Which is more reliable, Buick or Toyota?
In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles. We don’t have that mileage read for Buick yet.
In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles. We don’t have that mileage read for Buick yet.
Based on 38 Buicks and 774 Toyotas. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.
Head to head
| Buick | Toyota | |
|---|---|---|
| Cars inspected | 38 | 774 |
| Average condition | 58/100 | 63/100 |
| In good shape (60+/100) | 52% | 57% |
| Repainted or replaced panel | 71% | 77% |
| Structural repair found | 0% | 4% |
| Fault codes recently cleared | 24% | 18% |
Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.
How they score
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Buick▬ Toyota▬ all cars
Good cars by age
▬ Buick▬ Toyota▬ all cars
Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.
Most common faults
Oil leaks · Engine
61%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
45%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
37%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
34%
Oil leaks · Automatic transmission
24%
Oil leaks · Engine
47%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
26%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
21%
Tire pressure monitoring system · Brakes and tires
20%
Trajectory by generation
Buick
Not enough Buicks at the 5–10 year checkpoint yet to draw a generation trend.
Toyota
▲ Newer Toyotas are holding up better
Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →
FAQ
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What are the most common problems with used Buicks and Toyotas?
On Buicks we flag oil leaks (61%), tires condition & wear (45%), fuel trim out of range (37%). On Toyotas: oil leaks (47%), tires condition & wear (36%), active error codes (26%).
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How many Buick and Toyota vehicles have you inspected?
38 Buicks and 774 Toyotas — 812 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 11, 2026.
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Should I still get a pre-purchase inspection?
Yes. Badge averages don't sort the good car from the tired one. We still find repainted panels on 71% of Buicks and 77% of Toyotas, and recently cleared fault codes on 24% / 18%.
Buying a used Buick or Toyota? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 812 inspections · updated Nov 11, 2026
