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Toyota Echo

17576788081115

Comments

  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Believe it or not those belts are probably good for 100k miles or more. If it is necessary to replace it, make sure they replace the power steering belt at the same time. I think the ps belt needs to come off to replace the waterpump, alternator, ac belt anyway. Im thinking the noise might be the clutch for the ac. But whatever it is tell us what they find out!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That reminds me of my friend's ECHO. He originally was going to get a Hyundai Elantra (01 model, about the same price as the ECHO). He hated the Hyundai's brakes when we drove it, and he decided to try the ECHO out. He loved it, and bought it that day. It was a 2000 model with 36K at the time, and it's got about 54K on it now. He took a long highway trip this week, so I am curious to talk with him and see how his mileage was and how he liked the car overall on his first long trip with it.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Be warned about the Dunlop SP Sport tires. Someone in the Protege forum bought them, and they wore out in 25K miles (their mileage rating is 50K). Also check some reviews on Tirerack.com, some others have experienced this same issue. I would go for the Avid T4s if I were you...
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    Here in Honolulu there are several companies which use the Echo as their company cars. You see their logos and signs imprinted on the front side doors. The cutest ones are the Diversified Exterminators Echos. One half of the car from hood to tail is painted orange, the other half is painted white. It's sure to bring a smile to your face. If you're ever in Honolulu be sure to look up the Diversified Exterminators Echo. I would post a picture if I had a computer, digital camera, and the know-how, but I don't. Perhaps someday...
  • echorickechorick Member Posts: 27
    I have 46,000 on my 2000 2 door 5 speed ECHO. I was surprised that I had to replace my front brake pads at 46,000. My other cars have gotten about double that mileage. I do not ride tha brakes and I usually downshift when slowing down.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    Well, this problem took me by surprise: My gilfriend mentioned that her ECHO was lagging in throttle response late last week while the engine was cold. Well, yesterday it blossomed into a full-blown stalling issue. The engine tends to give out in idling conditions. If you step on the gas, the car will go, but watch out if you need to halt at a stoplight. . . .

    The engine can start up again, but will constinue to struggle. Any thoughts on what the cause could be? It's a 2000 4-door automatic with just over 31,000 miles. I opened the hood and checked the air filter; even though it's not clogged, I replaced it anyway due to the mileage. I pulled the spark plugs to inspect them; they are Denso Iridiums, and they don't look fouled.

    It's going to visit the dealership tomorrow. If it's a drivetrain issue, it should be covered under the 5/60 warranty, right? My favorite theory at the moment is that she got a bad tank of gas somehwere.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    46k miles for front brake pads is normal, maybe even better than normal. Remember brkes have envionmentaly friendly compounds now that wear out faster than the older ones.
      
    i doubt slugline that your stalling engine would be covered under the drivetrain warranty(but it might be) A better bet would be the emissions warranty. If they dont want to cover it mention the emissions warranty and read the owners manual information for information about it. Im thinking this sort of thing if in fact not under warranty is something you could get results by complaining about. Does the exhaust smell like rotten eggs? I had a tank of cheapo gas do that once. It sounds to me like your cars computer is in limp home mode which means one of the sensors is bad. Good luck and tell us what you find out!
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I should point out that I have a problem that I had completely forgotten about and that is the fact the horn is not working. I have not had time for the dealer to diagnosis it so I am not really sure the cause. I pulled what I thought was the correct fuse and it seems okay. Just have to see what the dealer says. I don't really use the horn so it was easy to forget.
  • echorickechorick Member Posts: 27
    I recently had the same problem. It turned out that the wire to the horn had somehow come loose.
    It was a simple fix.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I have never had tires that did not last as least as long as whatever the mileage warranty was so I have no idea what happens if the tires don't last that long. Will they replace the tires free or will they pro-rate the price of new tires based on how long the old tires lasted?
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    I checked the Corolla msg board to see if anyone reported stalling problems. Seems that a couple of folks are reporting it. One poster seems to think that his was a case of a cracked sparkplug getting plugged with antifreeze, another poster took his car to the dealer and the dealer wasn't able to find the cause. I understand when it comes to stalling the solutions, if any, may be varied and difficult to diagnose. My father owned a Camry several years ago which stalled frequently. He said never again will he buy or drive a Camry. The dealer never could cure the stalling. Needless to say, my dad traded in his Camry after 3 years.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    About 6 or 7 months ago I posted about the body moulding on the lower part of my front passenger side door was starting to come off. Luckily they had the part in stock so they put the new piece on, well now its starting to come off again. Its slowly peeling back from the body of the car just like last time. Im going to take it in next week, but just wondered if anyone else has had any problems with the body moulding??
  • petro33petro33 Member Posts: 192
    slugline If you car is under three years old and under 36K miles you are under the basis warreenty that covers just about everything!
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    I wish I was with my girlfriend when she took the car in, but this is what she told me:

