# Car mechanics of Mexico



## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

Planning to drive an old 2001 Toyota mini van down into Mexico as far down as Oaxca for winter. Stay up to, or less than the full 180 days. 
So i can't help but wonder the chances for and quality of getting decent repair service, even if i have to do it at a toyota dealership or tow to the nearest major car service center. I guess labor cost wil be cheaper there but i have no experience to know for sure how parts and labor compare to USA. 

I got the car 2 years ago and its a toyota Sienna mini van with a serious reputation and a solid status, smooth and strong. I had the water pump/timing belt and all other belts and all brakes serviced to tip top and replaced every oil and fluid i could at the service centre here. 
I got 4 new tires as well as full serviced the AC. So its obvious i am not planning on breaking down being that i got a toyota and fixed everything i could to make it a solid drive train, but its a 15 year old car and they can surprise people. 
Any info and advice about how easy or available decent auto service is in Mexico? Does AAA operate in Mexico? I drove up to Canada and back in July and that got me confident enough to drive the car down to Mexico for winter. I would be able to afford repairs if needed and the car was cheap eough to start with. I keep full coverage in the US here and plan to keep the US full coverage up while in mexico and get whatever required Mexican insurance to cover me in mexico. 
Thanks for any info. 
Seems like way down south Oaxca and beyond are the cheapest beach destinations. I hope to keep my spending minimal as a back up if i have any emergency expenses and i will be paying my US expenses while i take on mexico expenses. Just adventuring and escaping the cold. Maybe i should get a good tent to use when i pull over at random scenic places and camp for a while and then get regular accomodations when i get to big towns and cities or eventually find a choice beach destination with a good price. Bringing Bicycle, a serious musical instrument and enough stuff to work for me throughout 5 months checkng out Mexico again. Last time in Mexico was 1999-2000 when i spent some weeks in PV onece and Manzanillo another time. I used to live on the Arizona border back then and make regular hops across to Nogales. This time will be longer and more extensive touring. Gotten used to travel since last time i was in mexico. Been to every country in central america now from when i stayed in Nicaragua for a year. And tried out Peru and Ecuador during a 4 month stay in Peru. Was in West Africa last year and toured 5 countries all by road in hired cars and buses. Then spent most of 2010 and 2011 in South asia. Mexico is easy compared to some places i have been except for the extreme violence Mexico is famous for these days.


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## DiverSailor123 (Sep 17, 2016)

Car parts tend to be costly.. Crime is pretty much just in the corridor . Stay out of the Drug ZONE ! Don't flash any money be cool but NOT TOO cool.. You've made it this far and this long , so I agree Mexico shouldn't really be a test in any way...


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## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

Sorry, i thought i lost this post and wrote up a second one. Must have been my internet connection cutting out on the first when i tried to post it. I reset my computer and started all over only to see the first one made it and now the second one is up on the forum too. Tried to delete the extra one but cannot find any way to do that.
Thanks for the replies anyway.

:smash:


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Orfin said:


> Sorry, i thought i lost this post and wrote up a second one. Must have been my internet connection cutting out on the first when i tried to post it. I reset my computer and started all over only to see the first one made it and now the second one is up on the forum too. Tried to delete the extra one but cannot find any way to do that.
> Thanks for the replies anyway.
> 
> :smash:


Moderator's Note: I deleted the other thread.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

One of our cars is a very solid 2001. We are the only owners and it has been pampered. 

We have an excellent mechanic in Mexico. Some parts we can get locally and some parts we have shipped from the States. But - in Mexico, more so than the States, parts are often repaired rather than replaced. And labor is much more reasonable than in the US. Having said that repairs at dealerships are much much more expensive - as would be parts.

There is an AAA cousin in Mexico called AMA. We were members the first year here but now that is built into our auto insurance policy.

Asociación Mexicana Automovilística SA de CV


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Note that Toyota has not been present in Mexico for very long. As such, your Toyota may not be supported by Mexican dealers or parts suppliers. Call one and ask. You could have to have parts ordered from the USA or Japan and ........wait.......then pay a high price.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

RVGRINGO said:


> Note that Toyota has not been present in Mexico for very long. As such, your Toyota may not be supported by Mexican dealers or parts suppliers. Call one and ask. You could have to have parts ordered from the USA or Japan and ........wait.......then pay a high price.


