Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and toyota

Where have all the control arms gone...?

FatherDagon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:42:23 -0800

Where did all the xB control arms go? I've been looking online trying to find a replacement lower control arm for my 06 Scion xB, and apparently there was a design change between the arms used in the 05, and the ones in the 06. I'm able to find control arms all over for 05 and earlier xBs, but after that I'm getting nothing.

Is there a reason the 06 arms are so scarce to find? The 05 arms usually sell for around 70-90 bucks, but the 06 version appears to only be available through the dealership and costs somewhere in the 400-500 dollar range.

Shall we grab our ankles now?

6:1 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:25:45 -0800

New car buying hell. Are we the only ones being told that the Toyota Prius price is MSRP PLUS expensive add-on premiums to cover their gouging? We have been told that not only do we have to pay MSRP (at one dealership, for example), as well as (they) demanding, no, FORCING us to buy Lo-Jack and Finishing Touch (a paint and fabric/leather conditioning/protectant) for an extra $1800+ bing. Is this happening everywhere? And is it Toyota or the dealers/ dealer co-ops that are controlling the supply, to keep prices artificially inflated? Pardon me, but is this another government boondoggle? Every place we go they seem to say they are out, but then suddenly they have 1 or two that appear a hour or two later or next day. Are there more of us out there, or are we just the mark?

FWIW-looking at a 2010 Prius IV in So. CAL. and do not have a "clunker".

2001 Corolla, Fog Lights Always On

churl — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:53:36 -0800

My 2001 Toyota Corolla has spontaneously developed a problem: the front and rear fog lights never turn off, even when the key is out of the ignition. A good mechanic was recommended to me, but he won't be able to see me for several weeks. He warned me to expect to spend $200 minimum. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to try to solve this myself? This is, naturally, a totally awful time for this to happen. This all began yesterday, with no precipitating incident.

My car simultaneously began exhibiting the following symptoms, which I'd never seen before:

1) Although my car normally has daytime running lights, my headlights stopped turning on automatically, both day and night. They do turn on normally when I engage them manually. My high beams also engage and disengage normally.
2) While the car is on, while the lights are off, the high beam indicator on my dashboard is blinking constantly, at roughly one second intervals.
3) When the door is open, the car's warning sound / idiot noise is emitted constantly (as if I'd left the lights manually turned on or the key in the ignition, but neither is the case)

Google gave me this, but in my case pulling the high beam switch does not temporarily solve the problem. I don't have a security system or anything unusual installed. I've tried pulling each of the smaller fuses in each of the obvious fuseboxes under the hood, and none extinguished the lights.

When making the appointment with the mechanic, I asked if there were a way to keep this from running down my battery. He said I could disconnect the battery lead while the car was off, but warned this would "wreak havoc" with my car's onboard computer.

The guy at the shop also told me to be prepared to spend at least $200 to resolve this. What little I can glean from Google seems to imply as high as $750 for similar problems.

Is there anything I can do to mitigate the problem myself? The solution doesn't have to be elegant or flawless, just get the car back to a state where I can drive it at night and it doesn't murder my battery. Any, any insight is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Where is the coolant drain pipe in a Toyota & is rust-colored coolant a bad thing?

Bearded Dave — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:49:53 -0800

Where can I find the coolant drain in a Toyota Avalon 1995? We just got a car, a used Toyota Avalon '95. It's previous owner didn't really take car of it at all, so now I am going through it and replaced the fluids, replaced the wipers, etc. I also refilled the coolant last week, but when I checked today the reservoir was empty again and the little that is left is rust-colored (coolant was bright yellow), but, as far as I can tell, not oily. I refilled it again and wait and see what happens. There are no puddles under the car.

However, I was also thinking about flushing the coolant system just to clean it out (I'm pretty sure that this hasn't happened in the last 10 years) - but I can't find the drain for it. Could it be under the car? A car repair book that I have explains the process in a way that makes it seem like you can't miss the drain, but I am lost.

So my questions are:

rust-colored coolant and disappearing coolant = bad?
and
Where is the coolant drain located?

