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Toyota: Reliability & Common Problems

#2 of 24
Longevity rank#1 Tesla holds up to ~184k
~146k
Trouble-free mileageacross all body styles
777
Toyotas inspectedreal pre-purchase inspections
63/100
Average conditionall cars we check: 61/100



Based on 777 used Toyotas we inspected, they are in about average shape — average condition 63/100 vs 61 for all cars we check. Every number on this page comes from real pre-purchase inspections — cars people were about to buy and paid an independent inspector to go through point by point, engine to underbody, paint depth to error codes. Not owner surveys, not warranty statistics, not forum lore: what we actually found.

What we found

Most common faults

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%

Share of inspected Toyotas where each item was flagged.

How they score

Excellent 29% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 19%
Hidden history

What the seller might not mention — how often we find it on Toyotas.

77%had a repainted or replaced panelall cars: 74%
4%showed structural repairall cars: 4%
18%had fault codes recently clearedall cars: 24%

Compare with another brand:

Cross-shopping? Toyota vs Honda · Toyota vs Ford · Toyota vs Chevrolet

How long does a Toyota last?

Across every Toyota body style we've inspected — sedans, SUVs and anything else pooled together — the average one's condition dips below decent (a 55/100 score) around ~146k miles. It ranks Toyota #2 of 24 brands we have enough data to rate; the longest-lasting, Tesla, holds up to ~184k. Shopping a Toyota near that mileage? Expect more wear ahead — see which makes give the best odds at your budget.



Good cars by mileage
0 25 50 75 100 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (25 cars) 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (62 cars) 40–60k mi: 81% in good shape (57 cars) 60–80k mi: 85% in good shape (99 cars) 80–100k mi: 59% in good shape (74 cars) 100–120k mi: 61% in good shape (111 cars) 120–140k mi: 44% in good shape (87 cars) 140–160k mi: 35% in good shape (94 cars) 160–180k mi: 33% in good shape (66 cars) 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (36 cars) 200–220k mi: 22% in good shape (23 cars) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
0 25 50 75 100 1 years old: 100% in good shape (20 cars) 2 years old: 95% in good shape (38 cars) 3 years old: 89% in good shape (27 cars) 4 years old: 94% in good shape (31 cars) 5 years old: 89% in good shape (44 cars) 6 years old: 78% in good shape (41 cars) 7 years old: 72% in good shape (47 cars) 8 years old: 75% in good shape (44 cars) 9 years old: 56% in good shape (59 cars) 10 years old: 68% in good shape (53 cars) 11 years old: 63% in good shape (38 cars) 12 years old: 42% in good shape (45 cars) 13 years old: 33% in good shape (57 cars) 14 years old: 39% in good shape (41 cars) 15 years old: 32% in good shape (44 cars) 16 years old: 27% in good shape (30 cars) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share of Toyotas 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). The dashed grey curve is all cars we check.

Is Toyota getting better?
▲ Newer Toyotas are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 69% in good shape (age-adjusted; 59 cars, raw 64%) 69 2015–17: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 121 cars, raw 70%) 74 2018–20: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 77 cars, raw 79%) 74 2021+: 76% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 89%) 76 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share of Toyotas in good shape (60+/100) when inspected at the same age — 5–10 years old, age-adjusted — by model-year generation; the dashed line is the all-brand average. Compare every brand's trajectory →



Toyota models we've inspected
RAV4 56 cars · 80% good Prius 66 cars · 68% good Tacoma 55 cars · 65% good Highlander 43 cars · 63% good Corolla 121 cars · 62% good Sienna 50 cars · 56% good Tundra 59 cars · 55% good Camry 123 cars · 54% good Avalon 30 cars · 50% good 4Runner 70 cars · 47% good Sequoia 15 cars · profile soon Land Cruiser 15 cars · profile soon FJ Cruiser 12 cars · profile soon

Recently inspected:

2021 Toyota Sienna · 116k mi — flagged: fault codes recently cleared, brake control / electronic parking brake. Inspected Nov 13.
2013 Toyota Prius · 135k mi — flagged: low coolant / cooling system issues, oil leaks, excessive pads wear. Inspected Nov 11.
The bottom line

Toyota’s story is the engine, not the paint. A repaint is normal here and structural repairs match the market, so paint alone is not a reason to walk. Oil leaks show up on 47% of these cars, often with fuel-trim trouble and active codes — check those first. Tire and TPMS faults are bargaining chips. These cars stay decent longer than nearly any brand ranked, until about 146,000 miles, and 2015-and-newer examples look healthier than 2012–14. Buy a dry, code-free car from 2015 on, still short of that mileage; if leaks or live codes are already there, cut the price or leave.

FAQ
?
Are Toyotas reliable?
57% of the 777 Toyotas we inspected scored 60/100 or higher, averaging 63/100 — they are in about average shape.
?
What are the most common problems with a used Toyota?
Across the Toyotas we inspected, the items we flag most often are oil leaks (47%), tires condition & wear (36%), active error codes (26%).
?
Are newer Toyotas more reliable than older ones?
Yes — comparing generations at the same age (5–10 years old), newer Toyotas hold up clearly better than the early-2010s ones.
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Based on 777 inspections · updated Nov 13, 2026