    When she took the car in, the tech found a valve disconnected from the airbox. They reconnected it and the car is running fine now. They posit that I disconnected it while changing the air filter and forgot to reattach it.

    Of course, this is a bit confusing to me, because I wouldn't have even been under the hood looking at the filter if the car was running fine in the first place.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Well at least it runs right. It could be worse!
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    It has been a week since I posted about a bad sound from the AC. It has not recurred, and my wife and daughter say they just are careful not to turn on the AC to high (full fan) from a dead off situation. And they don't get the sound anymore either. So I am presuming I will wait till I can actually experience the sound myself, before going after a fix.
    46K miles sounds like a quick wear out on the brake pads to me. But surely no big deal, just probably a different driving style that results in such wear. Not a costly replacement, I would think. And a little wondering if you got to see the pads, perhaps thinking that the mechanic was looking to do some business.
    I was doing a bit of reading on the 2003 Corolla somewhere, maybe a consumer reports test issue. Because it seems like a reasonable alternative to the Echo, being very little more cost when you consider what features come standard. But I noticed in that road test that the turning circle was 38feet on the Corolla. That is way more than the Echo. If we werent short on funds these days I would sure be looking for a 2000 - 2002 used Echo with not too much mileage, because the prices seem good. And I could pass it or mine over to my sister. I sure think it is a fine car. I also notice in the monthly news reports that the Echo is selling noticeably better this year than it did last year.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    Got back last night from a trip to St. Louis. Filled up here to Kansas City and then at Columbia on the way back. Total mileage was 411 miles and the Echo took 9.935 gallons to bring it back to where the fuel level was before the trip started. This means the Echo returned slightly in excess of 41 mpg. Pretty amazing when you learn that the miles to St. Louis were run at an average of 90 mph and the leg back to Columbia were run at an average of 80 mph.

    I was looking through the auto section from Saturday's paper and the dealership where I bought my Echo is now offering a 10 year/100,000 mile limited power train warranty and other goodies [for no charge] on not just the 2003 Echo, but every new Toyota they sell.

    No one has answered my questions about tire warranties. If a tire does not last as long as it is supposed to, are the tires replaced free of charge or do they sell you new tires at a discounted price based on the percentage of how long the tires last in the first place?
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    Majorthom, I have not made any claims for tires due to short life. I do know that many years ago the standard was certainly a pro-rata one. As you put it, based on the percentage of how long the tire has lasted. I know that because I remember reading the warranty carefully. Hence I suspect that things are the same now, although I have not looked closely at the warranty of any tires I have bought in recent years.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That person with the Dunlop SPs got a pro-rated refund for another set of the same crappy tires...
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    Well my car must know that Im taking it in for service this Friday cuz when I started it tonite and turned my lights on the instument panel didnt light up and my back lights didnt work (although the brake light and turn signals do) Could this just be a fuse??
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    I was browsing another website and found this link to canadiandriver.com:
     http://www.canadiandriver.com/roadtest/04echo_hb.htm