Thanks!
~d

Cheapest way for me to diagnose car troubles.

scarello — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:43:17 -0800

Engine is turning over slowly and I think it might be the battery. Affordable way to check this myself or just take it into the garage? The other day, I went to start my 2002 Toyota echo, and the engine had a really slow turn over before it finally started. I notice if I give it a bit of gas, it starts right away. No check engine or battery lights come on while driving around town. From the research I have been doing, it seems to suggest either the battery or the alternator. My wife bought the car used 3 years ago, so there is a good chance it is the original battery, so i am leaning toward a dying battery. Is there a cheap way to figure this out? I don't own a battery charger or a voltmeter, and am trying to figure out if it's cheaper to just have the dealer check it out when we bring the car in for an oil change tomorrow or pick up some items at the auto store and test it myself tonight (and get some tools in the process). Suggestions?

Insight, the big brother, or bigger brother?

7life — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:17:10 -0800

BuyingCarFilter: Should I get Honda Insight, Prius, or Prius 3.0? So I test drove the Honda Insight a few days ago. Loved it. It's small, handles well, and cheap. Or so I thought. All the dealerships I went to tacked on 1-3 grand of "market adjusted value"

With the tacked on price, I really see no reason for getting the Insight over the Prius. I would go and get it right now, except for one thing: the 2010 Prius is coming out.

Nobody seems to know the exact date though I'm led to believe it's 6 weeks away. It's a brand new model and even if I don't get it, my reasoning would be that if I wait till it comes out, the 2009 model would drop in price.

So...should I wait? I personally have no problem waiting but my better half is itching to get a new car. Maybe by that time the Honda dealership would finally face reality and price the Insight the way Honda wants it in face of economic conditions and dropping hybrid demands (I'm rather fuming about this right now actually)

Thanks in advance for your input

What repair fixes a misfiring 4-Runner?

carsonb — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:42:47 -0800

Why does my uncle's 1998 V6 Toyota 4-Runner misfire at highway speeds? Last month we drove from Los Angeles to Tucson and back, and at what seemed to be random points while we were driving the engine would buck repeatedly. Once it started, it would continue at all speeds, with the engine running particularly rough at low/idle RPM. We took it in to 3 different Toyota dealerships along the way, and to it's home dealership once we got back. They were all happy to service the vehicle, but none were able to fix it and two insisted they couldn't find any problems with the vehicle. Before we go on, my uncle has always insisted on dealership service. His 4-Runner is in pristine condition, to the day on all of its tune-ups and servicings, and only has 130,000 or so miles on it.

The problem first started near El Centro. We limped south along hwy 86 to the dealership there, where they diagnosed a misfire on 'cylinder one'. They 'made some adjustments' but didn't replace or repair anything, and as we left the truck ran fine. In fact, it ran great all the way through Yuma and Casa Grande, but by the time we were passing Picacho (just north of Tucson) the problem had started again. Throughout this leg of the trip we didn't see any instrumental indication that the engine had a problem. (No check-engine light.)

Then Christmas came, and all the dealership service bays were closed. Eventually we got it into a dealership in Tucson, where they couldn't find a whit wrong with the vehicle. Since it was due up, my uncle went ahead and sprung for a full tune-up while we were there. He didn't test the truck at highway speeds after getting it back though...

And sure enough, a few days later as we were rounding Gila Bend on the way back to LA, cruisin' along at a stately 70mph, the engine started bucking again. The check engine light came on occasionally. This time we limped further, all the way to Yuma, where the young salesschmuck told us after 3 hours of diagnostics that they could start by replacing 'the coil', that the distributor needed replacing as well but since they were in the middle of nowhere they didn't have the part on hand. Fine, said unc, so they replaced 'the coil' and sent us on our way. We weren't 20 miles outside of Yuma before the engine started misfiring again.

We make it home (14 hours, Tucson to LA) and my uncle takes his truck into its home dealership, where it's been serviced since he bought it new. According to him, they can't find a single thing wrong with it, including the distributor. There's nothing they could do, apparently.

So what the hell? What could be causing the misfire? Why won't any mechanics diagnose the problem? What are they, what are WE missing? My poor uncle has poured thousands of dollars into repairing his beloved vehicle, and it's still not fixed. I'd love to be able to help him get it running right again.

