Do you want a long-lasting, low-maintenance, and dependable car? Then get a Toyota. That’s what throngs of different auto repair technicians will tell you. Pretty much any car that comes off a Toyota assembly line has a high chance of serving you well. At least higher when compared to other brands with persistent issues.
Sometimes, however, waters can get muddied when you’re attempting to buy a car. Maybe you find a deal on another brand that’s too good to pass up. So you start to perform mental gymnastics to justify why buying that wouldn’t be such a bad deal after all. And then, maybe, you see stories about low-mileage Toyota vehicles going into shops. On top of that, perhaps you see other tales of 2024 Toyota Tacomas with transmission issues.
This may lead you to think: Maybe Toyotas aren’t that reliable after all? But one should keep in mind that there are also tons of stories involving the JDM brand like the one below.
A video posted by auto tech and TikToker @just_maxright, shows how far a 2018 Toyota has gone with just a single repair. Max’s clip accrued over 34,000 views, which is a fraction of the miles clocked on this car’s odometer.
Proper maintenance
In a caption for the video, Max writes, “622k on the 18 Camry. Only repair was a water pump at 570k. If you treat them right they won’t quit.”
Max begins his video by walking around the dark grey 2018 Camry, seemingly in awe of the car’s durability.
“2018 A25a Hybrid,” he says. He paces the perimeter of the car.
“Over half a million miles,” he says, quickly opening and closing the door to turn on the dash. The display reads 622,048 miles. “So I don’t wanna hear sh-t about new Toyotas suck.”
The TikToker posted his clip as a means of combating the “low quality” narrative attached to newer vehicles made by the Japanese auto manufacturer. The Daily Dot has previously reported on other TikTokers who’ve called into question the quality of legendarily dependable brands. Namely, Honda, Lexus, and Toyota are being accused of suffering from off-the-line issues and a dip in manufacturing prowess.
@just_maxright 622k on the 18 camry only repair was a water pump at 570k if you treat then right they wont quit #toyota #camry #foryou ♬ original sound – just_Maxright
Another social media user has stated that there’s an inherent issue with Toyota’s new V6 twin-turbo engine. The block, which has replaced the majority of the brand’s V8, has come under criticism from gear heads. Purportedly, the redesigned engine leads to more issues and requires more maintenance and upkeep than the V8. Some have said that this is just the nature of turbocharged engines in general, however.
Depreciating investment
Nearly every single car purchase is clocked as a poor asset to have by financial analysts. This is due to the nature of how quickly vehicles depreciate: many drop as much as 20% in value within the first year.
If you’re trying to squeeze as much value out of your car as possible or to save money in general, go with a reputable brand. Some analysts might tell you to avoid buying a vehicle altogether if you don’t need one. But for many Americans, having a car is a necessity. So ensuring you have one that lasts as long as possible is one way to ensure you’re holding onto your cash.
One way of doing that, according to Dave Ramsey, is to avoid buying new when possible. In fact, Yahoo Finance quoted him as saying that only folks with $1 million net worth or more should ever purchase a brand new vehicle cash. He added that individuals who got it like that should be doing so with cash.
For others who don’t fall into that category, thoroughly researched used vehicles with a proven reliability track record are the name of the game. Toyotas generally fit this bill. Customers can benefit from mitigating a Toyotas depreciation, maybe picking up a three-year-old lease returned to a lot for a discount. And then, with regular maintenance, drive that thing into the ground. Hopefully, they’ll be able to rack up as much mileage as the Camry in Max’s video.
TikTokers clapped back
Numerous folks who responded to Max’s video, however, stated that the newer models TikTokers have been complaining about don’t include 2018s. “New Toyotas won’t achieve that this is a 2018…” one penned.
Another echoed, “Well people aren’t complain about 2018 Toyota’s. They are complaining about the 2025 models.”
However, Max stated that the A25a engine base is still being used in a ton of different Toyota vehicles. This means that if this 2018 Toyota could go 622,000 miles with only a single repair, other A25a models can too.
“A25a is current gen for most of Toyota vehicles the rav4 Camry sienna so yeah they will be able to do this if you maintain them,” he wrote.
One person brought up the issue of problematic Tacomas: “Bro forgot about the recall on the tacoma/4runner axles.”
However, Max said that the recall wasn’t as serious as some made them out to be. In fact, he went so far as to call the entire recall laughable. “The recall’s a joke all you do is check for weld spatter and tighten the bolts never seen one fail,” he says.
The TikToker also added that the car that he worked on was airtight underneath, too. “Not a single leak under it just got a new tire,” he penned.
Someone else agreed with Max’s sentiment. “Toyota’s are not perfect, but if you simply do the maintenance it can last well beyond 200k.”
Whereas another person shared their own high-mileage Toyota odometer reading. “Dear lord that car has run twice as much as my dads 350k 1999 Toyota Tacoma.”
Another commenter said that their 2017 Camry was Uber-driver approved. “Uber driver here with a 2017 Camry. I approve this message.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Toyota via email and Max via TikTok comment for further information.
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