    which has pictures and a review of the new Echo hatchback. My first impression was that Toyota is trying to mimic Honda. If not for the front of the vehicle, I would think it were a Honda hatchback. I think the beauty of the Echo sedan is it's uniqueness; the hatchback, in my opinion, looks like at least one other hatchback on the market now. Plus it's too low to the ground. From what I can see in the article, I don't care for it. Hopefully, in person, it won't look so Honda-ish.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I want one!
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Me too! I drove a Yaris TS in Germany -similar to the North Amrican Echo- and it was also a hatchback. I loved the car. I would buy another one if they offer the diesel option (I already own a 2001 4 door sedan).
  • jackiedoodlejackiedoodle Member Posts: 11
    The hatch looks great. I'll take one too. How did the mpgs improve so much. Also, can I put 15" tires on my 2000 4 door with no negative effects. Is that all the manufacturer did, or did they make structural changes of some kind?
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    Why not buy the Echo hatchback in Canada and drive it to the U.S.? The hatchback is not being offered in the States so what stops someone from
    doing this?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Yes and I could use the regestration for my 2001 and who would know the difference! I could even have them inspect the 2001 and transfer the sticker to the hatchback. I also want the diesel option!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Here you go again, spreading misinformation.

    I did NOT receive "a pro-rated refund for another set of the same crappy tires."

    I was told that my tires were the victims of poor alignment and wore unevenly as a result, and therefore were NOT covered by the warranty at all. I received NOTHING and purchased an entirely different brand of tire.

    (For the rest of you, it was only then -- when I had the new tires installed -- that I learned, too late since my Dunlops were already on a scrap heap somewhere, that my alignment was dead-on. I could've had a case, but frankly I was tired of arguing, I was glad to get rid of the Dunlops, the new tires are great, and it wasn't worth a hundred bucks to keep this stress going.)

    Meade
    Happily driving on BFG Touring T/A VR4s now
  • petrnycpetrnyc Member Posts: 47
    could you tell what dealer offers 100k mile warranty free ?

    Also, regarding tires, I had to replace my original Good Years after only 13k miles. Good Year will not provide ANY assistance and tells you to go back to Toyota and of course Toyo sends you back to Good Year.

    I got Yokohamas - the best tire I have owned ( among Michelins, Continentals, Firestones)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Last I heard, you got a pro-rated refund. Didn't hear the part about the misalignment, but I haven't been here alot lately. Sorry for the mistake.

    Any way you cut it though, the tirerack.com ratings are still dismal.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    Just an fyi, I took my car in on friday to get an oil change etc and for them to replace the lower body side moulding on the front passenger side AGAIN! This is twice in 6 months. They said since my car seems to have a problem keeping them on that they would put it under warranty, but they never said for how long, does anyone have an idea??
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    Pet, given your name which suggests you live in NYC, not sure knowing the dealer's name would do you any good since I live in the midwest. Sorry if I got your hopes up.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I am sure that you can put 15" wheels on your older Echo. The thing you need to watch is the size of tires you put on those wheels. To keep the speedometer accurate, when one measurement goes up another must go down. Unfortunately, I cannot remember which two measurements those are. Can someone help us out?
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Your 2000/2001 Echo can use several different tire sizes, none of which require recalibrating your speedometer. I suggest you go to www.tires.com and enter your vehicle brand, model and year and you will find out that a 195/50 tire will fit your Echo with no problems whatsoever. The diameter of that tire (circumference) is very close if not identical to the standard 175/14 that came with your car. Any bigger tire (wider) will possibly require some fender trimming and or widening.
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    janbee, are you referring to side moulding or side cladding? If you're referring to the 1/2" wide side moulding some echos sport as side door guards, the warranty should be for the life of the car. We had the side mouldings put on after we bought our car. Our salesman told us we could save $100 by going to the outside shop who installs for Servco Pacific on Oahu. The shop told us that anytime it started to come off just bring the Echo back to them and they'd repair it free of charge. I think it's only a matter of putting on new adhesive.
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    I forgot to ask janbee, what did the dealer say about your fuse/light problems? Was it a short or something else?
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    I guess you would call it the cladding, its the plastic piece that goes around the base of the car, I dont have door guards, I wish I did cuz I have a few little dings here and there. Luckily it was just a fuse that was causing my lack of light. One other note, a few months ago as I was driving down my street a deer ran out and I somewhat hit it, it was more of a bump tho, no damage to my car (or the deer) except it broke a piece off my bug guard, but the dealership noticed my left front light had 2 cracks on the inside where it was mounted to the car. They said its fine now but eventually will leak and it will set me back $300 cdn, ouch, pricey lights.
  • jackiedoodlejackiedoodle Member Posts: 11
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was surprised to see some Echos on the lot of Enterprise rent-a-car tonight when I was there. I didn't get to see what kind of equipment they had, but never thought of Toyota as a rental type car. I guess the days of getting stuck with a crappy GM rental are becoming a thing of the past...
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    Yes, I believe two rental companies in Hawaii have been renting Echos since 2000. My sister rented an Echo twice before we ended up buying our Echos. Sometimes, depending on the season, they're hard to get. One time they told her they'd hold an Echo for her, but when she went down to pick it up, they were out of Echos.
  • gaiffemgaiffem Member Posts: 11
    Go to www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to find a handy on-line calculator that will show you what impact a change in tire size will have on your speedometer. Hope this helps.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    If you go back and reread the posts, you will see that it was not I who had the question about going to 15" tires. I was merely responding to another poster. But thanks for the website address.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I am getting the new tires at my dealership and they did not have the Dunlops in stock. They could order them, but they would not get them until two days after I planned on having new tires on the Echo. All this means that I am not getting Dunlops, but having a new set of Goodyear Integritys put on.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Good choice. You will get a better tire in the Goodyears I think.

