Toyota 86, Subaru BZR 2012-20

Toyota 86 /
Subaru BZR
2012-20
Quick Summary
A hugely fun car that’s affordable as well.
How Reliable?
Dodgy. See ‘what goes wrong?’ below ☛
How Safe?
Great. See our safety summary below ☛
ALSO CONSIDER: Hyundai Veloster.
1 All content © dogandlemon.com MMXIX. All rights reserved

2012-17
$16,000–$35,000
$14,000–$32,000
$12,000–$30,000
(for used car dealers add around 30%, incl. GST)
NEW
Around $48,000–$54,000, , incl. GST,
plus onroad costs.
Depends on age, mileage & condition. See
our devaluation guidelines in the links page that
follows this review.

2012-17
$14,000–$25,000
$12,000–$22,000
NEW
Around $31,000–$39,000, incl. GST,
plus onroad costs.
Depends on age, mileage & condition. See
our devaluation guidelines in the links page that
follows this review.

2012-17
£10,000–£20,000
£8000–£18,000
NEW
Around £27,000–$31,000 including on-
road costs and VAT.
Depends on age, mileage & condition. See our
devaluation guidelines in the links page that follows
this review.

• Some of this wording is shared with other reviews.
O CCASIONALLY, Toyota builds a car that’s

fun to drive. However, it’s so rare that such
cars often take motoring journalists by surprise.
The Toyota 86 (pronounced eight-six) was one of

these cars. Produced in collaboration with Subaru
(which Toyota part-owns), the 86 became an instant
cult classic.
It’s not fast by modern standards, but it offers the
kind of authentic sportscar experience that makes
driving so rewarding.

Subaru produced its own version: the BRZ, but
this was mostly just a marketing exercise; aside from
details, both cars are effectively identical.
Toyota versions tend to be cheaper, with less op-

tions.

The 86 is a bit Jaguar-esque in appearance, mean-
ing it looks smart and quick.
Throughout its life, Toyota made mild changes to
the appearance, but actually not much changed.
For a Toyota, the 86 is passably pretty.
+

The interior is classic Toyota: practical, durable and
a bit plasticky. Expensive versions have more flashy
highlights.
+

The dashboard controls are a mixed bag. There’s a
large tachometer dominating the instrument cluster;
this is a racing machine, and revs matter. There’s also
an analog speedometer, but it’s tiny and hard-to-read
compared to the digital speedometer sitting next to it.
Dumb.

Most of the dashboard functions are simple and
practical, with the notable exception of the radio.
On early versions, the radio has no tuning knob, but
numerous, confusing small buttons. Hopeless.
All models offer USB, Bluetooth and basic iPod
controls.
On models before 2016, the small dashboard dis-
play is also hard work. Simple tasks such as paring
phones or choosing music are far more work than
they should be.
2016-on models came with a far superior touch-
screen display, but it’s still not perfect, with its tiny
icons and slightly clumsy interface. It’s not a deal-
breaker, just not as good as it should have been. It’s
very prone to glare in bright sunshine.
At least, finally, it has a volume knob and tuning
buttons.
But, even on the later models, there’s no Apple
CarPlay or Android Auto. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

There’s not much interior storage; just door pockets,
a compact glovebox and an open bin between the
seats.

The seats on all versions are both comfortable and
supportive, with proper racing side-bolsters to help
prevent you sliding around on tight bends. The steer-
ing wheel, front seat height and backrest angle are all
adjustable, making it easier to find a decent driving
position.
However, the pedals aren’t directly lined up with
the driver’s seat, which is dumb.
Moreover, there’s a price you pay for the compact
seats and low ride height; getting in and out is a gy-
manistic excersize. Large drivers might find it tough
to live with an 86 on a daily basis.

The rear seat is mainly symbolic; impractical for
adult humans. Mostly the rear seat is used for storage.
+

Out the back is a compact boot. On most ver-
sions, this car has no spare tyre. No, instead you
get a tiny compressor, a can of tyre repair goo and
Toyota’s best wishes that the tyre is not too damaged
to inflate. Otherwise, start walking.

