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Are Toyotas Reliable? Facts & FAQs

Toyota Dealership

When you’re shopping around for a car, one of the most important considerations should be reliability. Several Asian carmakers have established a reputation for reliable cars that last a long time, including the giants Honda and Toyota. However, exactly how reliable are Toyotas?

Generally, Toyotas are known to last longer than competing vehicles from other brands. They have a strong rating on Consumer Reports, holding the second most reliable car rating with a score of 74.

Why exactly does Toyota have such a strong rating for reliability? It all comes down to how the Japanese design cars. Rather than cut corners to push the envelope, Asian carmakers are known to scrap risky designs entirely rather than move forward with producing substandard vehicles. Toyota, in particular, is known for its meticulous engineering and high safety standards.

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How Long Do Toyotas Last?

According to this 2014 report from Forbes¹, Toyota ranked number one for long-lasting vehicles, even beating out Honda. While every model has its issues and strengths, Toyota cars tend to last 100,000–200,000 miles before they need serious repair.

To sweeten the deal and guarantee reliability, Toyota offers a 36-month warranty on every new vehicle. As with old Hondas, it’s common to see old Toyotas on the road with eyebrow-raising odometers. It’s not unusual for an old Corolla to have 300,000 or more miles with proper maintenance.

Do Toyotas Need a Lot of Work?

Drivers tend to spend about $400 per year¹ in maintenance for Toyotas, which is relatively low compared to most other brands. Corollas are even cheaper to maintain at an average of $352 per year for comprehensive maintenance, which contributes to their long-lasting reputation. By focusing on high-quality construction techniques and parts, Toyota makes their cars to last a long time and require little work to stay running.

fixing and cleaning car
Image By: orzalaga, Pixabay

How Much Does It Cost to Insure Toyotas?

Toyotas are sensible cars that trend toward the affordable, so they’re pretty cheap to insure. On average, Toyotas run a bit less than the national average to insure. However, factors like your demographics, city, neighborhood, and more will affect your real-time insurance costs. In general, though, you can expect to pay less to insure a Toyota than most car brands.

Does Toyota Have Good Customer Service?

On the Customer Service Scoreboard, Toyota ranks 302 out of 1,002 companies, with an average ranking of 37 out of 200. This makes them “mediocre,” but it is important to note that customer service isn’t uniform across the nation. Some areas may have outstanding customer service representatives, while other areas have subpar customer support. Toyota itself took a survey and claims 9 out of 10 customers are satisfied with their experiences, but you can take that self-reported figure with a grain of salt.

couple at the car dealer showroom
Image By: Nejron Photo, Shutterstck

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Conclusion

Toyotas are a very reliable car brand, with many old models running at more than 100,000 miles with minimal issues. At the higher end, many Corollas and Siennas can exceed 300,000 miles. While their customer service might be lacking in comparison to other carmakers, Toyota makes quality, long-lasting cars.


Featured Image Credit: Toyota Dealership (Image Credit: Michael Rivera, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)

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