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Toyota Solara

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Comments

  • toyotatoystoyotatoys Member Posts: 118
    The wear and tear on tires is much more related to driving habit. I know of a friend who changes tires around every 20K on his Maxima. I usually change the tires on my Lexus SC300 around every 35K, which is very good considering that this vehicle uses relatively soft tires (93H Rating). I changed the tires of my Seqouia at 55K. My 06 Solara is only one month old, so I have nothing to say about it. I am a relatively cautious driver.

    The bottom line is that 17K for your tires is awfully low. You will need 6 changes to make 100K. Yes, sometimes the tires can be bad too. But for four of them wearing out at the same time, it's not likely to be a tire defect.
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    Typical Bridgestones...my 04 has about 8k on them and they are half gone!
    Also the ones on my previous 2000 Solara did not last either.
  • toyotatoystoyotatoys Member Posts: 118
    Now you're getting me worried. My month-old Solara has Bridgestones also. It has 1500 miles now, and I guess 15,500 more miles to go.... Anyone has a suggestion for a replacement? I might need a set of 4 in 10 months.
  • ecampanoecampano Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 solara and after 6 sets of tires I have finally found some that will last. I got my car with 23k on it, I replaced the bridgestone's within 1k of purchasing the car. My dad couldn't believe the lousy mileage so I went for an expensive set of Michelin tires. Those may have lasted 15k miles. So walmart replaced them at a prorated price thinking it was the tires malfunction. I have now gone through 3 sets of those. On the 4th set walmart decided to give me Goodyear's for the prorated price. So far those have make it the longest and I have now had them over 20k.
    So your best bet might be Goodyear and buying them at walmart. You can't bet their return policy.

    But maybe someone can help me with a problem I am having. When the window is rolled up and I try and close the door, it won't shut, it meets the side of the car, since there is no frame. Has anyone had that problem? And is there anyway to fix it. I had a mechanic look at it and he wasn't sure how to fix it.
    thanks
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    ....Department:

    1. I got 36,000 from the stock 205/60-16 Bridgestones...(2000 SE-V6 Solara Coupe 5M)
    2..Replacement tires were General Exclaim 215/55-16. Still on the car (and looking good with 4/32 left) when I sold the vehicle this past summer @ 80k odometer.

    For the numerically challenged: 44,000 miles.

    best, ez............

    :P
  • carfreak30carfreak30 Member Posts: 3
    Hey, just thought I would sare with you that you will get about 26K out of the Bridgestone EL42's. What I would suggest ( and you better begin to save your money) is a set of Toyo Proxes TPT's they are good for 65K, handle awesome, quieter than the EL42's and may cost in the neighborhood of $1100.00. You will love them!!!
  • carfreak30carfreak30 Member Posts: 3
    Hello Folks:

    I am an owner of a 2004 Toyota Solara SE V6 Sport. Just like the all of you, I replaced the tires at 24K highway miles with a set of 1100.00 Toyo Proxes TPT's. I was not happy with that surprise. Now the next surprise... I took my Solara in for service at 39K and there was only 2MM left on all 4 brake pads!!!! $500.00 later for Machined Rotors and New Brake Pads seems a bit steep for a 160 LB guy that communtes to work by himself and gets 27.7 MPG with his normal driving habits. I ease up to stops and only stand on the brake pedal if my life is on the line. I am begining to get concerned about the quality of materials used on this car and what else can I expect to wear out early? Belts? Transmission? Alternators? Torque Converters? I have owned 4 other Toyotas and have never seen parts like this wear so prematurally. I have open a case with Toyota as I am afraid this car is going to depreciate like a KIA. KIA's have these type of issues, not 23,000 Japanese Cars. :lemon:
  • mondo2mondo2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Solara SLE and my Bridgestone tires at 20K are more than half gone as well. An auto mechanic at my local dealer told me that Bridgestone tires grip very well, but the downside is that they wear really fast. It's unfortunate because those dang tires will cost around $500 to replace. I am leaning towards switching them for Michelin. Anyone running their Solara on Michelin tires??
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    I think 39,000 miles on your brake pads is not terrible (if in fact they were worn as much as the tech said they were).
    I will agree you paid dearly for the service work, though, especially considering they only turned the rotors.