    Good luck.
  • malibu_jackmalibu_jack Member Posts: 75
    I had Dunlops on my 2001 Sentra and have to say they were the worst tires I ever had....

    I have since replaced them with GoodYear Allegras. Have driven them in all weather types and have excellent traction....Plus Managed to get them at a good price through our Canadian Tire Store ($75 a piece).
  • dawgpakdawgpak Member Posts: 42
    went to dealer w/ my daughter to look at used Corrolas - bought her new blue 2003 Echo at dealer invoice. She couldn't stand either Scion. She absolutely loves the Echo. Traded our '99 Sienna. This is my 10th Toyota!

    '72 Corona Mark II (parent's)
    '77 Pickup (new)
    '81 Tercel (new)
    '82 Tercel (new)
    '83 Pickup (new)
    '88 MR2 (new)
    '99 Sienna (new)
    '01 Tacoma (used)
    '01 MR2 (new)
    '03 Echo (new)
  • petro33petro33 Member Posts: 192
    I have an '02 Spyder, how do you like yours. My 23 year old son really loves it. When I was on vacation it was his car to drive. I don't think he ever put the top up!
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Recently Amsoil informed that their synthetic ATF now complies with the Toyota T-IV standard.
    Since I already use their bypass filter system and motor oils with great results I am going to try their ATF for my '01 Echo.
    Since you own a factory manual, could you tell me how to flush and fill the automatic transmission? I need the location of the drain plug and the exact capacity of the tranny.
    Many thanks in advance.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Unfortunately there is no proceedure in the manual for that. The section on the auto trans doesnt even tell you how to take it apart just how to take it out and how to replace little things like temperature sensor, etc. The drain plug is right on the botton of the pan according to the drawings. There is no mention that I can find of how much oil is in the auto trans! I know the ammount of oil in the manual trans is in the owners manual. Ill keep looking in the book (its a big book) but there isnt much at all about the specifics of the auto trans in it. Wish I could be of more help. If anyone wants to know about stuff in the service manual Ill do my best to help out.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Thanks kneisl1.
    I didn't want to take my Echo to the local Toyota service station and ask them to install an ATF not approved by Toyota. I'll consult my manual, loosen the transmission drain plug, drain and replace the ATF 1 pint at a time. If anyone has a better procedure, please let me know.
    I could also use a suction pump and get the ATF out through the dipstick opening.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    It says in my service manual for the ECHO that the automatic transmission is covered in a separate book.
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