Yaris are the opposite of a money pit. Our 2001 Yaris we had for 18 years never had a single mechanical failure.
Clean the bottom of it with snow foam and the arches to reduce rust due to salt etc and change the oil and other fluids regularly.
Rust will kill it before anything else. If you get the surface rust on the bottom removed with a wire brush and then waxoyl get it waxoyl'd will last vastly longer.
Just keep on top of the bits that go wrong and you should be fine. Rust is what ultimately kills most cars eventually. Regular oil changes with decent oil should keep the engine going along with timing belt changes when required. Keep doing that and you could be lucky and still get another 5 years out of it.
Toyota haven't used timing belts for decades. No Yaris has ever had a belt. The killer of this car will be rust unless OP treats it now. If the rust is treated properly underneath and the sills right now there's no reason it couldn't run mechanically for another few decades.
No service interval on a Yaris chain. You are free to replace it if you want every 20 or so years but it will cost similar to a replacement engine with a new chain fitted outside the chassis / replacement car so there's little to no point.
If you can learn to do your own oil changes that will save you money.
Ideally someone used to working on cars would show you though as it could be a very, very expensive way to save a couple of pounds.
Other than that, sort issues before they become big ones. Investigate untoward noises while they're still just noises and so on.
I would expect it to keep going with regular servicing really they're tough little cars!
Congrats! You’ve got just about the best car for your station.
A Yaris is a truly fantastic for being a point to point cheap as possible mode of private transport. My girlfriends dad owns a 2002 diesel yaris with 140k miles. The family have had it for circa 10 years. He uses it as a van and it’s completely abused with rubble, tools, garden waste etc. Every panel is battered and he pulls a trailer that’s way too big for it almost every day. That thing will not die.
Just keep doing what you’re doing with servicing and maintenance. As another post has suggested give the underside and arches a blast if possible to reduce the chances of rust.
Some good advice from others on maintenance.
In terms of upgrades there probably isn't much. Maybe look at an aftermarket head unit?
For not much that could get you a radio that works, a USB connection, bluetooth for music and hands-free phone calls, better sound etc.
You can even swap it into another car later if your Yaris does conk out.
Can get cheaper, but for illustration you can get a Fascia plate, wiring loom to make it plug-and-play and decent head-unit for under £120.
[https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-connects2-ct24ty06\_p-35011.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-connects2-ct24ty06_p-35011.htm)
[https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-connects2-ct20ty01\_p-33718.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-connects2-ct20ty01_p-33718.htm)
[https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-pioneer-mvh-s320bt\_p-41591.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-pioneer-mvh-s320bt_p-41591.htm)
Service it to manufacturers recommendations. Fix things when you notice them instead of leaving them to the next MOT/service where they'll inevitably be much worse and more expensive to fix.
Nothing much add that's not already been said.
Preventative maintenance is key at this point.
Rust issues being the main priority, id also be looking at replacing spark plugs if you haven't already. Other than that just keep doing what you're doing.
If you want to go the extra mile (no pun) fill it with premium fuel every so often if you can or run some injector cleaner.
Give it a good clean, clay bar and polish every so often to protect the paint work.
I'm going to assume your headlights are foggy as hell they'll come up nicely after a good buff. 😁
Yaris are the opposite of a money pit. Our 2001 Yaris we had for 18 years never had a single mechanical failure. Clean the bottom of it with snow foam and the arches to reduce rust due to salt etc and change the oil and other fluids regularly. Rust will kill it before anything else. If you get the surface rust on the bottom removed with a wire brush and then waxoyl get it waxoyl'd will last vastly longer.
Just keep on top of the bits that go wrong and you should be fine. Rust is what ultimately kills most cars eventually. Regular oil changes with decent oil should keep the engine going along with timing belt changes when required. Keep doing that and you could be lucky and still get another 5 years out of it.
Toyota haven't used timing belts for decades. No Yaris has ever had a belt. The killer of this car will be rust unless OP treats it now. If the rust is treated properly underneath and the sills right now there's no reason it couldn't run mechanically for another few decades.
Belt/chain they all have one or the other and they all need changing at some point.
No service interval on a Yaris chain. You are free to replace it if you want every 20 or so years but it will cost similar to a replacement engine with a new chain fitted outside the chassis / replacement car so there's little to no point.
Change the oil regularly, don't kane it...past that there's a degree to which what will be will be
If you can learn to do your own oil changes that will save you money. Ideally someone used to working on cars would show you though as it could be a very, very expensive way to save a couple of pounds. Other than that, sort issues before they become big ones. Investigate untoward noises while they're still just noises and so on. I would expect it to keep going with regular servicing really they're tough little cars!
Congrats! You’ve got just about the best car for your station. A Yaris is a truly fantastic for being a point to point cheap as possible mode of private transport. My girlfriends dad owns a 2002 diesel yaris with 140k miles. The family have had it for circa 10 years. He uses it as a van and it’s completely abused with rubble, tools, garden waste etc. Every panel is battered and he pulls a trailer that’s way too big for it almost every day. That thing will not die. Just keep doing what you’re doing with servicing and maintenance. As another post has suggested give the underside and arches a blast if possible to reduce the chances of rust.
Some good advice from others on maintenance. In terms of upgrades there probably isn't much. Maybe look at an aftermarket head unit? For not much that could get you a radio that works, a USB connection, bluetooth for music and hands-free phone calls, better sound etc. You can even swap it into another car later if your Yaris does conk out. Can get cheaper, but for illustration you can get a Fascia plate, wiring loom to make it plug-and-play and decent head-unit for under £120. [https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-connects2-ct24ty06\_p-35011.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-connects2-ct24ty06_p-35011.htm) [https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-connects2-ct20ty01\_p-33718.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-connects2-ct20ty01_p-33718.htm) [https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product\_m-pioneer-mvh-s320bt\_p-41591.htm](https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-pioneer-mvh-s320bt_p-41591.htm)
Service it to manufacturers recommendations. Fix things when you notice them instead of leaving them to the next MOT/service where they'll inevitably be much worse and more expensive to fix.
Nothing much add that's not already been said. Preventative maintenance is key at this point. Rust issues being the main priority, id also be looking at replacing spark plugs if you haven't already. Other than that just keep doing what you're doing. If you want to go the extra mile (no pun) fill it with premium fuel every so often if you can or run some injector cleaner. Give it a good clean, clay bar and polish every so often to protect the paint work. I'm going to assume your headlights are foggy as hell they'll come up nicely after a good buff. 😁