My 1994 Toyota Camry died while driving, any ideas why?

jackofsaxons — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:43:50 -0800

My 1994 Toyota Camry died while driving, any ideas why? On my way home from work my car died while idling at a light, and wouldn't stay running unless I kept the goosing the gas pedal. It also sounded like it was having trouble turning over when I as trying to start it again. To get it going again, I had to gun the gas and pop it into drive, and give it more gas than usual.

I'm going to have someone look at it but I was wondering if anyone could posit a theory on what the heck happened.

How long can I wait to replace a purge valve in my car?

lblair — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:45:56 -0800

How long can I wait to replace a purge valve in my '98 Toyota Corolla? How much is a reasonable price for getting this done? Hey everyone. According to the guy at Autozone, the reason my check engine light is on is due to a bad purge valve. He attempted to explain it to me, and I sort of understood, but I don't really know a lot about cars. What I basically want to know is whether NOT fixing it right away can hurt my car. (He said it wouldn't, but I only trust Autozone employees . . . not that much.) He said the only thing that would happen is I would fail an emission test if I ever had to take one. (I don't think I will have to take one, but I want to try and keep my pollution under control!) He also said it would probably cost 200 bucks.

Basically I am broke right now, the soonest I would reasonably be able to afford to fix this is spring. Is waiting going to have a big impact on my car? Is it going to affect my gas mileage or anything like that? Does $200 sound about right?

Thanks!

Heater core? What?

lunasol — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:33 -0800

The mechanic said my heater core needs to be replaced and it will cost $700. What does this mean? Lengthy explanation inside. Background: I bought my 1995 Toyota Corrolla this last summer. Got it checked out by a reputable mechanic (Mechanic A) who found no major problems.

I've only ever had one problem - one day about a month ago, I was driving it on a city street. I was stopped at a red light and when the light turned green and I pressed down on the gas, the car stalled out, luckily right next to a gas station. I was able to to steer the car into the gas station, where, after letting it sit for a minute, it started up again with no problem. I'm not sure if this is relevant to my current issue.

Once winter rolled around, I realized the heat didn't work - it would blow, but blow cold. So last Monday I took it to a mechanic recommended by a friend (Mechanic B) who changed the thermostat and cleaned out the heater core, which he said was clogged but didn't seem to think had been a big problem. After this, the heater worked perfectly.

I barely drove the car for a week after getting the heater fixed because I was home for Thanksgiving. I drove it yesterday with no problem, but today when I was driving it I noticed that a white steam had started to billow up from under the hood.

I took it to a mechanic - the steam had stopped at this point - near my house (Mechanic C) who told me that there was no antifreeze and that the heater core was ruined.

Here's where it gets a little confusing. He was not really able to explain very well what was wrong with the heater core or why it would cost $700 to replace. He says without a working heater core, the engine could overheat. He did say I should be able to drive it for a day or so without incident, so I drove it home and I'm planning to take it back to back to Mechanic A tomorrow for a second opinion.

However, before I take it to a mechanic, I'd like to have an idea of what's going on, since it sort of felt like Mechanic C was trying to scam me. I've been poking around on the internet and read these questions, but I have to say I still don't really understand what's going on here. Why would this repair cost so much? Will a failed heater core really ruin my car? If my heater core is still all clogged, why has the heat been working so well in my car? And am I safe to drive the car to the mechanic (4 miles away) tomorrow? (I drove it home with no trouble)

Thanks in advance for helping out a car-illiterate mefite!

Is it worth it?

bob bisquick — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:22:26 -0800

Is it worth it? Mazda Protege vs. Toyota Camry! I currently have a 2000 Mazda Protege. I drive it mostly in the city, so it is a little beat up. It is a manual. It gets about 22 mpg, and has almost 65,000 miles. I could possibly inherit a 2000 Toyota Camry, and I am wondering if it is worth it to dump the Mazda and take the Toyota. It has 80,000 miles, and is an automatic. The insurance on the Toyota is slightly less. Is this really worth the switch? The Toyota is not my dream car, but Toyotas do last forever.