All vehicles use the same Subaru-sourced 2-litre
turbocharged petrol engine.
More about these engines later.

You get to choose between a slick and pleasant six-
speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
Most owners will choose the six-speed manual. More

about these gearboxes later.
+

Around town, the 86 is above-average for this type
of car: the front visibility is good, thanks to a low
dashboard and thin front windscreen pillars. Rear
visibility is so-so; the compact rear window and bulky
rear roof pillars block rear vision. The large side mir-
rors help, but decent parking vision only came on
the later models with a reversing camera.
Our advice, if you end up owning one of the old-
er versions, is to simply fit your own aftermarket
reversing camera. You might save a child’s life.

The 86’s great party trick is that it helps make the
daily commute into a fun experience.
If you’re the sort that likes a big, lazy engine hooked
up to a sluggish automatic, then the 86 is not the
car for you. The 86 requires a completely different
mindset.
As we’ve already said, most drivers prefer the manu-
al version, even though the manual version is harder
work in stop-start traffic.
To get decent acceleration, you have to rev the
engine hard. Even then, it’s not that quick, has a
strangely tinny sound and lacks midrange oomph.
This means you have to stay alert for lights that
are about to change, or gaps in the traffic. You’re
constantly scanning, planning, preselecting gears,
revving the engine, dropping the clutch, leaping
forward, stopping quickly; the 86 is a really involv-
ing drive. It’s a cliché, but the 86 really can make
ordinary driving fun.

The automatic version is also fun, and much more
convenient around town, but it’s also less involving.

The 86 is fun, although not that quick. Accelerat-
ing from 0-100kph takes around 7.6 seconds. That’s
not super-quick by modern standards, but the actual
experience is exhilarating.
The key to this is the power-to-weight ratio: that
is, the 86 makes up for the lack of power by weigh-
ing less (around 1200kg).
This means that, although the 86 pumps out just
147kW of power and 205Nm of torque, it has a
better power-to-weight ratio than many petrolhead
cars such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mitsubishi
Lancer Ralliart and even the Mazda MX5.
+

The claimed fuel consumption is the usual car
company lie, but, for a car that goes reasonably fast,
the 86 is also reasonably economic.
For example:
• 2.0 petrol
claimed average:
8.4 litres/100km • 12km/litre • 34mpg
actual averages:
City 10.9 litres/100km • 9.2 km/litre • 26mpg
Highway 7.9 litres/100km • 12.7 km/litre • 36mpg
Average 9.4 litres/100km • 10.6 km/litre • 30.1mpg

The GT is a sportscar: the suspension is at the firm
end of comfortable and prefers smooth roads. On
these surfaces, the GT comes alive, with agile, pre-
cise handling, lovely steering and a nimble, tactile
handling. If you love a spirited drive, look no further.
There are downsides; this is not a great car on
bumpy roads.
The manual gearbox is sometimes slightly notchy,
and requires quite a lot of clutch/accelerator coor-
dination, but once you get used to it, it will put a
smile on your face. While it lasts, that is; the manual
gearboxes tend to lose syncromesh as they age.
+

Many drivers would like more power, but that was
never the point of the 86; it’s a remake of the concept
behind 1960s classics such as the MGB. It’s a people’s
sportscar, affordable, agile and, above all, hugely fun.
Provided you maintain some basic common sense,

you can safely misbehave. The Sport button softens
the response of the safety systems such as traction
and stability control.
Even though the car will rarely let you down, push-
ing too hard into a corner will make the car under-
steer.
Turn off the traction control and accelerate hard out
of a corner and it will oversteer., but in a controllable
way. All good clean fun.

