Hello everyone! I need some help in figuring out how long a Toyota will last. I am looking into buying used Corollas from the 80s that have from between 120,000 to 156,000 miles on them. Does anyone know the upper amount of miles a Toyota can have before it gives out? I don't want to buy a car with that many miles only to have it die a year later. Thanks for your help!
all depends on service history and the quality of replacement parts used. If genuine toyota parts/ premium brand are used it those corollas will have plenty of life left in them . Depnds on what work has been done etc. at 156,000 miles you may get 3 yrs out of it, depending on the meileage you do.
C2105026 is correct - you can have lots of miles on the car and still get years of use, as long as it has been taken care of properly. Ask for service records if they are available, have it checked out by a qualified mechanic for signs of damage - either previous abuse or impending failure, and it wouldn't hurt to run it through a service like CarFax or similar. Good to know how many owners the car has had - may give you an idea of the kind of lifespan it will have. If it had a single owner, you may be able to get a car history from them - if it has traded hands dozens of times before, may be a problem car that is just being dumped off to someone else.
Good Luck.
With over 400,000 miles on an '86 Camry whose engine was rebuilt at 243K for preventive maintenance, and 5 speed tranny rebuilt at 275K when a needle bearing went out, I suspect that a well taken care of Toyota anything (well, almost anything), should have a great many more mile on it.
My car was purchased new, had very little maintenance over the years other than minor wear and tear, and had the oil & filter changed every 4K, with OEM filters and Castrol GTX.
I would gladly buy a vehicle as described, if service records are known and honest info about the car is provided.
Dave
Don't know where you are from but beware of rust problems for pre early 80 models, here in New Zealand panels were imported from Japan for assembly here and there was a lot of problems with rusting during the sea voyage from Japan. The other problem is beware of any tyres that are over about 15 years old, had a case here of a tyre built 86, still plenty of tread left, pAssed local Warrant of Fitness but blew on the Motorway killing the driver.
How much throttle do you usually drive with? How often do you redline?With over 400,000 miles on an '86 Camry
I agree with the above posts. Keep in mind that miles are not the only measure of wear on a car. If the CV boots are original, it is possible that they may start cracking, causing CV joint failure. Brake caliper seals can also dry out over time, regardless of miles. My point is that anything made of rubber on your car can deteriorate over time, especially if exposed to sun & the elements.
You may want to do a compression test on the engine. That's a good indicator of how well the engine (and thus, probably the rest of the car) was maintained. If you don't want to go through the hassle, at least have someone start the car while you stand behind it. Look at the exhaust pipe. If blue smoke comes out or if the initial exhaust gases smell like oil, then the rings are probably worn. Don't worry about white smoke - that's just water vapor from the combustion.
Another thing: make sure that the timing belt has been replaced. If not, then you'll need to do that immediately which will cost you a few bucks. I believe that those old Corollas had interference engines, meaning that you'll bend the valves if you break the timing belt.
Also regrounding the engine may help its performance. An '80s model would have corroded ground points, if original.
(I know this in no way answers the question "How long does a Toyota last?")
TOYOTA CARROLLA ENGINES STRONGER THAN AN ANVIL
BEEN PERFECTED AFTER MAKING THEM FOR OVER 52 YRS .
ONLY AMER. MODEL IS FORDS PANTHER PLATFORMS
MERC. GRAND MARKQ. AND CROWN VIC . 4.6 LEGENDARY ENGINE & TRANSM.
BEST ENGINES AND TRANSM. EVER TO COME OUT OF OLD HENRY'S FACTORY
CAN GO EASY 4X ROUND WORLD. SHAME HALTED PROD. 2011.
SO GO WITH CARROLLA .
A JBH PROD. NYC
It's 14 years after this thread was started, but I'll add my input. I bought my 2004 Corolla S (5 speed) in October 2003, so it's a bit over 15 years old, with over 186,000 miles. Only things I've had to do is the serpentine belt, and the starter, above any normal maintenance and wear items (tires, breaks. My first set of front disc brakes lasted 65,000 miles, the second set lasted about 120,000 miles.
I don't obsess over maintenance, or baby it. I just drive it and it keeps on driving. I've started to look at a new car, and I lean toward the Hyundai Elantra, several thousand cheaper than a Corolla, and I really like the look better.
My 2003 CE has over 299,999 miles. The 9th gen Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, and some Prius have odometer that stops at 299,999. Since my odometer has been maxed out, I've used tripmeter A to track mileage above 299,999. That tripmeter is over 20k. I only do normal maintenance, but am religious about doing my own oil changes.
You can use an OBD scan tool to find the real mileages, too.
