Has Toyota gone downhill? - Page 2 - Toyota Yaris Forums

jpmck03 · 02-07-2015, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christine88

... it's ... likely it just crapped out which brings me back to my original question of Toyota not being what it use to be. ...

An average car is comprised of about 30,000 parts. [1]

So, 1 part out of the 30,000 parts on your Yaris breaking indicates that the manufacturing quality of all of Toyota has gone to shit?

bronsin · 02-07-2015, 10:54 AM

Im familiar with the ECHO and in my experience NONE of them had waterpump failures even at 100k+ miles. Waterpump failures in the Yaris you hear about all the time.

So in that sense, yeah, Im thinking Toyota isn't what it was.

President Obama if you are reading this please put pressure on Toyota to make perfect cars like the ECHO again...

roxy1 · 02-07-2015, 10:22 PM

the fact is the problems per 100 vehicles has gone down industry wide over the last two decades, and Toyota is consistently near the top of that list.

not only are they not going downhill, their overall quality is better than ever, empirically speaking.

I think Jackie Chiles can best sum up the theme of this thread.

The Limo 2 · 02-07-2015, 11:52 PM

I think the Toyota dealerships have gone down hill over the last 20 years. Before my 2007 I had a 1994 Camry V6. I never took the car to the dealer. Did my own maintenance or took it to an independent mechanic. I was at the mechanic one day for something shortly before my power train warranty was up and he told me that one of the valve cover gaskets was leaking and I should take it to the dealer and have it fixed under warranty.
I took the car to the dealer and when I picked it up the advisor told me that they replaced both valve cover gaskets. I asked him why. He said that if one was leaking then the other one would start leaking soon. This was about 2k kilometres before my warranty was up.
Forward to early 2010 (before the 3yr warranty was up) and same dealer. The remote on my key fob stopped working. When you pressed the button the light came on but it would not unlock or lock the doors. I took it to the dealer and they said that they would fix it. When I picked up the car the advisor told me they had reprogrammed the key and it was now working. In 2013, the key stopped working again. Same problem. I was told by the advisor that they could not fix it. That I would have to buy a new key. Naturally I complained and explained how they had fixed the key before. After making enough noise they reprogrammed the key again as a good will gesture but they said they would not do it again.
Rightly or wrongly, I will not use that dealer again.
Roy

invader166 · 02-08-2015, 12:37 PM

I don't know what to say, I didn't buy my Yaris from a Toyota dealership, so I haven't really had any experience with them directly.

What I can say though, is that their customer service really needs some improvement. I once walked into a dealership simply to inquire whether it was possible to install A/C in my car. I was greeted with a bored sales-person on a computer, behind a parts desk, who practically ignored me until i waved at them from less than a meter away. (I was the only one there) When I asked them about the A/C, they just asked for my VIN, punched it in the computer, and gave me a simple generic "Yes. Costs $xxx."
No effort to try and sell me the product, advise me for or against it, or even give me any kind of details.

As for their products, I would say they're pretty solid, like everyone above has mentioned. I've had my Yaris for over a year, and the only problems I've had were a non-functioning horn due to a faulty connector (changed at the dealership I bought the car from after a week of ownership), and some non-functioning tail and side-marker lights due to a missing fuse.
(I don't know how important things like these aren't checked before selling a vehicle, but that's a discussion for another time.)

Overall though, I would say Toyota product quality =

while customer service =

Superfly · 02-08-2015, 08:14 PM

Eh, dealerships are hit or miss. My Toyota dealership is awesome. I love going there, the sales guys are really relaxed and the service department moves. It probably helps that they are owned by the same family that owns the BWM dealership next door. Now, the other ones my friends bought their Toyotas....not so nice in almost every way.

El Kapitan · 02-11-2015, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christine88

6 years for a Toyota is nothing. I have a 2002 Echo hand me down from my dad that has almost 200K miles and has never had a major issue necessitating a tow to the repair shop so this problem for a 2011 is just unacceptable.

the echo is considered one toyota's most reliable cars ever made. the only complaint you really hear about them is that they are ugly. personally, i don't have a problem with how they look.

IllusionX · 02-11-2015, 07:10 AM

The hatchback did a good job. Not ugly at all...

bronsin · 02-11-2015, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Kapitan

the echo is considered one toyota's most reliable cars ever made. the only complaint you really hear about them is that they are ugly. personally, i don't have a problem with how they look.

No the main complaint (by people like Edmunds) is the ECHO isn't a BMW and no one with any self respect would be caught dead driving one.

*kimona* · 02-11-2015, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllusionX

The hatchback did a good job. Not ugly at all...

The Echo hatchback was an excellent looking little car. Unfortunately, Americans didn't get that model.

IllusionX · 02-11-2015, 05:33 PM

A few members back at the echofans forums in New England had imported them from Canada.

nookandcrannycar · 02-11-2015, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superfly

My Toyota dealership is awesome. I love going there, the sales guys are really relaxed and the service department moves. It probably helps that they are owned by the same family that owns the BWM dealership next door. Now, the other ones my friends bought their Toyotas....not so nice in almost every way.