Would we buy a 86 with our own money? Actu-
ally we would. It’s hugely fun, but it’s also reasonably
practical and affordable.
There are plenty of cars that can go faster, and
plenty of cars that handle as well. What makes the
difference is that the 86 doesn’t do all the hard work
for you. It requires your involvement, constantly
requiring split-second decisions. The 86 will reward
smart decisions. That’s the essence of this car, and
the secret of its success. And it can put a smile on
your face, even on bad days.
See also our comments on Toyota at the end of this
review.

The FA20/4U-GSE was first released in 2012. As with
many modern Subaru engines, it’s a brilliant piece of en-
gineering that often fails the test of real life.
Although it promised high performance and reliability,
it only achieved reasonable performance. Early versions
suffered from idling and running issues and total engine
failure.
There are multiple theories as to the cause of the prema-
ture engine failure, including faulty programming, faulty
camshaft gear (which allowed oil pressure to drop) and
engine failure due to high oil use.
The problem doesn’t seem to occur in models after 2015,
so we assume Subaru sorted it out, finally.
There have been multiple upgrades of this engine, which
are detailed below.
+

TSB number: 02-132-12
Date: August 2012
Affected vehicles: Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86
Problem: Problems with, or failure of the VVT system.
Symptoms: the following diagnostic trouble codes
(DTCs):
P000A, P00B, P00C and P00D (‘AVCS Slow Response’);
and,
P0011, P0014, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021 and P0024
(‘AVCS System Failure’).
Solution: Depending on the diagnosis, rectification of
these symptoms could involve:
Replacing the oil control valve (OCV);
Replacing the cam sprocket assembly – it is understood
that its oil passages could become
clogged with debris; or,
Replacing the Engine Control Module (ECM). +

TSB number: S-SB-0036-12
Date: December 2012
Affected vehicles: Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 with VINs
preceding JF1ZNAA1#D#710670;
Problem: : DTC P1235 (High-Pressure Fuel Pump Cir-
cuit)
Symptoms: the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
illuminate; and Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1235
(‘High-Pressure Fuel Pump Abnormal’) may be logged in
the engine control module (ECM).
Solution: The powertrain control module (PCM) was re-
programmed

TSB number: 02-137-12
Date: January 2013
Affected vehicles: Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86
Problem: malfunction indicator light and DTCs P0017
or P0019
Symptoms: the malfunction indicator light (MIL) may il-
luminate and one of the following diagnostic trouble codes
(DTCs) may be logged in the powertrain control module
(PCM):
P0017; or
P0019 (‘Cam Sensor Correlation’).
Solution: The PCM logic was revised to address this con-
dition and, to fix, the PCM was to be replaced or
re-programmed.
+

TSB number: S-SB-0023-12 Rev 2 (Toyota) 09-54-12R
(Subaru).
Date: October 2013
Affected vehicles: Toyota 86/Subaru BZR vehicles that
had VINs preceding JF1ZNAA1#E#702951.
Problem: The fuel pump squeaks
Symptoms: When the engine is fully warmed up and
idling, these vehicles may exhibit a high pitch chirp or
squeak noise from the high pressure fuel pump assembly
Solution: The high pressure fuel pump assembly is to
be replaced.
TSB number: S-SB-0040-13 (Toyota) 11-136-14

(Subaru).
Date: December 2013
Affected vehicles: Toyota 86/Subaru BZR vehicles that
had VINs preceding –
For automatic models, JF1ZNAA1#E8703673; and,
For manual models, JF1ZNAA1#E9703671
Problem: When the vehicle was idling and the air condi-
tioning was switched off, these vehicles may exhibit
an intermittent drop in engine speed.
Symptoms: as above.
Solution: The powertrain control module (PCM) must be
re-programmed.

