Just bought a new Yaris

[andruboz]

(2) Engine is too quiet, and the gas pedal is too light weight. My car has stick shift. I can't hear or feel the engine speed, nor feel the position of the gas pedal. So sometimes I don't give enough gas and stall the engine, sometimes too much gas and my passengers think I'm showing off. Is there a way to increase the weight of the gas pedal?

(3) Ride is a bit too bouncy. My car came with the 15" rim and wider tires. Would 14" rim and skinnier wide improve comfort?

i have noticed both of these. i had dozens of manual trans cars and i stalled the yaris more than all of them. i chalked it up to a little lag in the fly by wire gas pedal. now have a louder exhaust, rarely stall it now.

the 14"skinny tire thing i tried. it took 3-4 months to get used to it being skittish and easier to be blown around by semi-trucks. finally wore out the 185/65/14's and replaced them with 195/60/14's and its a little better now.
but the new tires are .3 inch shorter so i'm turning higher rpm at speed.

its never going to be quite like an altima cause the altima has a wider and longer wheelbase. its like comparing a well worn shoe to a new one. the old shoe is comfortable and the new shoe is tight.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by RedRide

Keep in mind that things like WP and alternator failures are directly related to a failed bearing for the most part

Toyota (like all auto companys) get parts from various vendors and their vendors in turn get parts from their vendors.
So, there are plenty of vendors who can inject inferior parts into the system.

Toyota has said recently that they are aware of the problems and are taking steps to rectify it..... both with their vendors and the Toyota corporate structure as it relates to quality.
They admit to growing a bit complacent about quality.

Its really curious because my 2001 ECHO has the exact same engine. In all the years I owned it and corresponded with people online about the car I heard not one word about waterpump failures.

I owned BMW motorcycle for decades back in the 60s 70s and 80s. When people started reporting QC issues with the new R class back in the 90s I thought "These people are stiring the shit". Then the problems happened to me!

Same feeling with the wp issues on the Yaris "This cant be happening! This is a Toyota!"

BTW this has nothing to do with the "unintended acceleration" issues. THAT is nonsence.

[Hershey]

How about some respect and no name calling such as " Quite being a chick about it " . The clutch engagement for these are more quirky than other standards I've driven for the past 27 years . Sorry , but a waterpump shouldn't fail as soon as these do . We had an '86 CHEVY Nova ( Corolla 1.6 ltr. ) and that lasted past 275,000+ miles of hard driving . This person has freedom to express his concerns . Some are a bit fanatical about their cars .

[Kal-El]

The Yaris is the most reliable car on the market. Yet we're focused on one part that has gone early on a minority of Yaris's.

Anyone realize the amount of work you have to do to say, a VW, in just the first 5 years? Never mind beyond?

I researched the average life span of a water pump (in all vehicles), and results showed between 60-90K. Most of us are well beyond that on our original pumps.

[Hershey]

Hate to disagree . But the Corolla is more dependable than the YARIS . Someone we know has 2 COROLLAs . One is an '06 with 170,000+ miles and the other is an '07 which I think is still under 100,000 . No waterpump failures as of yet . Only issue was rear wheel bearing and a sticky rear door latch . This is the same acquaitance that also own a 2010 YARIS 3 door ( bought new ) that still leaks oil at 80.000+ miles . Here's a few pics from a few weeks ago ( Clean / Oil covered ) . Inspected and cleaned it about this same time a year ago . Got sick of cleaning and monitoring it ( may try again ) . It is what it is .

[Kal-El]

Originally Posted by Hershey

Hate to disagree . But the Corolla is more dependable than the YARIS . Someone we know has 2 COROLLAs . One is an '06 with 170,000+ miles and the other is an '07 which I think is still under 100,000 . No waterpump failures as of yet . Only issue was rear wheel bearing and a sticky rear door latch .

Well, it's possibly debatable. But from most of my observations, the Yaris has been more trouble free. A major dependability study I read last year (there's a thread on it here) rated the Yaris the most reliable Toyota, period. And Toyota is the most reliable car manufacturer.

Surely, you're aware of Yaris owners on here with far higher mileage than your two examples with either no repairs or only one or two minor ones. Some over 400,000 miles and ONE repair and original pump.