This ^^^^^. When I was rear-ended about a year ago, I gave the business (the Camry driver's insurance money

) to Fred Haas Toyota. They have solved very small issues for me/done little things while I was waiting in line with my car...not charging me, and I have been able to bypass the service bay altogether on those occasions. They don't sweat the small stuff. They don't have to....they're the #1 Toyota truck dealer in the world, and I believe still the #2 Toyota dealer in the U.S., behind Longo Toyota in El Monte, California (L.A. area).

Just a bit North of Fred Haas on I-45, Gullo Toyota is great as well.

I've purchased items at both dealerships.

nookandcrannycar · 02-11-2015, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimona

The Echo hatchback was an excellent looking little car. Unfortunately, Americans didn't get that model.

Yep. If the Hatchback ECHO had been available in 2001 in the U.S., I would have purchased the ECHO hatchback rather than a Suzuki Swift.

nookandcrannycar · 02-11-2015, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bronsin

No the main complaint (by people like Edmunds) is the ECHO isn't a BMW and no one with any self respect would be caught dead driving one.

bronsin · 02-12-2015, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimona

The Echo hatchback was an excellent looking little car. Unfortunately, Americans didn't get that model.

\\

I saw one in Carmacks YK on my drive to AK in 2011.

It was like a cross between an American ECHO and a Yaris Hatchback...

02-07-2015, 10:54 AM	#20
bronsin Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: nj Posts: 4,790	Im familiar with the ECHO and in my experience NONE of them had waterpump failures even at 100k+ miles. Waterpump failures in the Yaris you hear about all the time. So in that sense, yeah, Im thinking Toyota isn't what it was. President Obama if you are reading this please put pressure on Toyota to make perfect cars like the ECHO again... __________________ Synthetic Oil: Its All In Your Head

02-08-2015, 12:37 PM	#23
invader166 Pumpman Drives: 2019 Kia Soul EV Base Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 434	I don't know what to say, I didn't buy my Yaris from a Toyota dealership, so I haven't really had any experience with them directly. What I can say though, is that their customer service really needs some improvement. I once walked into a dealership simply to inquire whether it was possible to install A/C in my car. I was greeted with a bored sales-person on a computer, behind a parts desk, who practically ignored me until i waved at them from less than a meter away. (I was the only one there) When I asked them about the A/C, they just asked for my VIN, punched it in the computer, and gave me a simple generic "Yes. Costs $xxx." No effort to try and sell me the product, advise me for or against it, or even give me any kind of details. As for their products, I would say they're pretty solid, like everyone above has mentioned. I've had my Yaris for over a year, and the only problems I've had were a non-functioning horn due to a faulty connector (changed at the dealership I bought the car from after a week of ownership), and some non-functioning tail and side-marker lights due to a missing fuse. (I don't know how important things like these aren't checked before selling a vehicle, but that's a discussion for another time.) Overall though, I would say Toyota product quality = while customer service = __________________ "I would rather loose by a mile in a car I built myself, then win by an inch in a car that was built for me." - Moog

02-11-2015, 07:10 AM	#26
IllusionX It's the illusion you see View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brossard, QC Posts: 3,888	The hatchback did a good job. Not ugly at all... __________________

02-11-2015, 05:33 PM	#29
IllusionX It's the illusion you see View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brossard, QC Posts: 3,888	A few members back at the echofans forums in New England had imported them from Canada. __________________

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02-07-2015, 10:22 PM	#21
roxy1 Drives: 2014 yaris 5 speed Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: michigan Posts: 642	the fact is the problems per 100 vehicles has gone down industry wide over the last two decades, and Toyota is consistently near the top of that list. not only are they not going downhill, their overall quality is better than ever, empirically speaking. I think Jackie Chiles can best sum up the theme of this thread.

02-07-2015, 11:52 PM	#22
The Limo 2 Drives: 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Chilliwack, BC Canada Posts: 104	I think the Toyota dealerships have gone down hill over the last 20 years. Before my 2007 I had a 1994 Camry V6. I never took the car to the dealer. Did my own maintenance or took it to an independent mechanic. I was at the mechanic one day for something shortly before my power train warranty was up and he told me that one of the valve cover gaskets was leaking and I should take it to the dealer and have it fixed under warranty. I took the car to the dealer and when I picked it up the advisor told me that they replaced both valve cover gaskets. I asked him why. He said that if one was leaking then the other one would start leaking soon. This was about 2k kilometres before my warranty was up. Forward to early 2010 (before the 3yr warranty was up) and same dealer. The remote on my key fob stopped working. When you pressed the button the light came on but it would not unlock or lock the doors. I took it to the dealer and they said that they would fix it. When I picked up the car the advisor told me they had reprogrammed the key and it was now working. In 2013, the key stopped working again. Same problem. I was told by the advisor that they could not fix it. That I would have to buy a new key. Naturally I complained and explained how they had fixed the key before. After making enough noise they reprogrammed the key again as a good will gesture but they said they would not do it again. Rightly or wrongly, I will not use that dealer again. Roy

02-08-2015, 08:14 PM	#24
Superfly Makin' it rain Drives: 2012 Silver Yaris LE Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Illinois Posts: 59	Eh, dealerships are hit or miss. My Toyota dealership is awesome. I love going there, the sales guys are really relaxed and the service department moves. It probably helps that they are owned by the same family that owns the BWM dealership next door. Now, the other ones my friends bought their Toyotas....not so nice in almost every way.