Owners' Stories

1989 Toyota truck,No Spark have replaced the distributor the coil the coil igniter the computer the battery the coolant temp sensor ! What can a girl do next?

My 1992 Toyota is a great little truck. I bought it with about 145K miles on it and have done nothing but drive it. It survived a 60 mph crash only needing some new plastic in the grille. It is driven hard off and on road as a work truck. As long as you do regular maintenance they run forever. My truck has 190,000 miles runs great and never misses a beat. You take care of it and it does the same.

have had my truck for 5yrs now, bought it with 120k on it and it has 345k on it now, replaced the timing and oil pump and water pump and head gasket,the runs strong burns no oil and get around 24 mpg, would love to have an other one, best truck and motor Toyota built...

Bought a new radiator that stated it fits 1991 p/u after recieving it, it is a 2.4 and i have a 3.0 holes match up housing is a little smaller on the new one

I have a 1991 toyota pickup and just bought a raidator that says it fits 1991 pickups. After looking it is a 2.4. and I have a 3.0. holes match but radiator is slightly smaller Robert

Most of the underside still original parts, most parts are pretty cheap and easy to replace. 22re engine that runs like new, transmission took a crap right around 208,000 miles due to pin falling out of 4th gear. Quick fix of 2 grand, runs like a champ again with 211,295 miles. A/C non existent anymore, but could scramble an egg on the dash during a blizzard. learned that if one of the four, battery, alternator, electrical, and starter, decides to quit...the others will soon follow. very durable and reliable, takes me to Nogales and back (140 miles) every Saturday for the past 9 months without fail. All in all, best investment I could have made for first truck.

Very durable truck who doesnt love toyota's. Does seem to need repaired a lot but a least a guy with little mechanic knowledge can do it. For the most part

bullet proof best buy i ever made

I own this truck with the 2.4l 4 cyl 22re. Everything on this truck works as well as it did when it was new. However it has slight problems with frame rust. The timing chain problem is also problematic. The 22re is efficient, durable, and provides a suprising amount of low end torque. Due to the gearing the truck is able to utilise tires up to and beyond 32" without losing much acceleration. This truck is very tough and reliable. great for daily driver or off-road project truck.

I love this truck... It took 14 years with no service before my tranny failed... my own fault of course, but damn,(that is awesome) with help from my buddie.. took it out, had it rebuilt, saved $800.00, reinstalled it and paid $1450. for it.... Then drove it 1,200 miles with no oil in the transfer case... before I heard a whirring noise.. .added oil there... and still goin strong! It has its 3rd tranny now... cause Aamco screwed me over with an inferior tranny... and didnt tell me the drive shaft was bad, till I noticed it, and charged me and extra $360, on top of the $2,390.00 for the tranny rebuild. Love Leons Transmissions!

These trucks are known for legendary reliability and toughness, but that has not been my experience. While it certainly has an improvement over the Ford and Chrysler I owned before, much has gone wrong on this vehicle in the 5 years I have owned it that has caused me to doubt the truck’s mythical durability. The 2.4 22RE is pretty solid and burns well. It produces a fair amount of torque for its class and makes acceptable MPG--though in the winter it is significantly lower. I have averaged about 22 with 18 being the floor and 30 being the ceiling. The biggest problem I had was the timing chain loosening inside the engine and making a definite rattling noise. I had this replaced at 85,000 miles costing $1,500. This is due to a flaw inherent in the design. The breaks are durable, but rather soft. Stopping distance must be increased substantially in comparison to other cars. I have had to replace the starter twice in a time period of less than two years. Make sure you buy an aftermarket brand and not anything from Toyota. Be gentle with the hand cranks on your windows. The knobs easily break off. The exhaust system rusts quickly and must be replaced every two years (note, I park outside in Minnesota). The transmission is durable and the clutch is extremely forgiving. This is a very good vehicle to learn on. Do not tow anything with the bumper as it probably will not live up to its 3500lb rating due to rust damage. The best feature this truck has is the small turning circle. This is the best vehicle I have ever driven for making U-turns. Keep in mind, mine is a Minnesota truck that has been parked outside its whole life. Durability will vary with shelter/climate situations greatly. Despite, these complaints I have liked this truck. It has been handy and good cross-country commuter for me in the years I’ve owned it. I would consider buying a Toyota again, though I would research much more thoroughly.

very good truck amazing braking on the 4x4 bad : for the mechanic very good motor but very expensive to fix the v6 3vze i did all the seals and belt it is alot of work to do this you at least need 500 just for labor

This is the only vehicle I ever bought new, and for 18 years now I have never once regretted my ownership. They'll probably have to burry me in it! As for the quality and reliability - it rocks! With 180K miles on it, I have never had to do any major service or parts replacement. With just regular oil changes, the 4-cylinder (22RE) is rock-solid, burns no oil, puts out like-new power and gets the same 27 to 34 MPG as ever. The only major parts I've had to replace are brake pads & shoes, shocks, starter solenoid contacts, and battery. The original Panasonic battery lasted nearly 12 years! Yes, there is good reason why Toyota has eclipsed GM as the world's top auto manufacturer! I'm a real buy-American kind of guy, so I'm really glad most Toyotas sold in America are now made in America these days! See ya on the hiways and biways...

1990 Toyota Xtra cab V6 5spd 4x4 med red pearl..... Orig Owner and im with the first guy, I want another one brand new again just like mine! Had the headgasket blow like all the V6's did, mine went at 80,000 well after warranty expired.. I paid around $3,000 at an indipendant shop to fix and only found out about the special service campaign about a year after all that. But I sent in my reciepts and Toyota reimbursed me almost the whole cost of the repairs...!!! Otherwise has always been the best vehicle I have ever owned. And my truck has more off pavement miles on it then any other rig I know... And it still gets the exact same MPG now as it did 19 years ago... Forget giving to my kids, this truck is like one of my kids...!!! People try to buy it often, but my kids are not for sale, nope. Im keeping this one... Even though it is at that age, where I worry about its age.. But still the safest bet to jump in and take off secure knowing it will go anywhere, and bring you back home everytime....

Having now driven over 200K miles I can only say that I wish they would make this EXACT truck again! I have never owned a more reliable vehicle. I am very careful to keep it properly maintained (I do all of my own maintenance) especially in regard to oil changes. The only mechanical problem I've had is timing chain failure at 120K. Yes, the guides disintegrated, the chain snapped & did chew up the inside of the timing cover. I did the repair and decided to just replace the guides & chain assembly every 80K thereafter. So I now just completed the 2nd replacement. It is a bit of a pain, but well worth it. As for all other systems, I have had no problems. Brake pads have been replaced 3 times. A/C system is still original and has never needed service. The 89-95 Toy Pickups are uniquely simple and very well designed mechanically (except the plastic timing chain guides LOL). I'm keeping it and going for 300K.

We've had this car in the family since 1990 when it was purchased new. After 18 years the truck hasn't had any major engine problems; has been properly maintained throughout its life. Hopefully I can pass this truck down to my kids.