    Lemon? Doubtful.
  • solara99solara99 Member Posts: 7
    Well we've come up with a somewhat odd problem with our 99 Solara that we love so much. It seems that in the last few months the interior has taken on an odd odor. The best way to describe it is it smell like.....well, it smells like dog crap actually. Im not kidding. I've cleaned it out thouroughly and looked under the seats and everywhere I can think but every day when you first get in it it has this strange smell. It seems to disappate after it runs and the windows are cracked for awhile. I have no idea where its coming from. Has anyone else ever had this problem or am I crazy. I'm wondering if maybe they're is a filter somewhere that can be changed.
    Tnanx!!!
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    I had the same problem with my former 2000 Solara also.The smell is coming from inside the doors as it seems to get moldy in the bottom sections.I'm thinking it had something to do with it being light colored (DWP)and the paint never really gets warmed by the sun to dry out the insides.I too would only notice it when the window was cracked or down.The only solution is to removed the door panels and get down in there and wash it out with some cleaner and hose it out.Also check that the door drains are clear.I'm hoping that my newer 04 does not develope the same issue...
  • solara99solara99 Member Posts: 7
    Thats very interesting...mines green with black leather int.
    Mrs is starting to get really frreaked about it.
  • toyotatoystoyotatoys Member Posts: 118
    I had a similar stinky smell on my Lexus SC300 and it was coming from the AC system, the evaporator coils. In fact, it sometimes still comes back, but my mechanic (not Lexus) cannot figure out why. I am also curious to know. My 06 Solara has lost its "new car" smell, but I hope it won;t stink either.
  • marco770marco770 Member Posts: 1
    I had to replace my Bridgestones at 33,000 miles. Believe it, I had already traveled that much in 11 months! I replaced them with Michelin EN MXV4 for a total driveout price of $688.00 including labor. (Not done at dealership) I now have 62,000 miles on my vehicle and these tires are beautiful-- I suffered thru an experience of replacing tires on an Avalon with TOYO tires and I hated them because they were uncomfortable and noisy. I rotate these Michelins religiously every 5 to 7 thousand miles, still get great gas mileage. Check them out!
  • loucopitsloucopits Member Posts: 103
    The problem comes and goes, but never at the dealership. Today, it started in my driveway, so I jumped out to lift the hood and look at the engine for a possible cause. Saw nothing, closed the hood, and there it was - the hood was vibrating and causing the rattle. Drove to the dealership, they adjusted the rubber things and solved the problem.
  • jrp6977jrp6977 Member Posts: 87
    My sister-in-law has a 2005 Solara XLE V6 that has, according to her, the worst radio reception of any car she has ever owned. Otherwise she loves the car.
    She took it to the dealer and was told she was getting bad reception because she had the radio on AM. Well, despite what she was told by the idiot in the service dept. the reception is bad on both AM and FM. She didn't have time to mess with this jerk, so I told her I would post this on this site.
    Has anyone else had this problem, or are there any suggestions to improve the reception?
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    Just installed 4 new Michelin MXV4 S8 on my wifes 04 SLE and they are super smooth and quiet.I noticed that the treadear number on the old tires was 260 wich explains why they wore out so fast.I guess the next test is how they are in snowy conditions...
  • tallentallen Member Posts: 1
    I am getting ready to replace my car and have 2 questions:

    1) How accurate is the mileage reported by Toyota and what kind of gas mileage can I expect on the SLE convt Solara in city and on the highway?

    2) How much of a problem are the back seat headrests for visibility longterm?

    I am debating between the Solara (first choice) and a Lexus GS preowned (2nd choice)

    Thanks
  • adam10adam10 Member Posts: 7
    Tallen, Question #1: Accuracy of gas mileage is terrible on all epa numbers, they can derive them almost any way they wish, expect to get about 80% at best of what they say, unless you drive like me, a 75 year old guy thats retired, and the longer the trip the better. By the way, gas mileage really doesn't matter much. A $30,000 car costs about 58 cents a mile to drive (check AAA.com) so $2.00 gas is about 8-10 Cents a mile. So when you stick $20 bucks in the tank, you are invisibly tearing up $120 to $130 bucks and throwing it on the ground.
    On Question #2 I have the 06 convertible, and its a great car, but the rear vision is the worst of the 20 cars that I have owned. I have only had it for 7 months, have 3,000 miles on it and expect to have at least one minor accident before I reach 15,000 miles. I have posted some pictures of the problem at post #894 on Solara Convertable forum,or http://photobucket.com/albums/c351/gcadam/
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    .....FWIW Department:

    1. EPA numbers present a dichotomy for many.......

    ...I can't provide much for the first(city driving)
    number


    However, in the case of my Solara SE-V6 5M: - highway MPG was significantly BETTER than the EPA 28 figure.........

