My friends 2011 Corolla developed a bad noise, he had it checked and it was determined timing chain (233,000 miles). He didn’t want to pay the $3000 to fix so I gave him $1500 and a 85 Nisson truck. WELL after putting a recommended quart of trans fluid in it was quieter, then checking further I saw the oil sending unit squirting out the fluid I had just put in. I pulled dipstick and dry as a bone!! (I drove it home 17 miles!!). So $22 sending unit, 5 quarts of oil, purrs like a kitten. Checked trans and it didn’t show on stick (1-1/2 quarts to get to mark) I think I came out real good on this car! DMV assed value was $6000. He cheaped out on a lot with this car but I’ll get it back to nice again, no rust or dings. Opinions?

Great score. Shame on the previous owner for the neglect. The timing chains on those engines should last/ outlast the rest of the car. Take care of it and enjoy- no car payment, stone cold reliability and fantastic fuel economy. Should have reasonable insurance cost as well.

Flip it. Toyotas are a horrible car to have to drive in, but they are a great flip because so many people have been convinced they have to have one.

I flipped a 60k mile Camry a few years back. A roll of roofing fell from 3 stories when our vendor was loading the roof and landed on the hood. It smashed the hood, fenders, and windshield. The vendors insurance paid for the car, and the family of the elderly owner told me to keep it because they were trying to get grandma to quit driving. I found a same color front clip, had it delivered to my nephews body shop, he bolted it on and replaced the windshield. Then I had it puffed and buffed and drove it for a week. I couldn't for the life of me figured out why anybody would want to drive one. I suppose they've never driven anything decent and Consumer Reports says they need a Toyota.

So I put it on Craigslist for $300 under retail and my phone rang off the hook. The first guy to show up paid full price in cash and was happy as a tornado in a trailer park. Easiest sale ever, no tire kickers or low ballers.

Yeah totally, flip it, get yourself some unreliable piece of crap that needs constant work and is worth its weight in scrap instead. Great advice

You couldn't pay me to drive a Toiletta, flip it ASAP! Toiletta fanboys love that junk for some reason, I have never been able to figure it out...

Rhino- what's not to love about this portion of my above reply:?
"No car payment, stone cold reliability and fantastic fuel economy. Should have reasonable insurance cost as well."
I like my daily drivers to be pure low cost and practical and that way they free up $$ for the sexy car and other life needs.

What is your quality of life worth? It's like driving a low end home appliance.

I'm not a Toyota fanboy by any means, but having a reliable daily when you need one is something I understand.
I've never thought of Toyotas as sporty or particularly desirable - and for along time now, IMO they've been universally ugly - but they've earned a reputation for reliability that the public responds to.
And that's kept their market value up, new or used. Ex-GF and my younger brother swear by 'em.

Completely agree. Don't even like em in the driveway long enough for the pizza kid to walk my delivery to my door.

Because it is a low end appliance. A lot like the large girl at closing time......she'll get the job done but you would rather not have anyone see you take her home.

Some funny responses! I’m a little tight getting in but ok once in it but it drives real nice, plenty of visibility. As far as flipping it not going to happen, after driving the ram van 5 years (34,000 miles) getting 13 mpg I think I’ll get used to the 30-35 mpg going from point a to b. For fun I’ll drive the SRT, 64 Savoy, 73 Cuda, 70 Duster, 88 Ram, 79 Lil Red, oh I have some choices I think. Oops Forgot the 65 plym, and 06 3500 diesel Ram

I agree

With all the technology and crap that's been added over the years why is it the most struggle to get 20 MPG. Bought the wife a Ford escape, 4 cyl turboed and while it was fun to drive 17MPG with her (NOT ME) driving it.
I have been buying full size Pickups since 92 and 15 MPG in town is about it. 30 years later still 15 MPG. Look at a turbo'ed 6, still 15 MPG, looked at a smaller Dakota, Colorado type truck 16 MPG.
Her current 💩box gets about 22 I think. turboed 4 banger that is gutless. Ok around town but i sure as h-ll wouldn't take it to Colorado.
But I clearly remember the earl mid eighties Mazda's, Mitsubishi, Datsun/ Nissans, toyota's doing 28 or so in town and mid to high 30's on road trips running 75-80MPH with the A/C on AND OMG CARBURETORS.
If i could buy a new 85 mazda 626 and extended cab pickup right now I'd be all in, So I'll side with the OP on this one

"Never been able to figure it out"

Millions and millions of intelligent consumers seem to know something you are "unable to figure it out" Maybe the smart people want a daily driver that they don't have to rebuild the front end on every 25k or need put 5 transmissions in the same truck.
But hey that is why they make different makes of cars You buy what you want and I drive what I want.

Happy motoring Jim

Gus

i have a 09 Jetta with a 2.5 5 cylinder 6 speed auto. it gets about 25 in the city around 30 on the highway. it does have good power also.
i did convert it into a PU truck.
OLD pic from last year.

I suspect none of those wonderful vehicles that the "intelligent consumers" love so much would fair any better, and most likely would have never have survived doing what Rinodart's truck has done for him. When you load up work trucks and make them work, they need repairs.

Its easy to talk crap if all you do is commute to a job someplace 30 miles from home on decent roads, and then go back home. Hook it up to a 6,000lbs trailer with two 5,000lbs cars on it, haul cars like them across the country several times for a few years, then report back how your wonderful Toyota has done.

I know a few people that own those so called wonderful cars, they are not trouble free. The difference is the dealers treat the new car buyers very well when the break down (which is just as often as any other car). The poor guy that buts them 2nd hand sure pays the bills, but they don't seem to complain like the owners of the American made cars do.

Lots of guys here just hate Toyota...that is only because they enjoy the company of their local service departments manager and the free popcorn while sitting in the waiting room waiting for their junk to get fixed. 315K on my hated Toyota and it has NEVER (that is correct...never) been back to the dealer. I get that some guys just like to spend money and work on their junk as it gives them something to do. The 1.8 liter Toyota is pretty much bullet proof, but go ahead and get a Dodge Dart so you have something to do.

You guys act like Toyota has a Monopoly on reliability. That's just not so.

I know some of those "intelligent" Toyota driver should go into the dealership for brake job and come out with their wallets lightened by with an extra $3500 of credit card debt.

There are lots of stupid people in the world. You think Dodge dealers don't fleece anyone?

I can safely say that my $95K Hellcat does not have the fit and finish quality of my $30K Honda.

I was fortunate to have a mechanic next door to my shop for the last 25 years. Really knows his stuff and reasonably priced, weeks to get your stuff in the door. I have learned what to stay far away from and what is great. Toys Hondas Subaroos are long lasting vehicles, had a Prious with 386,000 miles with engine miss (original batteries) turns out a frayed injector wire, still getting up. If you want a car that will eat you alive buy a Range Rover, cam sensor was 5 grand and took a month to get! He will tell you ANY domestic new car is junk right now. I had to buy a SnapOn scanner box to keep my 2015 SRT out of the dealers shop with all the codes that keep coming up (31,000 miles) out of warranty. Codes started the month after that. Tell me that’s not programmed into the computer. As far as the brake job costing big $$, anytime going to ANY dealer will cost big. Hook up to their machine is a flat $175, then $125 an hour and triple $ for parts. Buy something to stay away from them.