They are good but like nearly everything, they could be better.
I replaced my stock brakes at about 40k because they were constantly noisy and because of a slight pulse, probably from a warped rotor. Based on a suggestion from another Mud member, I ended up putting on Hawk pads and Centric...
Check the couple of members on this forum who work in the parts department of some dealers: beno, Sam Stewart, are two I know of.
I've also used Camelback Toyota in AZ who used to be a supporting vendor. Looks like they no longer are but still have good prices online.
Many online dealers...
If you register on the Toyota Owners website it has the owners manuals available for download. The actual manual is broken up into several sections but you can probably download them all and merge the pdf files together.
Most dealership sales and service departments run independent of one another; you could have an excellent sales experience but end up with lousy service after the sale, and likewise, you could have a bad sales experience but the service department shines.
If you want to build a relationship...
Have you considered contacting one of the 1200 other Toyota dealers in the US? Call or email every dealer within 500 miles of you and see what they come back with. I'm sure there's one of them that would be happy to sell you an LC and Rav4.
According to my service manual, it's held on by four bolts and 3 clips. At least for the 2008-2010 edition. I can't imagine it would be different for the newer ones.
I think it's pretty robust and could hold some small lights. Let's just say it didn't come off when it smashed into the header...
Here is the condensed version of the Toyota literature (US-spec):
2009: Carried over unchanged with the exception of factory privacy glass on side and rear quarter windows.
2010: Added a few enhancements for 2010 model year including the addition of privacy glass on the rear hatch and Safety...
So I was getting a tire repaired at Les Schwab and asked about cars that only take one set. They confirmed that they can clone the stock stem IDs and assign those IDs to their generic stems.
Orange Electronics (and others) make valve stems that "clone" your existing valve stem IDs. That way you end up having two sets of valve stems without the need for dealer reprogramming every tire swap. May be worth a look.
I agree with elkaholic. The rear tires would be a big red flag for me. The wobbling side mirror is another common issue; there is a TSB for it that involves replacing the mounting bolts.
With the 200-series selling in such low numbers, you're probably going to have to travel a bit to get one...
Overall, it looks like the 200 is pretty darn reliable, at least based on threads here.
As noted above, the drive shaft clunk is common on the earlier vehicles. There also tends to be a few complaints about brakes being weak. But that is a very easy fix.
Some outlier issues have been fuel...
At the advice of Brain (bjowett) I replaced my stock setup with Centric rotors and Hawk pads and have been very impressed. Not a peep out of them so far (about 6k miles on them now).
I'm pretty sure Brian sells a set of upgraded brakes so that's probably worth a look if you want better...
Edit: Vehicle has been sold!
Magnetic Grey Metallic exterior and Dark Grey leather interior.
Asking Price: SOLD
Location: Spokane, WA
- One-owner
- Full service records since new
- No accidents or body work. There are obviously a few small scrapes and scratches with the biggest being a...
With an accident on the carfax, that feels high to me too. Personally, I would be willing to travel a bit to find a car with either fewer miles or no accident, especially if you plan on keeping it for a long time.