vetter

I own a 1994 ES300 that is still in great shape and is a daily driver. 202,000 miles on the clock and I am the original owner. I have also done all my own mechanical work (with exception of A/C compressor). AMA.

I suspect there are cars out there with more than double (Mostly GS and LS from what I hear - their build quality is undisputed), but I'd also like to see how things are standing the test of time. There is a point when time (heat, elements, and the roads) do wear on their own outside milage.

Currently the car is mechanically and electrically 100%*, which means everything works (though radio was replaced with something with bluetooth), no oil or fluid leaks, oil consumption < 1/2 qt between changes, all dash lights/dials function etc., and all OEM. Lately, the largest problem has been heat related failures. I've repaired the underhood electrical connectors (an easy and fun job - there are a few wiring harness clips you can't get and need to raid a junk yard for), and recently put fresh RTV sealant on the center engine coolant plate under the cross over hose to stop a slow coolant leak (hose was first to fail 2 years prior). It is one of the few areas of the engine that doesn't use a gasket (valve cover gasket corners uses it as a supplement). The car did have a computer failure that prevented the car from shifting into 4th, which was difficult to diagnose, but otherwise the MIL code has pointed to the correct problems as they happen. The heads and lower block are still the originals, and never opened. The car has spent most of its miles outside the rust belt.

The car was extremely reliable for the first 10 years with scheduled maint., but then started needing some love around 10/100000, and something each year out. I'd say to keep it at 100% requires about 10-15 hours a year to locate and correct problems as they appear.

*Any foam gaskets in the car, such as around the radiator and between A/C duct joints turned to dust and I decided to leave it that way. I do have limits and hardly see this as a collector car.

rlx101

its basically a camry drive train. there are a few out there with 500,000miles on the clock. I feel like 200,000miles is almost expected.

i think for most folks who pay for the repairs and dont DIY at ~175-200kmiles they start hitting that point where financially it does not make much sense to repair the car ( major repair/service item) and they get rid of it. worn out suspension, tires, engine service (t-belt etc), radiator combined (and expected to go out sooner than later) will cost as much as replacement value of the car or more.

if you DIY, thats totally different story - drive it to the ground i say and save much $$$ in the process.

mitmaks

We have 96 es300 with 186K, had to replace rad, timing belt, p/s pump and pressure lines, ECU rebuilt recently, 02 sensors, brakes, rear main seal was leaking so that was fixed. Otherwise runs and drives great.

BDSL

I am at 290k miles on my 97 ES300. Reliable....
Original drivetrain, starter, alternator, PS pump, etc....

OceanView

Original owner here of a 98 ES300 with 330,000 miles.
I think there are a few guys here with more miles than me.

lexpilot

I have 2 1997 es300s. One has 318k the other has 256k.
See my profile for pics of my "twins".
The one with 318 had the timing belt changed at 90k by the original owner, I bought it with 170k.
I have skipped the belt change twice now and plan to see just how far it will go.
Point is, it's okay to past a bit. Ha.
Troubleshooting is great with two of these as you can just swap suspect parts to check.
Lex

rlx101

nice to see those babies rolling in style and laughing at all the suckers paying those monthly payments hehe

lexpilot, is that a Cessna you are flying thats on your avatar image? nice!

hypervish

There was one with a million miles, don't know the specifics of what work was done but impressive nonetheless.

OceanView

Wow, that's amazing.
Is that a 3rd gen?

These ES models are really rock solid. A part of me wants to see just how long these will last and continue to drive the crap out of it.

I have contemplated on selling mine and upgrading but every time I see a new car with a $30K - $50K price tag, I just can't swallow those payments. Car prices are ridiculous these days.

hypervish

Yeah, it's a 3rd gen!

I got the picture from here (http://instagram.com/p/YbT6KSOxTR/) and left a comment, but the guy who took the picture didn't know the details of it's service history.

yeskay

That is the benefit of a non-interfence engine.

speedkar9

I've only got 207,000km (128K mi) on my ES.

The 97 ES300 at the junkyard that I pulled the cluster from to swap in my Solara read 619,000 km (384K mi) on it when I turned it on.



+1

DIY is the way to go, especially once the car is out of warranty.

Same here. I've always thought of getting a bigger vehicle like an RX, but I just cant justify the cost. I'm also scared of newer vehicles that are harder for me to repair as a DIY'er. Try doing a waterpump or valve cover gaskets on a 2GR-FE

gtstcactus

211,000 KMS / 130,000 miles

davensd

1999 ES300 here with 200K miles.
Original owner, I've put all but maybe 20K miles on it myself.

The car is extremely reliable. I have changed the timing belt and water pump twice (will do another one at 240K), there was an O2 Sensor issue at 65K, and replaced the suspension at 180K. The MAF needs love once in a while, but I believe I've had it cleaned 6x in the life of the car.

But otherwise keep the fluids clean, tires in good shape and check the brakes once in a while. Every mechanic I've talked too have told me that the platform is solid and as long as the engine doesn't overheat and the transmission shifts cleanly the car should last.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

I talked to the guy who bought mine an he's at 250,XXX. It's a 2001