Faults:

New CV joints every 3 years or so.

Patched windshield at 131,000.

Partial gear box failure at 162,000 which was prohibitively expensive to repair.

General Comments:

This was my first car, and we did truly obscene things to it, like not changing the oil for 8 months, and driving it with no oil at all for nearly 400 miles total. Any other car would have become scrap, but the Toyota didn't seem to mind the punishment at all!

Like most Toyota wagons in my experience, it handled very well for a wagon due to the responsive steering, but was underpowered for steep hills and high altitude work.

The 4 wheel drive was a dream come true. Between backwoods Montana and Flagstaff Arizona I put it through snow, ice, slush, hail, and light offroading. At times, my Tercel became the cold weather taxi for drivers afraid to take their fully decked offroading Jeeps on the icy roads.

I can't imagine a more reliable car. Perfect for a high school kid or college student.

Faults:

One transmission.

4 windshield's.

Body/Floor rusted out almost completely, had to repair numerous times.

Seat wear.

Handbrake snaps every winter.

Speedometer cable seized.

Horn died 3 times.

8 CV joints.

6 ball joints.

4 Front wheel bearings.

Rear door handles no longer function. Siezed.

Rear tail door-lock non functioning.

General Comments:

This/These cars were the most amazing little things that Toyota have ever produced. I've used mine from rally practice in the winter, to mud bogger in the summer, to going over 185km/h to heck and back.

Great in snow, dirt, mud, just watch out for her low ground clearance.

Easy on gas, ample power for a small old simple engine.

Plenty of cargo capacity.