2008 Toyota Yaris, things to look for?

Pretty good, just look for corrosion which would indicate one not looked after, look underneath. Other issues they just get run without much concern for maintenance.

We've a 60 plate Aygo thats been sound, but the lack of general maintenance in the previous ten years is a bit frustrating (seized stuff, crusty whole exhaust, brakes).

Cheap to fix though.

The early European built Yaris‘s (Yari? 🤣) were really well built and reliable - we had one that eventually succumbed to rust after 18 years - the 1.3 VVTi engine was brilliant.

They are the cockroaches of the car world. Brilliant things.

Look for one with decent branded tyres and the radio buttons tuned to #1 Radio 1, #2 Radio2, #4 Radio4 and make sure the cigarette lighter hasn't been used.

Avoid if it smells of curry (ubereats drivers love them).

When you do find one that meets the conditions above that an old folk has clearly clacked around in, have a quiet chat to the car and apologize to the car for its upcoming life of handbraking round Maccys car parks and back seat fornicating.

We had a 1999 Yaris for 18 years. No issues. Its still going locally, but the red paint is now shot.

Slight rust on wing, but other than that its still solid. I washed the underside regularly

PS they are also easy to work on. Engines are strong, stuff is accessible. Aygo is lowest insurance group though, but the build isn't as good as the genuine Toyota Yaris.

We've got a 57 plate 1.3 diesel and...

Look for one with decent branded tyres and the radio buttons tuned to #1 Radio 1, #2 Radio2, #4 Radio4 and make sure the cigarette lighter hasn’t been used.

That's us! 😃 Running yokohama winter tyres as it happens...

Had it from new and nothing but service items and consumables replaced.

In the rear arches there is a bit of a mud and gravel shelf that needs attention when washing. I've dabbed some paint in there to keep corrosion at bay.

Where are you.

Up here they rot and Rot quickly.

Everything rots up here but the sils and subframes of Aygos and Yaris especially so.

Speaking of subframes -even In non rot prone areas the subframes like to rot out as they are thin tin.

RustyNissanPrairie

have a quiet chat to the car and apologize to the car for its upcoming life of handbraking round Maccys car parks and back seat fornicating.

This and a whole lot more ( Most of us did it )

Though the cars I abused were 1970's

Driven a lot of Yaris/Yari, and there’s only one issue that they tend to suffer from, and that’s the battery going flat if left for a while. It’s due to the boot light switch not being turned off if the rear hatch isn’t properly shut. The contact point on the hatch is only just high enough to press the switch down, so the hatch needs a good firm shut, more or less a slam. It became a standing joke at work, someone would call over the radio for a charger, and everyone would call back “Yaris?”, “Yup!”. If anyone went to fetch one and it started, there’d be people asking if they’d done the lottery that week. 😁

Don't get a Scottish car, or coastal one. The rest are fine.

Pretty bullet proof, starter motors are a weak spot but cheap and easy to change. Front wheel bearings, pig to do as a press is needed. Check for water in the boot as the boot/window seals can go, sometimes the seal on the rear brake light.
Biggest problem is because nothing really goes wrong when it does its all rusted solid.
Parts are very cheap anyway.

Yep. Check the cars passport before buying.

Or look at its sills and it's subframe as I suggested.

Check for rust

We had an 05 1.0 for 10 years before a van wrote it off. Best car ever, the battery did run flat so now I know why...really used it round town but did drive 250 miles a few times. It's q happy sitting at 60 with the hgv s.

Never got an advisory, just routine services. I see loads around similar aged seemingly going strong.

back seat fornicating.

I washed the underside regularly

Problem solved with the upholstery, then.

Sod the kids I might get one.

My daughter had a 2002 Yaris, gave no issues whatsoever but written off by a scrote nicking the cat (in London). I think they changed the design to make this harder but you'd you'd to check the year.

We have an 11 plate 1.3, can't say I like it much. Sure it'll just get on and do the job, but it's gutless, steering is vague and the brakes are poor. Uses a bit of oil too (not uncommon on the 1.3 apparently). Much preferred the Micra we had before!

Mrs BoardinBob had a 2003 Yaris that I finally made her sell a couple of years ago. To my knowledge, I don't think she ever had it serviced in all the time she owned it! Certainly not in the 8 years we've been together. Sailed through every MOT with zero issues. Started every time without fail and drove brilliantly.

Well thanks for all the good info (and laughs😊)

Bought the car today, good solid machine and the guy selling is a mechanic ( wife’s runaround) so took me through everything he has done and showed me what may need attention in the future!

More likely to be needing some panel beating than mechanical intervention given who’s going to be driving it!

Thanks all👍

2008.... 60,000 miles

My first port of call would be the DVLA MOT checker site to work back through the mileages given at each MOT and see if they tally, even for a round town pootler that equates to an average of just 4k miles a year.

If it’s anything like the 2003 that my mate got for his kids to learn to drive in it will go on forever. So much so that my mate the retired ex golf club captain has kept the Yaris and let his son take the Audi A4 after he’d passed his test and got a couple of years of ncd. Impossible to kill a Yaris, it’s still parked outside the house ready for it’s next round

round town pootler that equates to an average of just 4k miles a year.

Not that unreasonable. I’ve got a 2008 golf that is just under 80,000 miles. The original owner did c20,000 miles in 5 years. Why they bought a diesel for that usage, god knows.

I bought it from a friend who had it as a second car for his wife but she walked to work so in the time he had it it barely moved.

He bought it from a mate who had been out of work for a while so was in need of the cash and he had hardly used it for a year while not working.

I bought it as a stop gap after I ing out of a company car, but 4 weeks after getting it, lock down 2 started and work sent us all to WFH so I’ve only added 10,000 miles in 2.5 years- most of that on a job where I had to be in the office every day.

Mine is not a Yaris but I almost bought the Yaris Verso as I like the reliability.

Instead I bought a 2005 Toyota Corolla Full Auto. 1.6L. Apart from soft suspensions it has been reliable. Just normal wear and tear. Just some minor rust at the door but nothing severe. Joy to drive with those auto tbh.

But don't expect it to be rocket fast as I was overtook at the traffic light (we were like having a drag race) yesterday by two oriental ladies in their 50s or early 60s (could see them smirking), in their fancy Honda Civic Turbo 1.0 (they love Honda esp those from HK). I was already doing 50mph but they floored it like "hooligans" LOL! They were fast. Bloody Honda. Then a small Hyundai (I think it was a Hyundai) also over took me when I was already doing 70mph just to get in front of me for a short distance (a young Asia bloke this time). Dammit! I wish I was 18 again in Borneo where they would eat my Toyota dust. Not happy as I feel my Corolla is getting old but I like my Toyota.

(Bought new) Our 2006 Yaris is still going well. I often wish we’d not had the MMT gearbox but even that, if reset (requires the garage to have right computer program) regularly is fine. It’s far from a sophisticated auto though.
Good in traffic - saves the clutch leg ‘;~}.

Mind it’s only done 30 odd k. No obvious rust despite it living in Brighton it’s whole life.

despite it living in Brighton it’s whole life.

Is Brighton known for rusty vehicles ? Every vehicle I've seen brought up from down there looks comparatively.mint compared to anything that's lived up here for a couple years.