Owners' Stories

I bought my car brand new with 4 miles on it in January 1996, I love this car and although I have had many opportunities to get a new car I won't. This car is sporty yet practical and most of all paid for! It's seen the back of a tow truck twice and that was only because of a flat and I did not have a thin walled socket to change out for the spare (it has after market rims on it). It's never had any mechanical problems, it is serviced regularly (advantage of a husband that is a mechanic) and although the head liner is peeling away and the paint needs to be done, I love my Corolla even at 262,598 miles! Getting it painted and she's still a dream ride!

My 2002 Corolla is pretty good I can't compalian. Its great on gas especially in a small town. Of course routine maintenance is required. I've encountered a few problems with some the electrical, like the volume for the stock radio shorted out to the dimmer switch for the dash light and the door switches don't quite work right causing me to take the dome light out so it wouldn't keep draining my battery. Other than that the only major problem I've had is the car was abused before I got it so one of my rocker arm has come loose partially blocking oil flow causing it to burn a lot of oil and allow blow by into the exhaust. (and the corolla does have a timing belt or chain, it is needed to run the oil pump)

I am driving a 2011 Corolla S. It's a nice small size car but the engine is too weak and the rpm usually went to 4k!

has any one had the driver side power window bust when u were rolling it down

This is car has had numerous issues the transmission slips since the first week I bought it. The interior console has broken twice and Toyota fixed the first one because it was deemed defective but will not replace the second one. The computer died while I was driving it and stranded me. This was repaired but Toyota knew of the issue and never contacted owners. This is my third and last Toyota. I believe their quality safety and value have seriously declined since my first car purchase.

The mechanic says I should have the water pump replaced although I have had no problem with it

I bought my J-Mota with only 173,000 miles in it. And I owned it for about 3 years now in never had any major problem with it... Best car ever built... 1990 Toyota Corolla DX AWESOME CAR!!!!!!!!!!

my toyo has 266,ooo miles and it drives awesome bset car i ever bought these little car are the best toyota evr made!!!!!!

I just replaced surpantee belt still making noise. now mechanic's thinking tension, timing chain?

Very reliable, just a little weak in the steering compartment

Have almost 300K on my 1995 and drive it to/from work, 100 miles total, daily. Love my Toy!

I had replace the transmission at 34000 mi. Had to replace the park neutral safety switch at 72000 mi. Had a recall on the electronic control unit & was replaced at 72000 mi. Had to replace the water pump at 73000 mi.

Great car for commuting because it keeps on going no matter what happens. My particular car went through the wringer, but if it were in better condition it'd be a nice car.

Well today i had to install a timing belt BUT the car has 300K on it and any weather -20 or 100F the car starts just as soon as you turn the key . The body is rusty but i don't take care of her at all and Michigan is salt crazy when they clean the roads. As for oil changes maybe once a year if that and i drive alot . I bought this car 10 years ago for $400 and for the last 5 have been just trying to kill it and i fret i will pass away first

I bought a 95 Corolla DX 6 years ago for my son when he graduated from Purdue. He drove it 3 years in Chicago and got a company car then. He asked me if I wanted it back so I took it back. I've drove it 3 years now and can't believe how good of a car this is. It has a 5 speed and gets 30MPG + in the summer. The only thing I've had to do is replace the clutch slave cylinder, easy job did it my self for very little money, replaced the alternator and starter both 2 times. Did both those myself to for very little money. Car has 175,000 miles on it and I hate to even think about getting rid of it. Yes it is a little car and don't ride like a dream but it sure is dependable. I wouldn't hesitate to take it on a trip right now. To bad all cars aren't like these Corollas!

Most reliable car ever.

HAD SO MANY ISSUES WITH IT, BUT NOT B/C OF THE CAR TYPE MORE SO THE SELLER DIDN'T TELL ME ALL THE PROBLEMS IT HAD IN THE PAST.

After owning a new '89 Corolla SR5 from 1988-94, I bought my 2006 Corolla CE without a second thought. I assumed (I know, I know...) that the '06 Corolla was a known quantity. And although my 2006 has been as reliable as the sun and gets great fuel mileage, it's a boring, dissappointing, appliance to drive. Granted, it's not a luxury car, not a sports car, and not a truck nor SUV. It wasn't intended to be those things - I get that. But at least my '89 Corolla was fun! It had a personality and was easy to bond with. After I sold it in the 90s, I missed having it around. Compared with my '89, my 2006 Corolla has no soul. It's just a functional transportation device. Nothing more, nothing less. On paper, the 2006 has more room, power, safety devices, and seems nearly better in every regard than the '89 - on paper. In the real world however, something's missing in the '06. Having owned my '06 for over 4 years and 40k miles, I have only done scheduled oil changes (every 5k or 6 months), replaced the engine air filter and cabin air filter - absolutely no other wear and tear items or maintenance. The original tires are getting worn and the belts and hoses may need replacing before too long. But I haven't needed new brakes, new bulbs, wiper blades, nothing - not yet anyway. The manual calls for plugs at 110k, coolant at 100k, timing belt 90k, and no scheduled auto tranny fluid flush unless fluid appears dark or smells burnt. Very economical to own. This car does what it's supposed to do - gets me where I'm going safely and economically. If you don't mind owning a soul numbing appliance, then get an '06 Corolla. Perhaps one reason this car is so inconspicuous is because it's so reliable. It doesn't require much attention or TLC. You just gas it up (regular unleaded) and off you go.