TSB number: Unknown
Date: December 2013
Affected vehicles: Toyota 86/Subaru BZR vehicles
Problem: The injector seals may leak, causing a loss of
compression.
Symptoms: as above.
Solution: The seals must be replaced and the engine
control unit must be re-programmed.
Note: a copy of this TSB is hard to find. There’s a repro-
duction here, and a full explanation of how to fix it here.
TSB number: 02-151-14R

Date: September 2014
Affected vehicles: 2012-13 Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86
Problem: Failure of the valve train components, leading
to a tapping noise.
Symptoms: a tapping noise – sometimes described as
a ‘sewing machine’ type noise – that may be emitted from
the left-hand side of the engine when the engine was warm.
Solution: The following parts had to be replaced:
The intake and exhaust camshafts;
The four intake and exhaust valves; and,
All eight rockers and pivots.

TSB number: S-SB-0033-14 (Toyota) 11-130-13R
(Subaru).
Date: May 2014
Affected vehicles: 2012-13 Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86
with VINs preceding JF1ZNAA1#D#721474.
Problem: The camshaft position sensor clearance is out
of specification.
Symptoms: Hard starting, rough idle or misfire. These
vehicles may exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) –
such as P0340, P0341, P0345, P0346, P0365, P0366,
P0390, P0391, P0301, P0302, P0303 and P0304 – which
related to:
The intake and/or exhaust camshaft position sensor; and/
or, engine misfires.
The codes would indicate whether it was the intake cam-
shaft position sensor (P0340, P0341, P0345 or P0346) or
exhaust camshaft position sensor (P0365, P0366, P0390
or P0391)
Solution: The camshaft position sensor has to be re-
installed with a shim to give correct sensor clearance.
+

Gearbox and drivetrain
problems
Manual gearbox problems

• Manual gearboxes should change gear quickly and
smoothly. If they graunch, won’t go into gear, or jump out
of gear, you have problems. If the clutch feels stiff, floppy
and/or if there are unpleasant noises when you press the
clutch, you have problems. You should try doing a hill
start in second gear. If the vehicle stalls, that’s okay. If the
vehicle doesn’t move forward when you let the clutch out,
the clutch is dead or dying.
On manual versions, the clutch thrust bearing was
a common failure point on early models. The symp-
tom is a whirring and/or squeaking when you put your
foot on the clutch pedal.
There have also been multiple cases of early clutch
failure. These have usually been covered under warran-
ty, which speaks for itself, really. One probably cause of
these clutch problems is a poorly adjusted clutch.
There’s a video on how to properly adjust clutches here.
+

• There have been multiple cases of early syncromesh
failure, especially on fourth, fifth and sixth gears. All
these gearboxes are notchy when new, but if if it be-
comes hard to change gears from about 50,000km on-
wards, the chances are that the problem is syncromesh.
If you make a big enough fuss, Toyota will often replace
the gearbox for you.

Aisin A960E (TB-65)
six-speed automatic transmission problems
The six-speed automatic transmission fitted to this
vehicle is by the Japanese company Aisin Seiki. It was
fitted to:
• 2006 Lexus GS 300
• 2007 Lexus IS 250
• 2008 Toyota Crown 2500CC
• 2012–on Toyota 86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ
When fitted to Lexus vehicles, these transmissions are
sometimes referred to as the TB-65.
If treated gently, these transmissions may live to a ripe
old age. However, they were designed for performance
vehicles, and they don’t cope very well with perfor-
mance driving.

Although the basic design is the same for all vehicles,
there are multiple versions of this transmission, which
have been customised to particular makes and models.
The classic symptoms of trouble with these trans-

missions are abrupt or slipping transmission shifts
or a vibration through the transmission during use.
There are a multiple reasons this, but torque converter
clutch failure is the worst (5 below).
a) if you’re lucky, the transmission may be filled with

the wrong fluid or the fluid level may be too low, or
possibly the fluid filter may be blocked.
b) (this is more serious) the control solenoids are mis-
functioning (see below). These can be replaced without
removing the transmission, but the job is an expert one
and won’t be cheap.
c) The transmission valve body may be worn or
jammed (another specialist job: see below) and there
may be also problems with either the engine computer,
the transmission computer or both.
d) (and this is serious), the torque converter clutch
disks are wearing out (5 below). This means the entire
transmission must be overhauled, which is going to be
really expensive.
+

