It speaks volumes when a car manufacturer creates a tribute to a critic. Toyota UK released this video, titled “Jeremy’s best bits…” which pays homage to all of the work and abuse…especially abuse…that Clarkson put in reviewing Toyota products. It’s not that Clarkson has been exactly kind to the company, but anybody familiar with Top Gear’s Toyota Hilux and the crucible that it was put through knows that Clarkson respected the brand overall. No doubt this will stir up more angry debate in regards to Jeremy’s firing (like there isn’t enough already in the world) but knowing that Toyota saw fit to give Clarkson a tribute just adds to the legend of the man.
(Courtesy: CarThrottle)
Interesting tidbit:
The “indestructible Hilux” was equipped with Toyota’s 2.2-liter 2L-T engine, which is widely considered the least reliable engine they’ve ever made. So unreliable that several Toyota Diesel specialists I’ve known have recommended the 3.0-Liter 3Vz-FE with its built in head gasket issues and exhaust travel overheating issues over the 2L family. I kid you not.
It survived all that abuse.
On the other hand, that video supplied my whole generation of junkyard parts hunters with plenty of accessible upgrade parts because people saw those videos and said: “It’s a Toyota, it’s indestructible!” and ceased to change their oil or perform maintenance.
Sorry mate but your wrong and they are 2.4 litre diesels
They also will never over heat if you put a slightly larger exhaust on them
Most 2lts here in nz make it well past 400 000 ks which is pretty bloody indestructible if you ask me
I personally think this whole `Toyotas are indestructible and reliable’ thing is one of the biggest misinformation campaigns out there, based purely on personal experience…wife has an early 90’s Celica that goes through half shafts, CV joints, engines and auto trans like most people go thru clean undies.. it just sits up her driveway with its latest blown engine… she loves it and wont part with it though. Next her brother had a string of TA22 Celicas that just continually do clutches, diffs and engines. Several people at work with newer Toyotas think nothing of $1,000 services every few months; they’ve been brainwashed to think this is normal and call them reliable…well if I threw a grand at my old cars every couple of months normal is not the word I’d be thinking of….
Really the same can be said of any automotive manufacturer. Sometimes they have a bad generation of a design, or flaws in the metal qualities of a batch of parts. My own experience when I was a GM fan was that everybody replaced their water pumps every month, and that electrical gremlins plagued everybody or that transmission seals lasted only as far as you could throw them. Turns out it was just GM in the 90s.
On the other hand, the only problems I’ve had with any of my Toyotas has been ones caused by myself directly or previous owners. Nothing has failed on either of my vehicles due to design of the parts or their manufacture, plus basic service parts are accessible and easy to replace.
Subarus are supposed to be reliable, but my friend’s elderly mother’s car is on its fourth engine and it needs new CVs every 20,00 miles. Is it a problem of the manufactuer, or something caused by the specific vehicle? Who can say?
To blanket condemn a brand based on anecdotal evidence concerning a single vehicle while the majority of empirical evidence seems to indicate the opposite flies in the face of logic.
I haven’t opened a Toyota (or any other import for that matter) since the late 80’s. Up until then I was a Toyota Fanboi, owning over a dozen of them ( mostly pickups). Only one truck gave me trouble with the carb but overall were pretty reliable. Just rust was the main enemy especially living in the northeast.
The other manufacturers should do the same.