Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  Brakes are too soft - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By silverbox - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I am still trying to figure out why the brakes are so soft... This is not an offroad vehicle that needs this type of feature. Am I the only one with this problem b/c the dealer will hear about this. I do feel safe stopping at a light with the possibility that i may hit the car in front unless i stop much further back than a reasonable distance...

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  Sold back at a big loss - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By nmn - November 12 - 2:00 am

  What a terrible experience we had to endure! The van was recalled for a gas tank replacement. Two months after that, it experienced a serious gas leak problem causing the engine to suddenly stop. Neither the dealer nor Toyota headquarter bothered to take the responsibility. We sold the van back to the dealer for a $5K loss - amazing. We decided to lose the money than to risk our lives. We were fortunate the incident occured in a residential area when the van speed was only about 5 miles per hour. Had the gas leak occured on the freeway, the outcome could have been much worse.

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  little unhappy - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By cegamo - November 10 - 5:33 pm

  This is my first Toyota I trade 2004 Nissan frontier great truck and get this Toyota with only 350 miles it was 6 times in the dealer, engine has a ticking noise and is getting worse, the transmission make a bell noise when is on neutral, and also makes a clunk when go to full stop, the dealer said everything is normal. I wish to have my Nissan back.

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  Hate it and selling for Subaru - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Liz - November 8 - 11:26 pm

  Always had Toyotas until 1999 then got OUTBACK and loved it. Sold it for this new 2009 Prius. Only have 2,600 and HATE the car. Quality is cheap...metal dents easily, interior is cheaply done, little storage room and I am single with one medium sized dog and one little dog...Selling this to buy used low mileage Subaru Impreza...(regret purchase and will not buy another Toyota...they make them too CHEAP now. Shame on them...the old ones were GREAT...pre 1998)...no longer! Hate touch screen..always dirty.

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  lemon - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By brad - November 8 - 2:20 pm

  This car was fun,,,til the steering had its own mind.This car is a lemon,,,$20,000 down the drain.Parked in garage,waiting for Arbitration,,Dealer STEVENSON TOY/Denver didnt return calls until I called corporate.The car is all over the road,,takes 2 hands to drive this corrolla,,DONT LET FRIENDS BUY A TOYOTA!!Technician says "CAR MEETS TOYOTA SPECS" B S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Disappointed - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By bspurlo - November 8 - 7:00 am

  I bought my 2010 Tundra on Saturday and ended up taking it back on Monday because the check engine light came on. I found out through the internet that its a problem Toyotas having with a lot of Tundras something to do with a spring in the motor. The fix requires them to tear the engine down, replace the spring and about 15 other parts then put it back together. I have been in contact with the dealership, Toyota and a host of other agencys complaining about paying $36k for what boils down to a used truck! I am so far beyond disappointed in Toyota I cant even begin to tell you. This will for sure be the last vehicle I purchase from Toyota and thats truly said since this makes my 4 Toyota.

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  slight thumping noise heard when applying brakes - 2012 Toyota Sienna
  By rebling - November 7 - 5:59 pm

  Our 2012 sienna van with about 3000 miles started to make a slight thumping noise when applying the brakes. Sometimes the noise is louder and there is more than one thump. I took my van in for service 3 times for this problem. The first two times the service dept. claimed they didnt hear any noises. The third time I drove the van with a mechanic and he heard the noise. He thinks there was a tsb issued on this problem and that the brake pads were moving and this was considered normal. However, I believe this is not normal and Toyota should investigate further. Does any other 2012 Sienna owner have this problem?

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  The Snail - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Ted - November 6 - 2:43 am

  My wife has owned this car for three years now. It averages about 28 mpg and its size is deceiving. Things I like: size, seat height, fuel econmomy. Things I hate: performance - it cant hardly get out of its own way. This is the worst performing car we have ever owned. Seating position in relation to the steering wheel, console and door arm rest. Who designed this? My knee is against the shifter console and my arms are straight out to reach the wheel. The door arm rest is too far back as is the storage console to rest your arm while holding the wheel, if you can reach it. POOR Performing AC unit. This car has too much glass and not enough cooling capacity.

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  Loud 2016 Hybrid - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Bill - November 4 - 1:18 pm

  Its a good car but.. It is loud due to excessive noise from the windows. Took it to the dealership at 5300 miles they compared it to another similar vehicle and said it was the way it was made and that they wouldnt do anything about it. Not only is the problem annoying, the service dept with all its fufu cookies and cream wont do anything for an actual problem. I bought a foriegn car for too much money to support renewable energy technology and do my part to persuade the US auto industry to become more involved as well. Unfortunately, this foreign company is learning the bad behaviors of US companies and denying the existence of a problem probably because its cheaper for them. I hope others will read this and be encouraged to speak out as well, if we do nothing they will too

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  Poor reliability - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By jtan3 - November 4 - 10:00 am

  After driving for 3 years+ and around 38K Mileage. I have to fix: 1) Car paints 2) Air flow sensor 3) Air fuel sensor 4) Oxygen sensor 5) Engine control unit and the last 3 part happened in two months after the 36000 mile coverage expired. It cost me R600+ to fix the above problem. I doubt Toyota is that reliable as it claimed.