One thing I have learned over the years with family & I having owned numerous vehicles of different makes: All the hub-bub about how reliable Toyota is (and Honda too for that matter) is a bunch of baloney.
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I think it's more accurate to say that Toyota hasn't changed that much, but that ALL Manufacturers have increased greatly in reliability to the point where the difference between most of the major brands is not nearly as significant as it used to be.
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I agree with you chipman, I believe Toyota has done a remarkable job at creating the perception of 'legendary reliability' and we as consumers have perpetuated that by continuing to do the required repairs and maintenance to high mileage Toyota vehicles thereby keeping them moving and clocking impressive mileage not normally experienced with other vehicles
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There is a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy when it comes to "high mileage Toyotas." I first noticed it in motorcycling back in the 1990's, when, ironically, the dynamic was the exact opposite: Harley Davidsons were seen as paragons of quality and high mileage and Japanese motorcycles were the "jap junk" that would always break down.
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But I very quickly realized there was a reason for this perception: Harleys, being much, MUCH more expensive than used Japanese bikes, were purchased by people who had the means to take care of them. They were parked in garages and lovingly maintained (to keep their resale value, among other reasons.)
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Older Japanese bikes, OTOH, were purchased by people like...ME! College students, broke GI's, people who parked them outside, who neglected regular maintenance or who just let them sit for months at a time without being ridden. Because they were cheap they were TREATED like they were cheap and that made them come across as "unreliable" when, in reality, a well taken care of Japanese bike was every bit as good as any Harley.
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I think the dynamic works the same with 4x4s. As a reformed Toyota bigot (who finally got tired of paying the Toyota Tax) I felt it myself. You spend a lot of time idolizing and dreaming about the Big T, save your money or go deep into debt to get one, and you take care of it, because it's a big investment for you. You look down on "lesser" brands and if something DOES go wrong (coughHEADGASKETcough) you shrug it off and say "hey nothing's perfect!"
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Meanwhile, some high school kid making eight bucks an hour buys an old, mistreated Tahoe or Explorer because it's all he can afford and when it (predictibly) leaves him by the side of the road he says "these things are junk! I wish I could afford a Toyota, they NEVER break down!"
Which means that even the non-Toyota drivers are buying into the "bulletproof Toyota" myth.
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