How many of you have basically never had any serious issue with your 80's? (11 Viewers)

How much maintenance have you done on your 80?

  • Practically none, <$1000. No serious issues at all.

    Votes: 89 50.0%
  • Between $1001-$2000.

    Votes: 36 20.2%
  • Between $2001-$3000.

    Votes: 18 10.1%
  • Between $3001-$4000.

    Votes: 8 4.5%
  • More than $4001 dollars.

    Votes: 27 15.2%

  • Total voters
    178

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Not counting base lining all fluids.
Total parts broken. Two. Front drive shaft. Original. Started vibrating. Replaced at 210K
Water pump. Original. leaking. Replaced at 190.
And that's it.
Oh, and had to replace the little copper connector in the starter. Didn't strand me. I figured what was up. Smacked the starter with a stick a couple times and shed start right up. My brother thought I was the Fonz.
What's that? $500?
Owned 6 years and 70,000 miles. Just turned 220,000 yesterday.
Original hg.


I'm going to put two grand in maintenance into her next week. Basically the timing chain and stuff. I'm not doing that myself. If I could it'd be about $400 in parts. Easy come, easy go. After that I'm good to go.

Cheaper than owning a Pius! I mean Prius.....
 
I bought my Cruiser in the summer of 2003, with 118,300 miles on it. I'm the third owner. The first was a female senior citizen in south Florida, and the second was a young couple with kids. The Cruiser now has 240,500 miles on it.

It left me stranded once (dead battery), I love my Cruiser.
 
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Bought in 2012 with 150k.

All maintenance items aside from:
Oil pump cover gasket resulting in a LOT of oil. Had to fix that.
Grinding noise from front drivers wheel, turned out that the PO/whoever rebuilt the axle didn't torque bearing nut preload correctly, thrust washer grinding against the bearing.

Was only stranded once when the thing wouldn't hold idle. Checked everything, couldn't find the problem. Randomly disconnected the battery to install a new head unit and when I fired her up to move her, the idle was fixed. (Assumed it was an ECU glitch).
 
I am glad this exists. As a new 80 series owner doing my own head job right now it has been nothing but warning, doom and gloom. I hope to take mine across the US in May to Moab. I don't mind good preventative maint, but for a bit I was worried I had an unreliable toyota... I realize that can be an oxymoron but it appeared that way. Hopefully I will have mine up and going soon to start prepping for Moab.
 
Never stranded. 1 year on 95 FZJ and 17k of driving for a total of 208k. Radiator x2. Once the baseline is done the OCD troll subsides(sort of):poof:
 
my two have been 100% reliable, I have really only spent money on PM and mods. Never been stranded. I am about to start work on our third fzj that I bought with a blown HG due to a bad radiator hose.
 
97 LC. bought in 2004 with 130K. no Maintenance records but PO had been in wreck pulling trailer - bad enough to pull out the eyes on the hitch for the the safety chains. Multiple body work including replaced drivers door. I used it as construction truck hauling lumber, sacks of concrete... anything inside. Tow 6000 lb boat. I admit I poorly maintained it. Installed CNG at 200K back in 2010. Never stranded. Replaced radiator last year with blue hub mod fan clucth, had to beat out the tranny pan. it was smashed in by PO in the wreck and the dents restricted backing up power. New coil at 190K New starter, new alternator, replace tie rod ends. Replaced exhaust gaskets between Cats, and muffler. Original exhaust. never had an alignment. new calipers /disks... one time. Never done HG, or PHH, or any other of those pesky quirks. Needs front main seal, oil pump gasket, dizzy o ring. just did my lx, parts are waiting on shelf for me to do the LC. Threw a 402 code this year and it was carbon build up in port that passes through intake casting. Birfs are gone and I will be doing those next spring. Shocks and springs are toast and I will lift 2" when I do birfs. My DD is an LX450 which when totally used up I will do a major restore on the LC. I have regularly abused both with high speed crazy driving on old rocky jeep trails ( like popped tires type driving ) Crazy affordable 4wd driving. dont know any other vehicle that could do this. I learn by mistake on my maintenance and by help from MUD which really makes it affordable. thanks guys!
 
my money went to mostly base lining, oil leaks, and mods/accessories. I have 170K miles with not issues so far (knock on wood):hmm:
 
23 years. Approximately $21,000 on maintenance (tires, brakes, hoses, belts, other wear and tear items, fluids). Zero catastrophic repairs. Never left stranded. Total cost of ownership, $60,000 including purchase price new in 1992. Monthly ownership cost of approximately $217/month (not including gas or insurance). A Corolla has an ownership cost of $325/month. So the life cycle cost of my 80 has been excellent. I'd hop in it tomorrow and drive it across country. 238k on the clock.[/QUOTET

You comparing a new vehicle vs a 23 yr old vehicle.

