Toyotas (at least those manufactured before 2000) have a reputation of having legendary reliability. For my 1997 Toyota Prado J90 Land Cruiser, I can very much vouch for this, as we have been been through much together, without ever breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Though I don't exactly go off-road (yet to take her out for an adventure with the Puma 4x4 Malaysia Club), we quite frequently take trips to the orchard / farm, hauling heavy stuff (furniture and large home appliances, stuff for recycling, bags of fertilizer) and occasionally driving to office. Especially useful if need to take many people, as the foldable 3rd row seats allow for flexibility. Not bad, so far at 420,000+ km, still going strong...!
Having said that, there are things that breakdown, as nothing is completely indestructible. Let's play a game - based on the observations / symptoms, try to guess what could the problem, and later I update once it's fixed. See how accurate (or totally way off) my estimates are....
Issue #1: Aircon system.
Symptoms: This didn't really stop working all of the sudden. Rather, over time, the cooling diminished, until today, it's just blowing air. It's hard to say exactly when, as when driving to office it's either early in the morning before 8am, or in the evening, so you never notice if its not working, unless its a hot, sunny afternoon during a lunch outing. The Prado actually has 2 independent aircon systems - the front vents taking care for the driver and co-driver, and the rear system for the middle and rear passengers. The one at the back could be working, but never really got around to checking.
My guess: There is a leak somewhere. Based on past experience, I believe the aircon guy uses a florescent dye with UV light to detect the leak. Depending on where and what needs to be changed, if is the piping then not so bad, otherwise the compressor or condenser will be costly.
Actual: To be updated....
Issue #2: High-pitch squeaky sound as the car is moving.
Symptoms: As the noise seems proportional to the bumpiness of the road.
My guess: I reckon it's the bushing. Again, in a multi-link suspension system, there are many, many bushes, and it's not so easy to see which ones are worn out. Replacing them is another story, as they can be stuck firm in place and take a lot of manual effort to push out.
Actual: To be updated....
Issue #3: The forward wipers.
Symptoms: As I understand it, one day, as my wife was driving, the wipers suddenly started and wouldn't stop. Stopping at a workshop, they make a quick fix by disabling all settings except high-speed. So, on rainy days, it's a bit of a chore, to turn on the wipers manually, then have to get the timing right to stop just as it's in the right position, with the wipers either fully stopped or at full speed.
My guess: The rear wiper is working fine, so most likely an issue with the front wiper stalk switch. At least its working, so driving on rainy days is still do-able.
Actual: To be updated....
Called up my trusty mechanic, David, who collected the car just yesterday. No hurry to fix, as it's after the annual harvest season, but good to get done as soon as possible. Will update here once done, and then let's co-relate my guessing and the actual.
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