After a trouble-free 5 years, the oil light blinked a couple times. The next day I checked and it was 1.5 qts low. No problem, put oil in it like usual. 2 days later the engine siezed up? $4,500 for a rebuilt. My first and absolutely last Toyota.

This model engine would burn oil like crazy. Great mechanic says that model valve seals are defective. Rebuilt engine, $2500.00 and running like new. Because burning oil it burned out cat. converter and had to replace, $375.00 to pass emissions. Fly wheel needs to be replaced due to lateral crack in this part. Cost $500.00 to replace because the transmission has to be dropped in order to get to the fly wheel. Wife had car and is very hard on vehicle now I'm getting the car back in shape and plan to keep as my everyday work car for another 10 years. Great gas mileage. Not the best looking vehicle on the road but not driving for the looks to work everyday. Cost me some $ to maintain but cheaper than new car note. Dependable now that I have a great mechanic to take care of repairs. Hope to get 300k miles out of this vehicle.

I bought this car used with a little over 40K on the dash about 7 years ago. I'm now at 100K- no major repairs to this point. Tuned up 3 times during this span of ownership. Had the belts and hoses inspected thoroughly at 90K- all checked good. I ran Castrol 10W30/40 until about 80K, have switched to Mobile 1since. Getting about 35MPG. One issue I've been having is that the engine occasionally "stalls" when applying the gas from a full stop. Idle runs a tad slow for a few minutes at startup- requires a bit of coaxing from the gas to finally idle at a good level. Cosmetically- paint around the door molding is coming off, outside driver door handle broke off when the wind caught it while holding, and indoor handle on the driver door broke off after acting a bit screwy for a year. How do I open the driver door, you might ask? I made a loop of velcro tape around the outside door handle. It may look funky, but it works! Outside of these minor bits, this car has been great. It shows no signs of not being able to make it to 200K and beyond.

I bought my 07 corolla in july of 2007 new. I have put 167,000 miles on my car. I havent had any real problems. The clutch started slipping at about 150,000 miles. Its still running ok. Interior is cheaply made, center console is broken. No other problems, its been a good car

Very few problems!

Electric control module will go at some point so make sure you have your car under warrenty. My experience, I had to change a few senors due to the check engine light that rank up cost after a while and also electric issues with this car. Great gas per mile but the long term this toyota car is not reliable.

Paint is starting to wear in a few places, but has never been garaged, so not surprising. Brakes do need more frequent replacement than expected, and having drums on the back isn't the optimum choice. Has held up exceptionally well as far as drive train is concerned. Engine eats oil, but is common for this model year 1zz-fe (keep oil in it and it'll run forever). Have had to get cat converter replaced and have replaced charcoal canister due to overfilling gas tank (allegedly). Feels a little sloppy as far as drive is concerned, but with a new set of coilovers and struts (and possibly strut/sway bar) sticks to the road like nobody's business. Only other thing replaced was the Mass Airflow Sensor. Terrific car. Prefer this over my 2005 Honda Element hands down. Have used and abused this vehicle over the years and it still runs terrifically!

I just saw that someone else wrote that their car leaks when it rains. Mine does too. expecially near passenger door and through my moonroof switch. Toyota told me it is because a did not clean my moonroof area. Went home and cleaned it. Still leaking. All my family has toyota, we are all going to switch now.

My 2007 Corolla, which I purchased new, broke two weeks ago and Toyota has said they are not able to get the part to fix it. Is anyone else having the same problem? A clip that is attached to a strap that holds the pan under the gas tank broke and the pan now vibrates very loudly against the exhaust system. The service techician where I bought the car wired (?) the parts together so they wouldn't vibrate so loudly and told me they can't get the part, don't have any idea when it will be available, and to keep driving the car until it breaks again. He suggested I get the part off a wrecked car. When I called the salvage yard they said the part would probably be broken if a car is wrecked. I'm afraid to drive the car any more than necessary due to the vibration. Is anyone else having problems getting this part to the fuel system? Can anyone tell me if it's dangerous to drive with the vibration?