Should I trade up from Corolla to Impreza?

ReiToei — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:09:23 -0800

Thinking about switching my 2005 Corolla hatchback for a 2007 Subaru Impreza sport wagon (non WRX version). Am I nuts? Hivemind,
I live in Ireland and currently drive a 2005 Corolla hatchback with a 1.4 engine. It's an excellent car and I love it to pieces. I also have a dog (called Rascal) who is slowly but surely destroying the back seats of said Corolla with hair, despite seat covers and towels.

I have been thinking about changing my car and will be in a financial position to do some in a few months. I've been looking at the 2007 model Subaru Impreza estate version so that I could put one of those dog barrier things into the boot. I'd basically be trading up from a 1.4 front wheel drive Corolla, to a 1.5 boxer engined, all wheel drive Impreza.

Which is the better car? Is it worth trading up or should I just hang on the Corolla?

Apologies for the long-winded post! I'd love to hear the thoughts of any Corolla or Impreza owners.

Thanks

Repair Car Before Selling?

mto — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:15:53 -0800

I am looking to sell my 2003 Toyota Echo. It's in great condition except the rear bumper. I am wondering if I should have the bumper repaired before selling it. The lowest estimate I got for getting the bumper fixed was $480 (insurance won't cover it). I'm looking to sell the car for between $9000 and $9500, which is what I see cars of my type selling for online and in ads.

So, should I get this repair done? It basically comes down to whether or not I think I can get my money back in the sale. However, I've never sold a car before so I'm not sure how to make that judgement. Some people have told me to sell the car at a higher price and let the bumper be a negotiating point in letting them "talk me down" on my inflated price. However, that sounds sketchy.

Some extra detail: I will be selling the car myself, but I still have a loan on it. The loan amount is much less than what I know I'll get for the car, even without the repairs. So that is not a concern for me. Also, I live in San Francisco, if that makes a difference at all.

The dealer won't deal!

racingjs — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:22:28 -0800

All the Toyota dealers in my region (Quebec/Canada) have a no haggling policy. The salesman just gives you the price from their webside and that's it. Anyone managed to get them to lower their price? Are they more flexible by the end of the month?

some don't like it hot

kidsleepy — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:41:52 -0800

For about a week, I've noticed a "hot" smell coming from my engine. I don't know how to describe it except that it smells like an iron that has been left on. What is it? I get this smell even when I drive the short (less than 5 minutes) distance between home and work. I don't notice it when I am driving, but it's obvious once I step out of the car.

I drive a 1998 Camry, 175K miles, oil last changed in May, just passed NC state inspection three weeks ago. I know nothing about cars except to check the oil gauge, which I did, and it indicated there was enough oil. Is the smell indicating something serious ($$$) or just something simple that I am overreacting about because I am automobile-ignorant?

My cassette adapter is flipping (haha) annoying...

knapah — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:44:20 -0800

My cassette tape adapter doesn't get on well with my car... why? I have a dirt cheap tape adapter so I can listen to my mp3 player through the cassette deck in my car (2000 Toyota Corolla). Sometimes it works fine yet at others it plays for a few minutes and then the tape deck seems to think it has reached the "end" of the tape and tries to change the side of the tape that is playing. This interrupts the music and makes it impossible to listen with any sense of enjoyment.

Why does it do this and is there anything I can do, short of getting a new stereo, to stop it happening?

(as a side-question, if anyone knows an easy way to reattach the enter key to the keyboard of an Acer Aspire 5633wlmi, then I'd really appreciate the help!)

Looking to buy an SUV as my first new car ever.

PetiePal — Sat, 26 May 2007 22:11:36 -0800

The time has come to buy a new car, and I've got a LOT of questions with regards to cost, options, leasing vs. buying, and haggling. Also recommendations on Toyota Highlanders and Mazda CX-9's... I currently own a 1996 Chevy Blazer. It's come to the point where it's starting to cost me way too much money a year to maintain (not to mention the gas consumption is horrendous). I've started looking at cars and I had two in mind before I even ventured out:

-Toyota Highlander or Highlander Hybrid (leaning away from hybrid since the savings doesn't really justify the extra cost)

-Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

Basically here is what I'm looking for in my new car:

-Decent mileage city/highway
-Preferably an SUV (I'm 6'4" and smaller sedans don't fit me too well)
-Excellent track record, options, reliability etc
-Decent sound system
-Navigation system

The Highlander is a nice looking car, and has a positive recommendation from friends/family. My parents own a Lexus and an Acura SUV and are very happy with both. I've heard the Mazda CX-9 compared a lot to those cars.