[Hershey]

I don't take much from studies / polls . Just from what I see / experience in person .

[Black_griffin6]

Originally Posted by Hershey

Hate to disagree . But the Corolla is more dependable than the YARIS . Someone we know has 2 COROLLAs . One is an '06 with 170,000+ miles and the other is an '07 which I think is still under 100,000 . No waterpump failures as of yet . Only issue was rear wheel bearing and a sticky rear door latch . This is the same acquaitance that also own a 2010 YARIS 3 door ( bought new ) that still leaks oil at 80.000+ miles . Here's a few pics from a few weeks ago ( Clean / Oil covered ) . Inspected and cleaned it about this same time a year ago . Got sick of cleaning and monitoring it ( may try again ) . It is what it is .

Why hasn't it been fixed? There's got to be more to the story then just the Yaris being unreliable.

If you put over 80,000 miles on a car that new...that means you do a hell of a lot of driving. And if you do that much driving, then think about how many opportunities there are to hit something on the road that can cause an oil leak. What if you hit a small wrench or something that some careless idiot left on his truck and it caused the oil leak, that doesn't really have to do with the design of the car itself or how reliable it is.

My yaris has been great to me, I would recommend one to a friend without a second thought.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Hershey

Hate to disagree . But the Corolla is more dependable than the YARIS . Someone we know has 2 COROLLAs . One is an '06 with 170,000+ miles and the other is an '07 which I think is still under 100,000 . No waterpump failures as of yet . Only issue was rear wheel bearing and a sticky rear door latch . This is the same acquaitance that also own a 2010 YARIS 3 door ( bought new ) that still leaks oil at 80.000+ miles . Here's a few pics from a few weeks ago ( Clean / Oil covered ) . Inspected and cleaned it about this same time a year ago . Got sick of cleaning and monitoring it ( may try again ) . It is what it is .

Well again I have to ask. How much oil is this car using? Is there oil in the radiator? Was the head gasket changed? (and it still "leaks"?)

Enquiring minds want to know!

[Kal-El]

Still the only Yaris I've ever heard of with an oil leak.

[Hershey]

This is from the back of the block nearest to the timing chain cover and exhaust manifold . So not a hit from something on the road . They have the extended warranty and are hoping it will never need the head cylinder gasket replaced . Sees it as a throwaway car , the workhorse for the business that piles on the mileage . We had the same leak for the '08 sedan and no longer leaks since the installation of a new H.C.G. around 24,000 miles this time last year . Monitor it closely and now has about 35,000 miles . This was the leak for the '08 sedan and 2010 3 door we traded in ( still leaks far as I know ) . Top pic is the '08 , '10 below , and '08 after fix on bottom . Notice all the black F.I.P.G. ( Form In Place Gasket sealant ) . Been on this topic before , believe it or not . Take a look at your engine for this leak , that's if you dare .

[Hershey]

Where's CTScott on this matter ? . We most likley will keep the sedan until it craps out . Do enjoy driving it , though it has/had some faults .

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

Still the only Yaris I've ever heard of with an oil leak.

X2 even with working in parts at a toyota dealership.......

[Hamster]

Just out of curiosity, how frequently or infrequently does the water pump problem tend to pop up? I drive only a few thousand miles a year, so do you think Toyota will cover the cost of the replacement, even if a car is outside the warranty period, but has exceptionally low milage on the odometer? Hopefully, I won't have a problem, though. This car has been incredibly easy to maintain and trouble-free.

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by Hershey

Where's CTScott on this matter ? . We most likley will keep the sedan until it craps out . Do enjoy driving it , though it has/had some faults .

I check my 09 and Crashy (08) for oil leaks, every time that I have either on my lift and thus far, they are both clean (and Crashy even spent some time turtle), so I don't know what to say on this one.

[Hershey]

CT, here's the worksheet . It's authentic .

[CTScott]

I believe you. I just don't understand what kind of karma has put the leaky ones all in your hands.

[Altitude]

I don't think anyone questions the authenticity of the leak - your thread about it pretty much proved that out. It's just such an anomaly and stranger still that you had first hand experience with two vehicles with the same problem.