Faults:

Nothing major so far. The tranny shifts a little hard when the car is cold.. Gotta let the baby warm up a bit in the winter time.

General Comments:

1. Great on gas.

2. Cheap parts.

3. If you take care of it, it will last a long long time.

4. Will not leave you stranded.

I got mine for 650$ -- I put about 600$ into it.. So far so good.. 5000k - no issues besides the tranny at very cold temperatures.

Faults:

Purchased car April 2006 with 193k on it from a friend and her family. Rarely was this car ever even maintained.

215,000k the speakers started to crap out so I replaced all four with Sony Xplods.

260,000k belts and tune up.

275,000k set new tires/brakes.

300,000k starting leaking/burning about 2qts of oil per week, didn't effect performance much.

341,000k car totaled by drunk driver.

General Comments:

I bought this car for $1000 for my first car when I was fifteen. I put that poor little through hell and back. Not only did I put 150,000k on that car in two years, but most of that mileage was from delivering pizza in high school and the early part of college. NEVER ever once did that car ever fail to start or leave me stranded anywhere!

It was surely no Supra, but was quick enough, and the gas mileage was unbelievable, about 35-42 mpg! The car was built well, although looked cheap. The 4spd automatic was paired well with the car.

I can't say that it was really a looker, but after adding a rear spoiler, clear front signals, a brushed metal dash kit, new metallic paint-job, and alloys from a 96 Celica, honestly it didn't look bad.

IF and NOT WHEN this car breaks down, most of the repairs can be done yourself with just a Chilton repair manual and a Sunday afternoon. And changing the oil/filter takes 5min flat (minus time to drain).

This car was just so amazing in my eyes that nothing will ever compare. I would still be driving it if it weren't for a drunk driver plowing into a parking lot. My 2001 Elantra with 66k is getting traded in tomorrow... for another Tercel! This one is the base/standard model. Doesn't even have power steering, a passenger mirror, only 2 speakers, 3spd automatic, and not as good-looking as my Elantra... but clearly better. I've had endless problems and headaches with the Elantra, so I'm going back to a basic tranporter.

Although not as nice as my first, my new Tercel will fill the gap. Plus, since it's only got 110k, it'll be like starting out new again.

Faults:

Had a head gasket issue at 125,000 miles, which was mishandled by mechanic, resulting in a cracked block. :( Had to replace engine - got a used one with 25,000 miles on it for $1000. Never had another problem, other than routine wear, such as CV boots, fuel filter, catalytic converter, etc.

Engine noise increased with heavy acceleration after about 200,000 miles, but what do you expect?

Several interior lights stopped working eventually (dome light, gear indicator light, etc) but I'm sure would have been easy to fix if I had cared.

General Comments:

I LOVE this car! My family talked me into getting a new car in 2007, and I love it, but I still miss my Tercel. I couldn't sell it for any amount of money, so I gave it to a friend, who is still driving it. It must have close to 260,000 miles on it now, and of their two cars, it is still the "reliable" one they use for road trips.

And I was not nice to that car - I drove it hard! I bought it when I was in high school, a year after I got my license. I used it to deliver pizzas. I took it on countless 600-plus mile road trips, and one from Seattle to San Diego and back. I used it to move several times. I had muddy dogs in it. I start fast, and I stop fast. I'm horrible about changing the oil, and I think I got a tune-up maybe twice the whole eleven years I owned it.

Someone tried to steal it several times, and each time (including the one when they completely removed the steering column cover and hot-wired it) the steering wheel locked and thwarted them.

It handled ten times better than my 2007 Mazda 3 in the snow. With chains on, you'd think it was AWD.

The seats showed very little wear, even from the dogs.

Anytime something did need fixed, it was never more than $200 at the most to fix it (except the engine issue mentioned above). Used parts were readily available at junkyards, and new parts were easy to come by as well.

And the gas mileage!!! The last road trip I took in it (at twelve years old and 240,000 miles), it got 40 mpg on the freeway! Hybrids don't actually get that kind of gas mileage!

I loved that little car like a family member, and still do. I vowed that I would never let it die - if my friend ever doesn't want it anymore, I will take it back in a heartbeat.