When choosing a vehicle, there are several factors to consider—looks, comfort, driving experience, maintenance, repair costs, and resale value. There’s no doubt that Toyota has built a strong reputation for reliability, easy maintenance, and excellent resale value. However, it’s important to recognize that repair costs at Toyota dealerships aren’t as budget-friendly as we often assume, especially compared to older mechanical Toyotas, which had plenty of affordable aftermarket parts available. Also repair costs are no more cheap, not even for Toyotas.
Take the newly launched Prado 250, for instance—it has already run into some reliability concerns, with a couple of incidents making headlines in Australia. A quick search will bring up two notable cases. In one instance, a car journalist took a brand-new Prado through relatively shallow water, yet somehow, water seeped into the 48V system. A few days later, the car completely died—it wouldn’t even start. It was taken to the dealer on a flatbed, so much for Toyota’s legendary reliability. The official response from Toyota was astonishing! They recommend driving through the water even shallower than the wading depth at a walking pace! Seriously? That’s beyond embarrassing for an off-roader. In another case, a couple travelling through the Australian Outback had their brand new Prado’s suspension fail—a bolt literally fell out. To make matters worse, when they took it to the dealership, they had to wait an absurdly long time because the suspension parts had to be imported from Japan. If this is the situation in Australia, where Toyota has a strong presence, imagine the nightmare of getting parts in Pakistan. From personal experience, Toyota dealerships here struggle to stock even basic items. Some dealers (Toyota University Road) didn’t always have the recommended engine oil for the Fortuner (as per the manual, and they will convince you that 20w40 is also recommended). During my first three oil changes—each done at different Toyota dealerships—I later realized that every single time, they had used a different grade of engine oil. It was only before my fourth service that I decided to check the recommended oil grade. And let’s not forget the cost—just the recommended engine oil for my Fortuner and Revo used to cost more than 25,000 rupees! A friend’s Corolla Cross was in an accident, and his car sat idle for weeks simply because the dealership didn’t have a bonnet release cable.
That said, my point here isn’t really about maintenance or after-sales service. I’d still say Toyota may still be the best in this regard. I’m trying to highlight something else: why do so many of us insist on owning off-road vehicles when we rarely, if ever, use them for actual off-roading? We compromise on comfort, put up with a bumpy ride, and justify it for features that remain unused for the most part. Instead of holding onto the “what if” of an off-road adventure, wouldn’t it make more sense to choose something more comfortable?
Of course, if someone buys an off-roader purely for reliability and service, that’s completely fair—it’s a personal choice. But for those who never take their 4x4s beyond city roads, maybe it’s time to rethink whether the trade-offs are really worth it.
