Supra - future problems?

My cable for winding the window up and down snapped last week, I hear it's a common problem now that 90% of Supras are over 10 years old. The MKIV is only getting older, and despite the high build quality it's just a matter of time before things will start to go wrong. A few things that go with age are well known and have been documented:

boot rubbers

rear suspension bushes

crank pulley

turbo seals?

Anything else to add? Also wondering what things people predict will start to fail across the range in the next 5 years or so.

Valve stem seals

My back getting in and out it.

It can all be fixed (at a cost), but wiring looms beginning to degrade...

Insurance and road tax are more likely to go wrong before the cars do

Sellllllllllllllll!

Corroded brake lines. Seems to be catching people out at MOT times now.

rear suspension bushes

Suspension components in general front and rear.

Wheel bearings

Diff bushes.

Engine/gearbox mounts.

Been said already but corroding brake lines and suspension arms needed replacing on my last mot.

Corroded brake lines. Seems to be catching people out at MOT times now.

And fuel lines.

 

Engine/gearbox mounts.

I just had my gearbox mount changed, only because its advised to after the gearbox leaks oil onto it. But its made a noticeable difference to the car. It didn't feel like the gearbox was attached to the car before compared to now.

Heater matrix is a big 'un as well!

Within 2 weeks of getting my car (which required boot rubbers!), the crank pulley went and then 2-3 months later the heater matrix gave up! After the winter, my central locking doesn't work for OPENING the doors, but does to lock the car. That'll need sorted too (think it's a water leak thing?).

Heater matrix is a big 'un as well!

 

Within 2 weeks of getting my car (which required boot rubbers!), the crank pulley went and then 2-3 months later the heater matrix gave up! After the winter, my central locking doesn't work for OPENING the doors, but does to lock the car. That'll need sorted too (think it's a water leak thing?).

 

its your central locking relay , mine was the same .

Suspension components in general front and rear.

 

Wheel bearings

 

Diff bushes.

 

Engine/gearbox mounts.

Is this a prediction or based on knowledge of what parts people are starting to order from you?

I'd like to see some kind of sticky thread for this because I'd rather know up front before bad things happen so when it's service time I can get new things fitted before they go Bang!

I just had my gearbox mount changed, only because its advised to after the gearbox leaks oil onto it. But its made a noticeable difference to the car. It didn't feel like the gearbox was attached to the car before compared to now.

Out of interest, were you getting a hollow kind of banging noise when going over bumps, coming from under the central glove box area (behind hand brake) before it was replaced?

Air con rad

Heater matrix

Turbo actuators

Valve stem seals

All the Suspension bushes

Water rad

Intercooler

Engine Hoses

Engine mounts

Brake caliper seals

Brake hoses

Brake lines

Fuel lines

Fuel pump

Diff cooler (uk spec)

Turbo's

etc etc

After the winter, my central locking doesn't work for OPENING the doors, but does to lock the car. That'll need sorted too (think it's a water leak thing?).

 

Same but other way round, wont lock but it unlocks fine

its your central locking relay , mine was the same .

So did you buy a new one? Is this just in the door card switch or somewhere else?

Steering rack seals

PAS Pump

Radiator

Water Pump

Intercooler

Rust, when i stripped mine down, there was heavy rust under the trim area that had never ever been touched!! no probs though becuase i took it all of, sealed it and painted over it:D

The only rust i found on mine that i had any concern about was under the aircon rad, i've heard of another car suffering the same problem but was far worse than mine and had to have the section replaced

Unless you take the water rad and aircon rad out you wont even know its there till its too late.

well these are the most common things i get asked for/about...

drivers side electric seat

drivers side window mech

cdl units (only during the cold/winter mths!)

hubs/bearings (mainly the rears)

Heater matrix

Valve stem seals

rear upper suspension arms/bush

Brake calipers jspec only

Pas pump

tailgate (rust on the lower corners)

headlights (due to plastic going yellow)

oh and grab handles/clips! people seem to be either a) heavier and the handle cant cope anymore:D

or b) just old and crap plastic clips!

Gearbox and diff seals

Got to admit folks most of these are still rare problems. For a 17 year old car they are holding up pretty well.

Repost

Got to admit folks most of these are still rare problems. For a 17 year old car they are holding up pretty well.

Yep, these are considered consumables on any car of this age (or usually much younger) A power steering pipe on a French car I owned corroded through within 4 years of being new. Look how long they last on these.

Alot of the issues listed on here are a direct result of care and maintainance (or lack of) at some point in the cars life.

IMO The Supra is right up there with the best built cars of all time (with the Mercedes 190E)

If anyone needs any reassurance, just have a look on some other owners forums (GTROC, NSX prime etc) and see some of the common faults with these (and the horrific costs of putting them right)