1) It appears that the original service intervals for
these transmissions were too optimistic. Many experts
now agree that both the transmission fluid and filter
should be replaced every 40,000km.
It’s also extremely important to use genuine Aisin-
Warner transmission fluid and approved filters. Using
cheaper aftermarket fluids, even if they are claimed to
be compatible with these transmissions, is asking for
trouble. On most vehicles, the correct fluid is called
Toyota ATF WS (Toyota mostly owns Aisin-Warner).
Please note also that changing the fluid is a special-
ist task that is beyond most owners and many ordinary
garages.
The bottom line is this: these transmissions are ex-
tremely sensitive to the quality of the fluid, to the tem-
perature of the fluid and to the amount of fluid.
2) These transmissions will not stand overheating.

Even where a factory transmission cooler is fitted, these
transmissions are prone to overheating during heavy
use, such as fast performance in hot climates, towing,
offroad use or simply abuse of the vehicle.
Heavy vehicles, offroad vehicles and performance ve-
hicles are particularly at risk. In high performance oper-
ations, it is often recommended that an extra oil cooler
be professionally installed.
+

It should also be noted that factory transmission cool-
ers have a limited life. They may leak, internally or ex-
ternally, or they may simply lose their ability to cool
very well. If in doubt, replace the cooler, which is so
much cheaper than a transmission overhaul.
3) On vehicles with a factory-installed transmission

fluid cooler fitted inside the vehicle’s radiator, this inter-
nal cooler may leak with time. This will allow radiator
coolant and transmission fluid to mix, Once this hap-
pens, the transmission is quickly wrecked. This problem
can be quickly identified by removing the transmis-
sion dip stick and looking at the transmission fluid. If
it looks like mayonaise, the transmission is effectively
dead.
4) The valve body (hydraulic control unit) is compli-

cated and prone to wear unless the transmission fluid is
kept both clean and cool.
The first things that fail within the valve body are the
electrical solenoids that control the various functions
within the transmission. Mercifully, the valve body can
be swapped without removing the transmission (various
companies sell replacement valve bodies at reasonable
prices). Please note, however, that if the valve body is
+

not changed promptly once a problem occurs, the en-
tire transmission may be quickly seriously damaged.
5) The Achille’s heel of these transmissions is early

torque converter clutch failure due to slippage. This
clutch slippage is a designed-in feature, which gives the
transmission the ability to change gears very quickly,
and to accelerate away even when in a higher gear (this
is the equivalent of slipping the clutch on a manual
gearbox).
However, whereas other transmissions spread this
clutch slippage over several clutches, the 960 uses just
one piston and one clutch to control slippage. When
the driven hard, the clutch soon starts wearing.
Until the point where the damage is irreversable, the
driver may get few symptoms of impending doom.
That is, the car appears to drive normally.
However, this problem accelerates dramatically once
the friction material is worn away: the adhesive used to
hold the friction material is worn away also and quickly
‘glues’ many of the tiny components within the valve
body.
A common symptom of this problem is a juddering in
the transmission during operation. If the vehicle is not
repaired promptly, the debris from the failing torque
converter will quickly wreck the remainder of the trans-
mission, starting with the oil pump, which will leak and
then fail a short time later.

At this point, a full transmission overhaul is your only
option, and this won’t be cheap.
6) The bearings will fail with time, or if the

transmission fluid isn’t changed religiously. In addition,
the front planetary gear will break due to lack of
lubrication, especially if the oil pump is failing. Again, a
full overhaul is then your only option.

