I’d agree with you regarding Toyota being the best built cars, certainly for anywhere near the price point, but I’d cut that off around 2007-2008. I’ve noted some slippage since then, in quality of materials and finishes. That usually means corners were cut elsewhere, too.
“I’d agree with you regarding Toyota being the best built cars, certainly for anywhere near the price point, but I’d cut that off around 2007-2008. I’ve noted some slippage since then, in quality of materials and finishes.”
Yes; see my post regarding US-made Toyota 4 cyl. engines. We were ready to start shopping for a used Toyota for Princess Riverdawg about a year ago. I asked the owner of an independent repair shop specializing in working on Toyotas and Hondas which models and years were best in the price range we were shopping in. He warned us away from any 4 cyl. Toyotas made in the US since 2008 because of widespread engine failures. We ended up buying her a used Honda CRV, which has been perfectly reliable.
About ten years ago I predicted that Toyota’s quality would decline over time. My rationale was that I had started seeing lots of Toyota ads aimed at minority buyers in the U.S., and this always struck me as desperation on the part of global businesses. A company that’s looking to become the McDonald’s of the auto industry isn’t likely to be focused on quality.