2002 Toyota Camry LE from North America
Faults:
I have owned 2 Toyota's with manual transmissions for 15 years, and never had to replace a clutch under 100K miles.
I got a 2002 Camry, and had to replace the clutch at 15K. Dealer said it was operator error.
At 44k the clutch went again. I had an independent mechanic fix it, and he told me that Toyota had replaced the original pressure plate part with a new one, because they were having problems with the original one. I will let you know what Toyota says about this.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 10th April, 2006
1st Jan 2006, 21:00
Did you ever think that the problems with your Toyota might be due to faulty components, as opposed to where the vehicle was made? Faulty components are what your problems sound like to me, based on everything you described, and Toyota's recent track record. If I were you, I would personally consider myself lucky that you got that many miles out of your car without the engine blowing from Toyota's long running engine-sludge/head-gasket defect.
I agree that the new Toyotas are not at all up to the standards of the older models, but I do not blame where they are built. Toyota was having problems with head gaskets long before they started being built outside of Japan. There are also widespread and well documented (but of course not widely reported) "design" problems with Toyota's OBDII engine control systems.
Toyota's OBDII design flaw, and subsequent misrepresentation of their system to the EPA, led to Toyota being levying a heavy fine, and a number of 1996 - 1999 Toyota miles being mandated to on several models have their evaporative emissions warranties extended to 150,000 miles, to give custumers recourse for the defect. You can look any of these things up, as well as well as numbers of other design defects. You just will not hear about them in the news.
I know many people who have been burned by both of these above mentioned, as well as many other Toyota problems. Naturally, they could not believe it when they happened, because they actually believed a Toyota could never have a problem, let alone a major one.
This nonsensical notion that Toyota is infallible is a myth, and this naive rationalization of any problems with Toyotas being blamed on the fact that some of them are now made in the US, coming from Americans...well, that just sad. I guess your next car will be a Nissan or Honda. Enjoy freedom while it lasts.