Suspension and
steering problems
Toyota ZN6 86 and Subaru BZR vehi-

cles that were manufactured from April 2012
to March 2015.
• The power steering may stop working with-
out warning.
• Under certain conditions the electrical terminal
of the wiring harness connected to the Electron-
ic Control Unit (ECU) of the EPS slide causes
abrasion on the tin-plating layer of the connec-
tor. This can cause wear debris to form which
can accumulate and become oxidized. Occa-
sionally the driver’s knee may press against the
lower cover when entering or exiting the vehicle,
causing the cover to press against the EPS wir-
ing harness. This contact may result in the con-
nector terminal sliding onto the “electrical insula-
tor” (oxidized accumulation), resulting in electri-
cal contact failure. The EPS ECU then turns on
the EPS warning light/sound and steering assist
stops.
+

VIN numbers:
not disclosed
JF1 ZN6K72 DG002006 to JF1 ZN6K72 DG015716;

JF1 ZN6K72 EG018002 to JF1 ZN6K72 EG023149;
JF1 ZN6K72 FG025022 to JF1 ZN6K72 FG029639;
JF1 ZN6K81 DG002013 to JF1 ZN6K81 DG015715;
JF1 ZN6K81 EG018001 to JF1 ZN6K81 EG023148;
JF1 ZN6K81 FG025003 to JF1 ZN6K81 FG029637.
JF1ZN6K81DG002007 to JF1ZN6K81FG029638
JF1ZN6K72DG002006 to JF1ZN6K72FG029639
• Further information:
https://www.vehiclerecallsafety.nzta.govt.
nz/SafetyRecallsDatabase.aspx
Search ☛ recalls.gov.au PRA 2016/15586
Google ☛ DVLA UK R/2016/184
+

Body problems
• The window seals gave grief on early models. In ad-
dition to not sealing properly, the seal sometimes rubbed
against the window frame, allowing rust to form.

Interior & electrical
problems
• It’s common for the batteries to go flat if the vehicle
is left undriven for a week or two. The problem appears
worst on models before 2016 and there are various theories
about the probable cause. One is that the internal cabin
light is staying on. Another is that the alarm is draining
the battery. Regardless, the problem appears to be exac-
erbated by that fact that the original batteries were too
weak. Some batteries were replaced under warranty, but
many owners ended up fitting a more powerful battery
themselves, which appears to solve the problem.

ANCAP crashtests
In real life accidents larger vehicles usually do far
better than smaller vehicles. (A classic 1960s Mini
weighs about 700kg and a 2012 Range Rover weighs
about 2170kg. This vehicle weighs about 1260kg,
depending on the model). See also our comments on
safety in the links page that follows this review.
PROPER SEATBELTS THROUGHOUT: Yes.

PROPER SPARE TYRE: No, instead you get a tiny
compressor, a can of tyre repair goo and Toyota’s
best wishes that the tyre is not too damaged to
inflate. Otherwise, start walking.
ANTI–SKID BRAKING (ABS): Standard all models.
AIRBAGS: driver and passenger front, front-side,
driver’s knee and curtain shield.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL(ESC): all
models.
REVERSING CAMERA: Optional early models,
standard most later models.

VIN PLATE LOCATION: Front passenger-side wind-
screen (designed to be viewed from the outside).
ENGINE TYPE & SIZE: (petrol)

• 2.0 FA20/4U-GSE 1998cc DOHC with VVT DI
RECOMMENDED FUEL/S: Premium

• 2.0 petrol
claimed average:
8.4 litres/100km • 12km/litre • 34mpg
actual averages:
City 10.9 litres/100km • 9.2 km/litre • 26mpg
Highway 7.9 litres/100km • 12.7 km/litre • 36mpg
Average 9.4 litres/100km • 10.6 km/litre • 30.1mpg
• J Meets Euro Standard Vi
• See our article ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green’ in the

links page that follows this review.
+

SUITABLE FOR TOWING? No.

Official name: Toyota Motor Corporation
Owned by: massive public shareholding
Owns: Daihatsu (51%), Hino (50.1%), Isuzu (5.89%),

Subaru (16.5%), plus a host of joint ventures. Lexus is
Toyota’s luxury car division.
Current situation: Toyota spent its formative years con-

centrating on what most customers want, which is reli-
ability and value for money. As a result, Toyota became
the world’s largest carmaker. However, with size came
arrogance: Toyota’s quality has slipped in recent years.
With the global credit crunch, Toyota suddenly had too
many cars and too few customers. Following a tough
couple of years, and some truly vicious cost-cutting,
Toyota is now profitable once more.
Chances of survival: excellent.

