Popular YouTube Mechanic Explains Why He’s Done Buying Them

You know when something happens Scotty Kilmer begins praising Toyota’s quality. He’s been a great advocate for the brand before, even explaining in this latest video that his decision to buy Toyota models was partly because he didn’t want to work on his own cars. So they don’t break down, or rather they don’t get used to it.

I may not have as much experience with Toyota models as Scotty, but having owned and worked on several examples from multiple generations, I feel qualified to at least question his claims. Is Scotty right to tout Toyota’s current quality and reliability, or is he judging the automaker unfairly and based on rose-tinted specs?

First: yes, Toyota has hit some hurdles lately when it comes to reliability. From engine and transmission recalls to electrical issues, the last few years haven’t been great for the automaker. But Kilmer faults more than just these new recalls; so let’s see if the harsh criticism is truly deserved.

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Scotty Kilmer sees declining trend in Toyota’s reliability

On the surface, it’s hard to disagree with Scotty. He lists numerous examples where he has personally witnessed standards breaking down: a brand new Lexus LX With only 5,000 miles on the clock, there are already some problems. He doesn’t detail what problems the car is facing, but later in the video he mentions that the owner didn’t like the engine’s “boost” and that the infotainment screen was faulty.

Kilmer then turns to the family’s 2007 Camry as an example of a solid, old Toyota. But oddly enough, Kilmer notes that Toyota “manufactured the piston rings incorrectly” for this particular model, and as a result, it burned oil. Kilmer adds that for the family member the vehicle “ran well, just added oil,” but doesn’t explain why a car that regularly burns oil is preferable to a malfunctioning entertainment screen.

Later in the video he says the ’07 Camry can be abused; all you had to do was change the oil and you’d happily see 3, 4, or 500,000 miles. But the owners of this model do not quite agree with it. According to CarComplaintsThe 2007 Camry is the least reliable model year ever produced, with more than 1,000 complaints recorded against it. Most of these complaints relate to: excessive oil consumptionand most of these come from drivers with less than 100,000 miles on the engine.

Kilmer suggests that the decline in quality is due to: where modern Toyotas are made. But he uses a 2016 Sienna (made in Indiana) as an example. The Sienna has never had any real problems and just needs regular maintenance as can be expected over the years, but this contradicts her idea, at least in my eyes.

Kilmer sees latest batch of Toyota trucks as particularly problematic

From here, Scotty Kilmer introduces the new Tacoma, underlines that it’s made in Mexico, and brings up issues like problematic brake lines, transmission failures, and welding issues behind the vehicle. I find it difficult to conclude that assembling them in San Antonio or Japan instead of Mexico will solve these problems, but these recurring problems may indicate a decline in quality for the Japanese giant.

Another common point he makes is referencing current Tundra engines. Toyota switched from V8 turbo engines to V6 turbo engines and due to ongoing problems the brand now needs to replace over 120,000 engines. He may be right here, but he claims Toyota is doing this to save money by saying a souped-up V6 would be cheaper to produce. Fact is that Toyota hasn’t given an official reason for dropping the V8 engine. In reality, this is due to increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Many other automakers have resorted to forced production cuts and downsizing for the same reason.

Kilmer gives Toyota credit, saying the automaker has historically learned from its mistakes. Toyota is currently at a turning point. The mass introduction of turbocharged engines is fairly new for Toyota, so perhaps we’re just in the ‘troubleshooting’ phase at the moment. Even so, although Toyota is currently experiencing some quality issues, in 2025 it and Lexus are still among the industry leaders when it comes to quality and reliability, so I don’t think it’s entirely accurate to claim that older Toyota models are less problematic.

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Read Original article on SlashGear.