    ...last summer, at odo 80k, the Solara went to an old college bud; my current Accord V6 6M coupe will also beat the EPA 30 Highway rating.............big time!!

    ...again, FWIW......

    ......seasons best, ez
  • chhedachheda Member Posts: 2
    are u talking about the rattle inside the car....
    i had some rattling noise which i realised was coming from the temperature sensors on the dash. the plastic covering was causing the rattling.......
  • chhedachheda Member Posts: 2
    i bought my solara in october of 2003.its a 2004 model (sle 4 cylinder)....
    the car is excellently built...very clean finish...i think its a very soft car....and very smooth...
    some things that i found annoying were.....
    1) the 4 cylinder does not have good pick up power..accord 4 cylinder is amazing compared to solara...
    2) the blind spot and the rear visiblity while backing up...
    3) the paint quality , i would say is very bad..i have so many chips on the hood that i have to literally touch it up everytime i come from a long drive. they could make the paint coat much thicker which would eliminate this problem.
    4) toyota does not make front end masks for solara for which i have complained my dealer thousands of time.. once what i did while on a long journey, i taped a plastic piece in the front to prevent the hood from chips, later realising the part that i had covered was full of scratches..but my dealer buffed the hood the next day without any cost....
    5) i think toyota should make the solara seat belts with in the seats just as cadillac. this would make the rear access easy.
    6) another thing that i noticed was when the windows are rolled down and when u shut the door, the glass inside the door vibrates, making it noisy....
    7) sliding arm rest, dual temperature control
    8) i am not sure if solaras come with ebd
    9) mud flaps design should have been incorporated...
    10) dual exhaust!!!! how can toyota make solara without dual exhaust...and some chrome around the car....
  • madtippermadtipper Member Posts: 6
    please post when you drive in the snow I have a 06 and it really bad trying to climb up hill :cry:
  • loucopitsloucopits Member Posts: 103
    The noise seemed to be coming from under the hood. It turned out to be the hood itself under certain, unpredictable conditions. Minor adjustment fixed the problem.
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    They seem to work pretty good in the snow.The original tires also worked well in my opinion butmy car has the traction/stability control wich helps alot.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I don't know where you live, but if it's a place with regular snow, you would be wise to consider getting four Winter tires put on. There is not an All-Season nor Summer tire made that is truly effective in snow. Only Winter tires do that for you. We have had 4 Winters on our '99 Solara for every winter since new, and have never had any problems with climbing hills in snow.
  • klf33klf33 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,
    I live in Toronto, and I'm looking at a 99SLE, oh it is a BEAUTY, but I want to know what to look for ?>
    If anyone in T.O ? you think Scarborough Toyota could look at it for me ?
    I'm a bit worried cause the car has around 90K(miles on it), it was bought in the US and imported to Canada recently ( I guess this could be good for rust and stuff like that).

    It look amazing, I didn't test drive it yet, may do it tomorrow, I appreciate your help.

    Regards

    A.K.
  • e_racere_racer Member Posts: 2
    I own an 04 Solara SE that had the same tracking problem when it was new (two years ago). The dealer replaced the entire stereo, and it has worked fine since. (I now have 35500 miles on it.) Insist your dealer replace it.
  • e_racere_racer Member Posts: 2
    My or Solara SE has been a dream car, barring few minor (non-mechanical) problems. It is now nearing the 36,000 mile mark, and I need to decide whether or not to take out the extended warranty.

    Normally I avoid them like the plague, but I keep thinking that the little 4-cylinder engine is working a lot harder than a v6 would.

    Has anyone on this list had experiences with their 4 cylinder models that would suggest I take out this warranty (at a cost of $1500 to take me to 100,000 miles)?

    Thanks!
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    My gf has an '02 Solara with the 4-banger, currently around 50k miles. I am impressed with it. I would not spring for another $1500 (or even $500). But that is my free advice, and worth every penny.

    You pays your money, you takes your choice. Whatever helps you sleep better at night.
  • xkssxkss Member Posts: 722
    Car & Driver has said that the Solara is the "boneless chicken of convertibles."

    Do owners here agree with that?
  • madtippermadtipper Member Posts: 6
    I had a four cyl once and it went till i had 130000 and all i did was change the oil on it but to me I never bought that stuff but it up to you :shades:
  • adam10adam10 Member Posts: 7
    Convertibles shake period. I have had 8 of all types, they all shook over bumpy roads, even a $65,000 Caddy Allante, it comes with the territory. Without a hard roof it is like a shoe box with its lid off, loose as a goose. You learn to avoid the obvious pitfals if it bothers you. The lack of rear Solara visibility is a much bigger issue than rattles. You will love it though on a quiet, 80 degree evening, top-down, gliding along. Also, generally can't go through car washes.
  • ed1234ed1234 Member Posts: 5
    I would like to buy a 99 Solara SE V6 110,000 miles.

