Faults:

My Brakes needed to be replaced after 55k.

Factory recall for rust-proofing in cabin floor.

Rear-defroster broke (replaced under warranty).

General Comments:

I bought this car new; my first Toyota. I was amazed at the operating cost (very cheap in maintenance and quite inexpensive in fuel).

I'm 6'5" and fit quite comfortably in the car. My original choice had been a 2001 Corolla, but I couldn't fit in it, despite it being slightly bigger.

The seating isn't great for long trips. There isn't an armrest, which got annoying after a while.

Knowing full well how small this car is, I must say that I found the car to be underpowered, especially in acceleration. Despite it's 5-speed manual transmission (certainly better than the automatic versions I've driven), it certainly lacked any ability to pass vehicles on the highway or simply accelerate up hills. Forget any form of power with more than two people in the car.

I must say, however, that the ECHO is an amazing, cheap, roomy, compact. Many of my friends have also purchased them and found them great for students and in the city.

Faults:

My wife and I purchased our first Toyota ever and wow are we ever disappointed.

When we first purchased it we had problems: the fan cable breaking and a part in the front end. Most recently though, and the reason I am writing to you, our brakes wore out.

According to almost all other Toyota drives of other models, theirs last at least to 110,000. When we went to the local Toyota dealer in Prince George with a brake light blinking, they said it could not be the brakes, proceeded to top up the brake fluid and sent my family and I back onto the road with the advise to come back to them and book an appointment if the problem persists.

We went to a brake shop for a second opinion as out families lives are obviously more value to me then Toyota. The brake pads were as thick as a $5 bill. We immediately made an appointment with the brake shop and had them replaced the next morning.

When we brought the proof back to the service people they claimed they could not have known and they were not to blame, would not even give a sorry. Same with the service manager, and the sales manager (whose daughter was the day before person that said we would be fine).

My wife and I feel obligated to let the public know that the brakes go, according to 8 other Echo owners between 50,000 and 64,000 km unlike an other traditional Toyota, so please get them checked independently, not at your dealer.

They don't seem to care about your families safety and apparently, neither does Toyota by putting weak brakes in the Echo.