Finally....

Finally, after 12 years and a total of almost half a million miles, .... something finally needs fixing on a Toyota! Unlike the Dodge minivan (which has essentially been rebuilt one part at a time, continuously) and unlike the Chryslers (which also each required major repairs every couple of months), and unlike the Oldmobile or three Fords we've owned, we have never, ever, had anything, ever break or go wrong or wear out on any of our three Toyotas, -- even though we have driven 2 of the 3 of them each far more miles than any other car we've ever owned. Until today, that is. And unlike the Dodge and the Chryslers and the Oldmobile and Fords, the Camry didn't actually break or quit on us. It was just something that kinda wore out. I took the Camry in for new tires, and decided to have an alignment done, and the local repairman said the steering tie rods were worn so bad the car wouldn't hold an alignment. This is the very first time that ANYTHING has gone wrong on one of our Toyotas. The Corolla was driven for 195,000 miles and then we sold it to a family where it is still going strong, with nothing ever breaking or busting or wearing out. And the Camry now has 210,000 miles on it, and the mechanic said it is in great shape and well worth keeping in good repair, he said he wouldn't be surprised if we could get another 50,000 out of it. And Debbie's Scion (made by Toyota) has almost 80,000 miles on it and hasn't given us any trouble. Contrast the Toyota's with the Caravan -- which by 70,000 miles had had not one but two new power steering pumps, not one but two replaced serpentine belts, a replaced idler pully, a replaced starter and a replaced water pump (all seven of these BROKE and stopped the car dead in its tracks each time), major work on the air conditioner, three repairs on the door locks, a replaced power window, a dead rear-window defroster, and replaced shocks. Of course, I don't mind regular maintenance, such as replacing spark plugs every 70,000 miles, changing oil and filters, new batteries, bulbs, wiper blades, tires, and even maintaining the brakes every 75,000 miles or so, -- on any of the cars. (The Oldsmobile gobbled brakes like a starving Rottwelier gobbles burglars: we were replacing the brake pads every 20,000 miles for a while, and had to turn the rotors several times before we finally sold the thing at 180,000 miles. No one could explain why the Cutlass Cruisers were so hard on brakes once they passed 90,000 miles...) Oh, and to be fair and honest, during the inspection today on the Camry, the mechanic found a loose connection where the exhaust system enters the catalytic converter. He welded a shim onto it which should fix that problem permanently. Anyway, we now have new tie-rods on the Camry, four new tires, alignment, fixed exhaust system, and a new state inspection sticker. Just under one grand. After the grand and a half on the van last month, our old cars had better stay running a while. If you're thinking of getting a new car, allow me to recommend the Toyota brand. We never thought twice about repairing cars, until owning three Toyotas has shown us that, yes, someone somewhere, really can design and manufacture a car that lasts... and lasts, and lasts...