However, Toyota needs to rebuild the quality ethic that
led to its greatness and learn once more to be humble –
a noble Japanese trait •
A brief history of Toyota
S
tarted in 1926 as the Toyoda
Automatic Loom Works Ltd,
Toyota began producing cars
from a purpose-built factory in Ko-
romo, Japan, in 1937. The name was
changed to Toyota on the advice of a
numerologist.
Kiichiro Toyoda greatly admired the
American production methods pio-
neered by Henry Ford. Like so many
Japanese companies, Toyota did the
same, only better.
After World War II, Toyota was
restricted to making trucks only, and
was not granted permission to start
manufacturing cars again until 1949.
Kiichiro Toyoda in a playful mood
Ignoring the Japanese habit of build-
ing copies of overseas vehicles, Toyota
undertook an aggressive research and development programme that left it in a
uniquely strong position to take advantage of the world’s need for cheap, reli-
able and economical cars.
As far as Mr Toyoda was concerned, the people who built his cars had to be
as reliable as the machines they worked on. Satoshi Kamata, a Japanese freelance
journalist who did a six month undercover stint at a Toyota factory years ago,
concluded that much of Toyota’s success had been built upon a system that
relegated its factory workers to mindless robots:
“It is all like nothing so much as an army camp. And joining Toyota as a
regular worker is indeed rather more like joining the army...than like going to
work for General Motors.”
Toyota’s success internationally was also built on sensible, conservative en-
gineering that gave generations of drivers a level of affordable reliability that
no other manufacturer could match. Until recently, Toyota was usually among
the last on the market to introduce the latest high-tech gadgetry, and so Toyota
generally avoided many of the disasters associated with ‘gee-whiz’ high technol-
ogy that didn’t work in the real world.
In recent years, however, Toyota became the world’s largest carmaker. With
its rise in size, Toyota became sloppy, greedy and arrogant.
+

In place of making simple, elegantly low-tech cars that went forever, Toyota
began making the same mistakes as the companies it overtook: using unproven
high technology as a way of saving money.
The most obvious example was the faulty accelerator pedals that were linked
to a number of deaths in Toyota cars. These accelerators apparently jammed
on, causing a number of catastrophic accidents.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Toyota had been fitting these same faulty ac-
celerator pedals into dozens of different Toyota models, including Corollas and
Camrys. The idea was that Toyota would save billions by making one part that
fitted multiple vehicles.
However, when these accelera-
tor pedals began to fail, Toyota
suddenly had a major disaster
on its hands. First Toyota tried
to hide the facts from both the
public and US government; then
Toyota tried to blame faulty floor
mats for the problem. Finally,
Toyota had to admit that faulty
high tech accelerator pedals lay
at the heart of the fault.
When these facts became public, the whole issue blew up in Toyota’s face.
Toyota’s rivals in America – Chrysler, Ford and General Motors – were not slow
to fan the flames of outrage, either. However, there is no doubt that Toyota was
largely responsible for its own fate.
Toyota was forced to announce recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles
for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million ve-
hicles for the accelerator pedal problem. Many industry commentators believe
that there are also large numbers of unresolved electronic issues, which Toyota,
naturally, denies.
Toyota’s recall disaster came on top of the global economic downturn, which
caught Toyota inexplicably by surprise. Toyota suddenly had many more cars
than customers.
In a rare example of humility, President Akio Toyoda said Toyota was “grasp-
ing for salvation”.
Following a tough couple of years, and some truly vicious cost-cutting,
Toyota is now profitable once more, but few people believe that Toyota’s pain
is entirely over •

online links
Dozens of useful additional articles for free!
Just click on the name of an article from the list below
(you need to be viewing this page on your computer and be connected to the internet for this to work).
Before You Buy • Making Sense of Crashtests

