this topic was a recent Toyota Maintenance YouTube channel episode where the host did a show and tell about how bad the condition of the original Toyota timing belt is, in a 22-year-old 2002 Toyota 4Runner with 271,000 miles on the odometer.

While this episode is a good testament to Toyota parts longevity and why you almost always should stick with Toyota OEM parts, the host touches on another point with this vehicle: Raising the hood proved to be difficult and risked bending the hood hinges, if not damage the supporting body. Why? The hinges were rusted from lack of use, about which the owner told him, "But it's a Toyota, why would I open the hood?"

It brought a smile to my face.

While I heartly recommended watching the timing belt video, here is one from the same mechanic who demonstrates why and how your hood hinges need to be lubricated at least once every few years or less as an easy preventive maintenance task.

Toyota Maintenance - Lubricating Hood Hinges

 

Another Hood Maintenance Recommendation

While we are on the subject of Toyota car hoods, here is another recommendation titled "Easy Toyota RAV4 DIY Fix That Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars." It discusses one important maintenance aspect many car owners do not know about when their vehicle experiences "hood bounce."

For additional Toyota maintenance-related articles, be sure to check out these three to discover more about how to maintain your Toyota:

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair." for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

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