So today I went to look at the CX-9 up close, just to get an idea of how I'd fit etc. I learned if I got one of those the sun/moon-roof would be a no go as it chops off about an inch of height above my head. Now when I went home I started pricing things out on Edmunds and autos.msn.com. I wanted to find out the MSRP, invoice and TMV prices for the options I wanted. This is where I started to get really confused.

On the Mazda I could get the following package: ncludes DVD navigation system, rearview camera, Smart Card with MAZDA Advanced Keyless Entry and Start system and power open and close rear hatch.

However this package REQUIRES that you get either a moonroof/Bose package or the rear-entertainment package. Now I don't want DVD screens in my headrests, nor do I want a moonroof. Is this a manufacturer ploy to jack the price up? Honestly I want the nav system, Bose audio and maybe an alarm system. The alarm system isn't available with the navigation package.

What's with all the restrictions? How customizable are cars? If I wanted a car with the above configuration and a certain color shouldn't I be able to get that somehow? Do they only make the cars in these preset configurations to bolster price?

The second half of my question is in regards to prices. I'm looking to buy over lease, simply because I don't believe in paying to only use something when you can be paying to own it. How much should expect to be able to haggle down from TMV etc? Should I go the fax-route with dealerships and see who offers me the best deal?

The final part of my question is simply in regards to the quality of Highlanders and CX-9. Advice greatly appreciated if you've owned either and can give me a personal review.

Thanks!

Water leaking into my car from outside

PercussivePaul — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 14:44:04 -0800

Water is leaking into the back seat of my '92 Toyota Camry when it rains. I suspect a clogged drain in driver's front door but I don't know how to confirm this and unclog it. Symptoms:
I noticed a month ago or so that water was trapped inside the driver's door panel. When I swing the door back and forth or make a sharp turn I can hear it slosh around. After a very heavy rain, there was a puddle of water on the back seat floor (driver's side) about 3 inches deep. The passenger back seat floor was also a little wet but not nearly as much. I park on an incline so it is possible that the water flowed downhill from the driver's door into the back seat.

When I opened the drivers door, water started trickling out through the bottom of the door - there was a lot trapped inside. The flow stopped before the door was empty and I had to shake the door back and forth to get it flowing again, but it didn't work too well and I eventually stopped. None of the other doors show any sign of having water trapped inside.

I just spent a bunch of money on unrelated repairs (brakes) and I don't want to pay for more repairs if I can help it. I called a place that adversited 'water leak repairs' and he wants a minimum 2 hours at $75 per for diagnosis, plus parts and labor to fix the problem. I looked online and found a thread somewhere that suggested the door drains might be clogged. I looked at the door but I couldn't identify any drains. What do they look like? How could I unclog them? Any other ideas?

Get this Mother^$(ing Thump out of my Mother$(#ing car!

toxic — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:49:00 -0800

Very strange electrical noise getting into radio on newly imported 1997 JDM Toyota Tercel hatchback. Radio replacement is imminent, but there's So I bought this car, without checking to see if the radio worked, because I'd planned to replace the radio anyway (Japan's FM spectrum is 70-90 MHz, New Zealand's is the more normal 88-108, so even if it were working, the original Japanese radio would only get 2-3 stations).

A couple of days after I bought the car, I turned on the radio for the first time, and was greeted by very strange noises.

The noise is a repeating "Thump Thump Thump", that comes out of both speakers when the stereo is turned on. It doesn't matter what the volume knob is set to, it doesn't matter where the fader/balance knobs are set, it comes out of both speakers at the same volume (fairly loud, but not eardrum-shattering)

I'm hoping that this is just a bad amplifier in the stock unit, and that the replacement radio that I've got ordered will take care of this, but I'm concerned that it may be indicative of some other kind of electrical problem in the car.