Huh ? We have a Toyota dealership (and a couple AutoZones) in town ? And - while our car is not a Toyota - parts generally arrive from the US in less than a week. I only wish I could remember the name of the outfit our mechanic orders our parts from... it might be RockAuto.

Do you mean to say that Toyotas have not been manufactured in Mexico for a long time ? Our 2016 Subaru was not manufactured in Mexico either.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Gatos said:


> Huh ? We have a Toyota dealership (and a couple AutoZones) in town ? And - while our car is not a Toyota - parts generally arrive from the US in less than a week. I only wish I could remember the name of the outfit our mechanic orders our parts from... it might be RockAuto.
> 
> Do you mean to say that Toyotas have not been manufactured in Mexico for a long time ? Our 2016 Subaru was not manufactured in Mexico either.


Sorry - I sit corrected. Misread your post. Your point is that the Toyota dealership in town has not been there very long. To that I can't comment - but it has been there as long as I can remember.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

I've a high opinion of Mexican mechanics, especially in dealing with older vehicles where improvisation is often necessary, along with evaluating if it's even cost-effective to repair the beater. Overall, they're far cheaper and less likely to suggest unnecessary work than the grease-monkeys NOB, and if you run into a crooked one, at least he'll screw you for far less. I've even taken vehicles, still running but with costly repairs on the near horizon, and had the work done there on the way to my destination. What costs at least as much, as Sailor pointed out, are parts. It is a real pain when you've got a vehicle that was never sold in Mexico. Toyota's been around for a while, and I've had no problem getting parts for a 99 Tacoma. OTOH I remember a few trips in an 88 Toyota, before that brand was sold; and again more recently with a 2004 Kia, a company that now sells in Mexico but only very recently, so there aren't parts for that year. Research, be prepared, and have a backup plan.


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## DiverSailor123 (Sep 17, 2016)

Its Regional as well.. Toyota has been the car of choice for Taxi's on Cozumel for ?? 30 Years??


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

DiverSailor123 said:


> Its Regional as well.. Toyota has been the car of choice for Taxi's on Cozumel for ?? 30 Years??


There indeed seem to be regional preferences. Most of the taxis in Guadalajara are Nissan Tsurus. In Mexico City, there seem to be a lot of VW bugs plus others, but I don't remember what the others are.


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## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> There indeed seem to be regional preferences. Most of the taxis in Guadalajara are Nissan Tsurus. In Mexico City, there seem to be a lot of VW bugs plus others, but I don't remember what the others are.


But I _think_ that is about to change. I thought my wife mentioned that Mexico had decided to no longer allow Nissan Tsurus as taxis going forward. Here is an article - 2020 end - saftey issues...

http://www.forbes.com.mx/nissan-dice-adios-al-tsuru-mexico/#gs.AlotNXo


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## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

Sounds good. I can wait for parts if needed. I will pamper the car just to avoid as much issues as possible. Worst case scenario would be i run up on my 180 day stay limit and start the drive back 5 days before my 180 days expire, and then my car breaks down such that i can't get it repaired in time to make it out by the 180 day mark. 

I hope they have good tow companies to let me tow it out and across the border if thats cheaper than the overstay costs and penalties. 

Its a good van and worth putting the money into to keep going.. I use it as a work truck at home, putting in lawnmowers, kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks and other stuff needed to maintain and rehab my place when needed. Its got some dents and enough wear to make it less attractive to fiends. I would rather drive this old thing to mexico than a nice newer car. I like it rough and messy and hate to have a car that hurts me to see it get roughed up. Just buy it all the new parts and juices it needs and thats as good as new. I am lucky enough to have a lot of free time to wait around for whatever is needed to work things out.
I can manage as long as there is a solution to be had. If i break down some where, just find a way to get the car to a worthy mechanic and hold up in a hotel until it comes together. Same if i wreck it or other insured factors. Just try to relax and wait for a solution to follow through. 
I will have the car packed with a lot if my stuff with a value probably higher than the car's value. I hope to find a place in the first month and move in with my stuff for three or more months.


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## DiverSailor123 (Sep 17, 2016)

*IN THE PAST!* On The Island Of Cozumel..... There WERE allowing people to donate broken vehicles to the state / local municipality that couldn't make the return trip on time..


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