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by shadowbannedtoo 2681 days ago
Yea, older Toyotas are really dependable. Late 80's, and early 90's are dead simple. Make sure it's a manual tranny.

I'm in the process of buying a newer car/truck for a family member, and it's depressing. So many sensors, and computers that dealership mechanics barely comprehend.

I understand it's for emissions, but so many of those sensors are for comfort systems, and selling gizmos. The problem being is when they malfunction. A dealership mechanic will not tell a customer we are basically learning on your new computer on wheels, but they put that in the price to fix.

I went to automotive school in the ninties, and these new vechicles still scare me.

My trusty Snap-on Mt2500 is practically useless on newer vechicles.

And there will ge the guy whom claims, "I just plug a scan tool in, and that lovely system (CAN Bus system, and multiple computers), just spit out a PID, and the fix is found."

It's just so much more complicated.

On a positive note, my New Years resolution is trying to master these new electrical systems.

There's a market for a simple vechicle, like older Toyotas.

I don't see any company offering a simple vechicle? And yes, I understand emissions are a problem, but it doesn't seem like an impossible problem to get a manual four banger, with just the basics on the market.

And I won't get started on automatic transmission problems.

Sorry for the rant.

1 comments

lol simple vehicle? maybe a lada niva (not sold in the US I think?) nothing fancy but easy to fix
I wish vehicles like that were available in the US. I'm afraid the market for them might be tiny. Americans often view their cars as an extension of themselves and their lifestyle rather than a utility.