I'm wondering if anyone else has heard similar noises from their Toyota, or has any further insight on this. Anyone?

how to import a Toyota from Canada to the US

NortonDC — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 08:15:56 -0800

How hard and expensive it would be to import a Toyota from Canada into the US? We're looking at the Yaris, but the love of my life wants the 5 door hatchback and Toyota only sells the 3 door in the US. This is new for us, so please help out! Related concerns include: wondering whether the three door would be representative for test drives (onlyconnect is concerned about visibility into the driver side blind spot), wondering how long it would take if we tried to make it happen, would the warranty be valid in the US and at US dealers, and of course the jitters of spending a big wad of money across long distances and national borders.

This car would mostly be for onlyconnect's use in a fairly short suburban/urban commute, and it looks perfect for that, but if you know another safe, small, high-mileage (and cheap!) 4 door hatchback, we'd love to hear about it. We've considered the Scion Xa and Xb, the Ford Focus ZX5, the Suzuki Swift, the Honda Fit, the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, and even the Toyota RAV4. Are we missing an option?

My car won't start...sometimes.

exceptinsects — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 15:34:43 -0800

Sometimes when I try to start my car, it doesn't seem to "catch". This only happens sometimes, and when I took it to the shop, they couldn't find anything wrong. It's a 1997 Toyota Corolla, and the not-starting thing tends to happen when it's cold (which isn't very often here in San Diego) or when I haven't driven it for a while, e.g. in the morning.

So far, I've been able to get it to work if I leave it for a minute and try again, or if I use another key, but I have to really push the key in to get it to go.

Has anyone else experienced this? I can't replicate the problem when I bring it in the shop, because I'll have just driven it and it will work fine.

How to close my hood?

BlzOfGlry — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:59:52 -0800

I was topping off the windshield washer fluid on my 1999 Toyota Tercel. That was easy enough, but now the hood won't completely shut. It will catch on the very first latch, but will not completely shut. How do I make it shut on my own? And if I can't do that, will it be safe enough to drive (not on major highways) until then? So far I have attempted to use WD-40 on the latch mechanism, but that hasn't shown any effect. This happened once before, and it magically closed perfectly the next morning - is this a factor of the car now being hot? Should I wait for it to cool off and try again?

Any advice would be very much apppreciated. I have plenty of Canada Day driving to do... the beech *needs* me tomorrow!

Selling A Tercel with an engine light that won't turn off

toddst — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:46:30 -0800

I am about to sell a 1996 Toyota Tercel that has seen better cosmetic days. It runs fine, has a pretty new exhaust, and a new thermostat. However, the engine light is on. I got an inspection at a Toyota dealer and the read out states that there is nothing wrong with it, but the light will not turn off. To my knowledge, there is nothing wrong with the car. I do not want to put any more money into it and I want to sell it as soon as possible. Does anyone have any ideas on how (or where) I might be able to get a good price for it since the fact that the engine light is on will surely take a few hundred off a car that already is not worth much? (I am in Boston if that helps...)

Toyota engine issues

sixdifferentways — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 07:22:18 -0800

CarFilter: My wife's old Toyota (1996 Tercell) is having an odd problem. I know very little about engines, and Google has turned up a variety of possible answers [mi] Although the car is old with about 100K miles, we have kept it maintained. The battery, filters, hoses, alternator are all fairly new.

The problem is when she puts the car in park or neutral (automatic transmission), the engine revs us really high. There's no meter, but I would guess 1600-2000 RPM. It idles fine in Drive, and it seems to drive fine with the exception of a slight delay in the engine slowing down when the car does (such as coming to a stop - it seems to lag about a second.)

I was afraid the transmission may be going, but I've read it could be the throttle switch, something in the computer controller, a stopped up fuel filter, fuel pump, or stopped up cat converter.

Of course were going to bring it in to the shop, but neither of us has time today. I was wondering what the easiest/cheapest things to check would be first, because I'm afraid their going to want to replace the transmission or say it's something like the "timing belt" (which it's not, as far as I can determine.)