Toyota has had a rough year, but does this mean its quality is headed downhill? This expert says the answer is both "yes" and "no." Plus, Toyota's biggest problem today is not necessarily Toyota’s fault…but its owners’ and fans’ fault.
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Toyota has a long and well-deserved history as the finest carmaker in the world. However, Toyota's credibility of late has consumers worried―and rightfully so―whether what we have seen this past year is an indicator that Toyota is slipping.
A well-known Toyota mechanic and expert weighs in on this matter and recently stated on his YouTube channel that this is not a simple question to answer.
"A question I get asked all the time with all recent events. Is Toyota quality going down? It is a rather difficult question to answer in one go so I made this video to explain my thoughts from what I'm seeing. Just my humble 2 cents that I hope helps someone out there."
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Is Toyota Quality Going Down?
Follow along with the host as he explains what he has seen and experienced with several Toyota models he has worked on lately and his take on what has happened and what this means to new Toyota buyers and their expectations about Toyota.
From the video, you will discover:
- What years did Toyota produce its best vehicles, and when did the first signs of decline begin?
- During what years did Toyota recover from a dip in reliability and begin manufacturing reliable vehicles again?
- What leads to lower quality vehicles, and why is this a tradeoff car buyers can expect and might prefer?
- Are cheaper interior components something to worry about extending to a cheaper overall build?
- Why are today's newer Toyota owners partially to blame for car reliability issues?
- How do customer comments online affect what Toyota does, and how it can bounce back for the worse for car buyers?
- Has Toyota's quality gone down in the past two years?
- Which two recent models are Toyota's problem child? What owner groups have not helped make matters better, and why?
The Host's POV Summary
Briefly, the host summarizes these points as the good, the bad, and the ugly he sees with Toyota vehicles today:
THE GOOD
Toyota is still the Toyota we knew and loved. It has not changed in its core belief of fixing things for owners when things go wrong in their models:
- Toyota replaces rusty frame issues.
- Toyota replaces bad engines.
THE BAD
Toyota is experiencing growing pains based on what customers say they want, and it sometimes causes problems:
- The move is to make Toyota less boring and more exciting like other makes and models.
- Gimmicks to appease consumers.
- Who is to really blame for the lack of base models today? Toyota’s customers.
THE UGLY
- The worst thing about Toyota and where it is headed with its prices.
- Toyota is at risk of losing its core buyers.
- Dealerships are hurting Toyota by over-inflating prices and providing poor service, which the host believes is one of Toyota's biggest problems right now.
- Tacoma and Tundra fan groups are too unfairly zealous with their opinions, and it spreads their message and a bad impression onto other Toyota models.
Is Toyota Quality Going Down? Here's the Truth.
For more details about the discussion of what has happened and why Toyota's quality in their vehicles does change occasionally, posted below is the video that is highly recommended to watch in its entirety.
Final Truths About Toyota Cars and Trucks
"In closing, I will leave you with a small thought here: Toyota's are very high maintenance cars," states the host who points out that Toyota has always been that way, it is just that the Toyota models of yesterday used to be more negligence resistant. Today's models have to be more regularly and better maintained that what Toyota owners were used to in the past.
"Here's the biggest problem with Toyota that actually comes from the outside and not the inside…people caring for their car," adds the host explaining that car owners used to be on top of their car maintenance, whereas today, owners are not taking care of their cars based on the mistaken belief (selling point in many dealerships) that Toyota's are low maintenance, i.e., lifetime transmission fluid and coolant fluid, and oil changes with greater intervals recommended.
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"If you are concerned about the whole quality thing going down, don't go buy the model where everything changes," states the host explaining that should buy the model with the previous engine or the engine used in other models that has done well. If you buy a newer model with a turbo, as is the case in most cars today, you have to understand that turbos require even more maintenance to keep your car lasting its longest.
For additional articles related to Toyota vehicles, here are a few useful ones for your consideration.
- Toyota RAV4 Diagnosis and Fix You Can Do
- Toyota Tacoma Shredded Drive Belt Diagnosis You Can Make
- Toyota V8 Engines are Showing a New Problem
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWritesfor daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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