8th Jun 2009, 14:46
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
I agree. But I was not offered any Fords - just this Toyota and the rest were Daimlers (yet offered at a GM dealer). I knew they were in financial trouble, and the finances person at that GM dealer was trying to get me a Lincoln Town Car. I said, "Yeah right," and left to get the Toyota from the dealer that offered the Toyota.
10th Jun 2009, 14:44
What terrain do you drive on. I have mountains and like your random 70k fits all on brake wear. Is being safe not sorry a reckless view.
11th Jun 2009, 22:36
I'm a mechanic, and there is nothing "unsafe" about driving any car until it actually NEEDS brakes. Also, I didn't say 70,000 miles, I said we generally go 100,000 on a set of brake pads. Only our Honda and Mazda required brakes before 70,000, but imports have very under-engineered brakes. We live in rolling, mostly level terrain, but know how to drive to prolong brake wear in any terrain. We'd get the same brake wear in the Rockies. It's simply a matter of knowing how to drive. We've vacationed in both the Rockies and the Smokies and the use of our brakes was no greater there than at home.
As for people motivated by fear to spend money needlessly, shops and dealerships have a field day with people like that. That's why I encourage car owners to at least know when you need BASIC maintenance rather than allowing yourself to be taken. If a shop said "You need brakes", do you have the ability to actually LOOK at them and tell?? If not, you're a sitting duck with "SUCKER" written all over you.
12th Jun 2009, 18:51
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE:
To comment 43 (9th Jun 2009, 23:12) -
"I had AutoZone scan the code and it was "leak in EVAP system". In layman's language that means "nothing to worry about, just the dealer wanting to charge you $500". I just reset the light and went on my way. The rest of the inspection I did revealed nothing. No low fluids, no worn brake pads... nothing."
If your point is that sometimes lights go on to get you to go to the dealer, that is fine. But if you are not mechanically inclined, and your owner's manual is not of much use to you because of that, how do you know if something is truly wrong or not?
I understand a car is a machine and it will break down, but you don't know if the light is a "false alarm" or a "problem".
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To comment 44 (10th Jun 2009, 14:44) -
"What terrain do you drive on. I have mountains and like your random 70k fits all on brake wear. Is being safe not sorry a reckless view."
I would RATHER be safe than sorry. As much as I hate to admit it, I would rather sit in the dealer's shop or a rental car than on my way to work at night on the side of a dark, windy interstate.
But, brakes can go out at any time. My friend has an 80's Ford F-250 whose brakes went out about 300 miles after he had replaced them. He was METICULOUS about maintenance on his truck - and that was why he did it himself. He did everything from tire rotations to oil changes to fixing the air conditioner - he even installed a three-inch lift kit and designed his own camper for the truck. I may just have contradicted myself, but, nevertheless, while pulling a 5000 pound utility trailer with a ton of bricks in the bed going downhill, of course the brakes will go out. I know - I had to drive him home as he got his truck towed. He claims that since he bought it in 1994 that that was the ONLY time he needed to be towed because he had been stranded - but the truck was beyond its limits.
I don't care if you're a Ford person or a Porsche person, or a Honda person or a Schwinn person, you have a machine and it will break if it is put beyond its capabilities. It is like if you slide into home base and break a leg - your body was not designed for that.
I know I'm rambling but I think it is better to be safe than sorry.
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To comment 45 (11th Jun 2009, 22:36) -
"There is nothing "unsafe" about driving any car until it actually NEEDS brakes... That's why I encourage car owners to at least know when you need BASIC maintenance rather than allowing yourself to be taken."
True - but how do you KNOW it needs brakes unless you have them checked? My brakes might be fine on Monday when I go to Toyota for service, and they may fail the next Wednesday. They may be perfect for 8000 miles - you don't know. That's why maintenance is the key to the life of a car. Some people trade cars every year, some keep them a decade, and some keep them for life.
As far as knowing when I need basic maintenance, I rely on the odometer. Every 4,000 miles (my Toyota mechanic said I only need to go every 4K instead of 3K) I drive in for service.
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For those out there who are following my reliability, I had another failure on my car. On Tuesday, June 9, I had a flat tire - DUE TO A BAD VALVE STEM. The kicker is - I had just gotten my tires rotated at Toyota that morning. I was at a store and noticed the tire was low on air. "I will just put air in when I get home," I told myself. Well, I went back in to get something I had forgotten, and came out to find the tire completely flat. So, I got it towed to Pep Boys. The mechanic plugged the reader into the tire (I have no idea how) and it immediately said that it was a valve stem.
7th Jun 2009, 11:16
"It is my philosophy that a car will last as long as you want it to as long as you replace the parts"
I basically agree, but differ on the "parts" that one has to replace. We've had to replace far fewer "parts" on our Big Three cars than on our imports.
Our Mazda (built in Japan before Ford took over and upped the quality) had the engine replaced at 84,000 miles. That's one "part" but a very BIG one.
Same with our Honda. An engine failure at 99,000 miles. We DIDN'T replace that one, we junked it and bought a Ford.
Our 1975 Ford made 325,000+ miles with only a muffler, hoses, a starter and three brake jobs. More "parts" but MUCH CHEAPER parts.
Our 1977 Buick made 277,000+ miles with ZERO "parts" beyond brakes, belts and hoses. Again, much less expense.
Our 1990 Dodge was sold in perfect condition at 240,000+ miles. It had had two brake jobs, two timing belts and one hose. Again, virtually no expense at all.
Replacing a few minor parts in domestics is far, far cheaper than an engine every 80,000-90,000 miles in an import.
We buy AMERICAN. We encourage you to as well. Our economy needs your support.