• Bargain Hunting • Cars 1970-88
• How To Use These Reviews • Vans & Safety
• The Five Minute Car Check • Four-wheel Drives & Safety
• Finance • Classic Cars & Safety
• Buying New • A Tragic Lack of Restraint – seatbelts
• Depreciation in Australia • The Seven Deadly Sins - the causes
• Depreciation in New Zealand of road crashes
• Depreciation in the UK • A Comedy of Errors – road safety ads
• Insurance don’t work
• Types of Vehicles • A Fine Mess – why fines don’t work
• Japanese Secondhand Imports • Calming the Madness – good road
• Cabriolets & Convertibles design can save lives
• Yuppie Four-wheel Drives • That Sleep of Death – driver fatigue
• Hybrids • Victims of Circumstance – how you
• British Cars live affects how you die
• European Cars • When a Phone Box Pulls Out In Front
• German Cars of You
• Classic Cars
• Luxury Cars Cars & The World We Live In
• A Long Way From Paradise
Ownership Issues • The Dream Merchants
• Automatics & CVT Transmissions • Women & Cars
• A Question of Timing - timing belts • Cars & Other Dysfunctional
• Keeping It Cool Relationships - by Germaine Greer
• Know Your Battery • The Chinese Bubble
• Tyresome Foolishness • Cars & Nazis
• Diesels • It’s Not Easy Being Green
• CNG & LPG • The Emperor’s New World
• Turbochargers & Superchargers • The Emperor’s New Car
Safety The Meaning of Life

• Playing it Safe - vehicle safety features • Dictionary of Car Terms
Modern cars use electronics to constantly monitor
what’s going on inside the vehicle. When a
problem is detected, a warning message and an
icon will displayed on the dashboard. Some icons
aren’t that important. Some icons are really
important. Click this link for a list of many icons
that matter.
Blown Head
Gasket
Warning
Modern engines work hard. Because of this, they tend to get
hot and frequently ‘blow their top’, especially if the engine has
been overheated or run without fresh antifreeze. Head gaskets may
be very expensive to fix and if left unfixed you’ll probably end up
broken down at the side of the road. Worse, blown head gaskets
sometimes lead to total engine failure.
The symptoms of a blown head gasket are mysterious coolant
loss, sometimes accompanied by rough running and overheat-
ing, clouds of white steam coming from the exhaust, oil in the
water, water in the oil, and/or white goo under the oil filler cap
(see picture opposite). You should also lift out the oil dipstick, if
there is one. If the oil is the colour of the white goo in the mid-
dle of the oil filler cap in the picture, you have a cracked cylinder
head and/or blown head gasket. You
should also be suspicious about any
vehicle with a heater that leaks cool-
ant into the interior of the car. A leak-
ing heater is sometimes a symptom of
a head gasket problem. So is a blown
or leaking radiator or its hoses •

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Toyota 86 /

ALSO CONSIDER: Hyundai Veloster.

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O CCASIONALLY, Toyota builds a car that’s

The Toyota 86 (pronounced eight-six) was one of

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Toyota versions tend to be cheaper, with less op-

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More about these engines later.

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Most owners will choose the six-speed manual. More

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Provided you maintain some basic common sense,

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TSB number: S-SB-0040-13 (Toyota) 11-136-14

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TSB number: 02-151-14R

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Manual gearbox problems

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The classic symptoms of trouble with these trans-

a) if you’re lucky, the transmission may be filled with

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2) These transmissions will not stand overheating.

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3) On vehicles with a factory-installed transmission

4) The valve body (hydraulic control unit) is compli-

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5) The Achille’s heel of these transmissions is early

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6) The bearings will fail with time, or if the

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Toyota ZN6 86 and Subaru BZR vehi-

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JF1 ZN6K72 DG002006 to JF1 ZN6K72 DG015716;