Best thing to do is buy one in decent shape for $5-10K and give it whatever it needs to be mechanically sound (new hoses, gaskets, radiator, BIRF rebuild, and even head gasket). Most you would likely spend is $5K then you have $45K to spend on a pole barn and 40 series and trailer to pull 40 with 80.
 
I have really only had one critical failure that shut me down on the trail in the 75000 or so miles I have put on it. Weird wiring problem stymied me in the boonies so got Tools to come out, in the rain, and spend a while looking at the schematics and reasons wires with a meter. Took a while. But Bazinga !!! He finally found a bad connector. Saved my bacon. It is a real good idea to carry the EWD on your phone or whatever!
 
I have really only had one critical failure that shut me down on the trail in the 75000 or so miles I have put on it. Weird wiring problem stymied me in the boonies so got Tools to come out, in the rain, and spend a while looking at the schematics and reasons wires with a meter. Took a while. But Bazinga !!! He finally found a bad connector. Saved my bacon. It is a real good idea to carry the EWD on your phone or whatever!

What was it?
 

I purchased my 80 new so I'm comparing the Life Cycle Cost of an 80 to a Corolla. My 80 has been paid off for 19 years so over the last 19 years I have spent approximately $19k. Or $1k per year. Or roughly $83 per month. Or 10 cents per mile. That's pretty damn inexpensive.
 
Gotta keep in mind people on post threads when they're having a problem. That's why this board looks like it's nothing but problems and troubleshooting. Me, I've owned the truck for 3 years and even though I did have a HG failure (external leak), I wouldn't consider that a serious problem. I view that as a common wear-n-tear item. Seals, gaskets, switches, sensors and belt-driven accessories are going to go bad and you'll have to replace them. That's just how it goes doesn't matter what make/model you drive.

Serious problem to me is when your internals are toast, whether it be engine, tranny or transfer case. But it depends on who you ask. I remember a few months back a satchel-wearing manprincess was in here saying how his 80 was an unreliable POS because his power seats and windows/locks stopped working and he had to fix them. Naturally he got flamed pretty good. I think he ended up selling the 80 and put the money towards more scarves and skinny jeans.
 
Gotta keep in mind people on post threads when they're having a problem. That's why this board looks like it's nothing but problems and troubleshooting. Me, I've owned the truck for 3 years and even though I did have a HG failure (external leak), I wouldn't consider that a serious problem. I view that as a common wear-n-tear item. Seals, gaskets, switches, sensors and belt-driven accessories are going to go bad and you'll have to replace them. That's just how it goes doesn't matter what make/model you drive.

Serious problem to me is when your internals are toast, whether it be engine, tranny or transfer case. But it depends on who you ask. I remember a few months back a satchel-wearing manprincess was in here saying how his 80 was an unreliable POS because his power seats and windows/locks stopped working and he had to fix them. Naturally he got flamed pretty good. I think he ended up selling the 80 and put the money towards more scarves and skinny jeans.

Leave it to Jose to break it down.

Although I wouldn't consider a HG to be maintenance but then again I don't have a 1FZ-FE so for me it isn't. :flipoff2:
 
What was it?


A wire between the ECU and the underhood fuse box had a toasted connector. Never really figured out WHY? Had the symptoms of a bad ECU relay but replacing it did not fix it. Kinda frustratin when it's rainin n blowin up a storm and yur Gittin soaked and cold as hell tracing wiring all over the engine bay and the dash! Boy! That was a fun day!
 
I purchased mine ~3 years ago. Break booster. That's it. This summer I started the baseline maintenance.....a weekend here.....a weekend there. Took me a while. Neighbor came by and asked "if these things are so reliable, why are you always working on it?". Just smiled.
 
Bought with 113K, now has 149K. Stuff I have done:

Bearing adjustments
PHH
New radiator out of PM
Knuckle rebuild
Fan clutch
Bypassed rear heater
Spark plugs
Tires
Mods
 
Me, I've owned the truck for 3 years and even though I did have a HG failure (external leak), I wouldn't consider that a serious problem. I view that as a common wear-n-tear item. Seals, gaskets, switches, sensors and belt-driven accessories are going to go bad and you'll have to replace them. That's just how it goes doesn't matter what make/model you drive.

Right on, J. The head gasket is only a $100 part, what's the big deal? :flipoff2:
 

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