    The car has noise from the front end over some slight bumps. It sounds like I was driving over some thing and break it, or the sound when we break the plastic soda can.

    Can you tell me if it can be fixed and how much it will cost me. Since it is not my car so I can not bring it to the shop to check it.

    Thank you in advance!
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    Sounds like the front upper strut mounts (very common)...easy fix.
  • solara99slesolara99sle Member Posts: 2
    Hi guys,
    I bought a 99 Solara SLE in April 05. When I bought the car, the Automatic climate control LCD was cracked. I am not sure if the unit works or not (since the LCD is cracked), but I want the LCD to display so I am looking for a replacement unit. I am under the impression that the heater will not work till I change the unit (because of the cracked LCD). or maybe I dont know how to. Is there any site where I can an automatic climate control unit for a cheap price?
    thanks all
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    Hi guys,
    I bought a 99 Solara SLE in April 05. When I bought the car, the Automatic climate control LCD was cracked. Is there any site where I can an automatic climate control unit for a cheap price?
    thanks all


    ....I can't really tell you where TO go......

    ....but where NOT to go is a different story....

    ....dealer wanted (2000 Solara) for replacement passenger sun visor assembly.......

    ....you be the judge.....

    However, the car ran great zero to 80k (sold to college bud

    ..best..ez
  • solara99solara99 Member Posts: 7
    We put 4 Blizzaks on ours and it goes like a freakin tank, it really does.
  • buerd481buerd481 Member Posts: 2
    My 2000 Solara was just totalled by a senior in an 80's vintage Accord. It had 98000 miles on it. I tried to keep to the scheduled maintenance. I never had an unscheduled repair.

    Toyota <> extended warranty.

    Just bought a 2006 SE.
  • buerd481buerd481 Member Posts: 2
    The standard stereo in the 2006 Solara is definitely not the "jammin'" sound of my 2000 Solara. Rear speakers are weak. Bass sounds stressed. Sound, in general, is just not of the same calliber. Dream Theater and Nickelback sound . . . strained.

    Anyone else have observations about the stereo?

    Thanks,
    Dan
  • ed1234ed1234 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for your reply, 2k1trd

    I have read somewhere that the front upper strut mounts problem will keep returning, just a couple months after we fix it, is that true?

    Thanks,
  • mak750mak750 Member Posts: 3
    Please read #4451 - 'Oil Gel Campaign'
  • mhs7386mhs7386 Member Posts: 33
    Can you take the Solara into a regular car wash?
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    I highly doubt it...i have done a ton of them and never had any comebacks.
  • cooldad24cooldad24 Member Posts: 163
    This issue bothers me a year after acquiring the coupe with 3.3 V6. When first time I send it in for Alignment, I was told by the manager that my driver side cam is tilt inward (vertical misaligned) and the design is not for adjustable. I called Toyota twice in the past year but no one really know if there is sulotion. Today I was force to replace both tires on the left (I rotate the tires every 5 to 6K) due to uneven worn with silghtly less than 15K in mileage. One of them can barely see the track at the outer edge. The reason is alignment problem. I was told there is after market adjustable cam to replace the original to solve this issue. Does anyone else has the same problem? How do you resolve it? Please help so I don't have to buy another pair in the next 15K. Those tires are very expansive. We are talking about $190 to $240 each then plus other fee. Ouch!
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    Yes you can replace the strut bolt with a adjustable type aftermarket bolt.As far as your tire wear issues,negative camber will wear the inside of the tire.You claimed that the outer section was wearing out.I personally think that your alignment is not getting done correctly... Also make sure you are running about 35 psi in all tires.
  • cooldad24cooldad24 Member Posts: 163
    Do you know where can I get it? Thanks.
  • 2k1trd2k1trd Member Posts: 301
    Check your local Napa store.
  • cafastlanecafastlane Member Posts: 11
    Are 17" tires supposed to have 32psi?
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    Yes, according to Tire Guides, the 17" on a Toyota Camry Solara are supposed to be inflated to 32 psi.

    But just to be sure, check your vehicle placard. I'm not sure where the placard is on Toyota's but they are usually on the doorpost or in the glove box.
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