Car works great, just surprised that nobody mentioned that their window motor died. I had it happen and a buddy who has the same car had it happen too. Besides that car gets me from A to B so no complaints.;

In March of 1996 I purchased my Gold Corolla Toyota DX (due to the recommendation of Consumer Reports that year) brand spanking new with only 18 miles on it. My “Bessie” currently has 223,000 miles. It is still my primary car. During the work week I drive close to 70 miles a day. I have to drive 25 miles to work and then another 25 miles back home in addition to driving it to various patient’s homes as a home care therapist throughout the day. Because of its age and the extended driving that I do along with some minor leaks, I have to put in 1 quart of oil every two weeks. I have had some minor repairs, oil changes when I could and the usual wear and tear items done. I have had to replace the alternator several times which after doing some research I found is a common problem with the 1996 Corolla. I have also replaced the starter and battery several times as I have to restart the car 6 to 10 times per day due to the nature of my work which also requires me to frequently sit in the car while it is idling (sorry EPA) and complete work on my computer while listening to music or the radio. I upgraded the radio a few years ago in addition to installing XM radio. I replaced the radiator last winter and a month later was involved in a car accident which damaged the front bumper and hood and slightly dented the new radiator. My insurance company totaled it but I decided to get it repaired and fixed up so the front looks like new! Sadly my “Bessie” is considered salvaged now. While it was being repaired I rented a new Nissan Altima. We had a major snow storm and I noticed that the Altima would fish tail on the icy roads. When I got the Corolla back I really appreciated how steady it maneuvered in the snow. I did get stuck a few days after we had 30 inches of snow which consequently damaged the gas tank which I replaced In spite of all of this the engine runs like a CHAMP! I have taken good care of the interior and the paint still looks pretty good. People are amazed how good Bessie looks considering her age. I am now in the market to get a new car but I am planning on fixing up Bessie real nice and using her as a weekend car. When I do research on various newer model cars and brands sadly I see all the complaints that people seem to be having about their cars these days. However people seem to still love their 1996 Toyota Corollas which due to my research seems to have been a good year! Perhaps I will just look for another one with lower mileage and call it a day!

I bought my first Corolla in '02 brand new, and was quite impressed with its reliability, fuel performance, quiet engine, and overall build quality. Without hesitation I went straight to the dealership for an upgrade in '06. I really love to drive this car because its just fun to drive around overall. I have around 83K on it now, and have barely had any issues with it. I had to get new tires at 35K, and recently got new brakes at 80K. A few minor issues did arise though. During the 25K mark, the windshield ended up with a broken seal for some reason, and I had to get it resealed at the dealership. The right front factory tire went flat twice, and the AC isn't all that great. The factory stereo is kind of lame, and doesn't have enough tweet or base to it. But the fuel efficiency is great. I range around 340 on a tank.

Had this car 6 years. It now has 165,000 miles. I replace the brakes every other year. It used a lot of oil, but what the heck, it's 8 years old. I now add Lucas with high mileage oil and it's fine. Didn't sound right, added Seafoam, now it sounds like new. Got a new serpentine belt, a friend put it on during a lunch break at his work's parking lot, took 10 minutes, cost like $12. Who the heck paid $365 twice for a belt??? I love my 2002 Corolla!

I had it for for 9 Years, just a few problems, I'm still happy

Great car exellent milage. Car drove very nice, handled great. Never really had many problems with the car. I put 135k miles on it and still would be driving it if it only had a deer deflector sheild.

I bought this car as a "throw away vehicle" after my last car had a total failure of the clutch and the dealer wanted more money than it was worth to fix. When I looked at the car I was shocked by the amount of features as well as the low mileage the car had for it's age. I was also pleasantly surprised when the car got a decent bill of health from my mechanic. I am not shocked however to report that I have had the same issues that most people with the 1995 Corolla (1.8) have had. The motor mount, the rough idle (EGR valve), and a quirky albeit working seatbelt. Overall I am VERY pleased with my purchase, and even though I have put a little bit of money in this car it will last me MUCH longer than the pile of a Hyundai that I got rid of!

GREAT CAR!

I bought a 2006 Corolla right off of the truck. I have owned Toyota's sense 1994 . I am upset now because my wheel covers are all bubbling and peeling. I spoke with the service department and they said that was rare but sense i have 59,000 miles it's out of warrenty. I have never had this happen before with any of my cars and they had over 200,000 miles on one of the. A car only 4 years old and this happens? What will it look like in another year? Where do you find help?It also had pre-rust on it and lucky I had taken out that insurance and that was covered.

Love this car

I've got 70,000 miles and it has been very reliable with minimum issues. Just replaced a failed battery. Other than oil and filter changes, the only other maintenance I've done so far is change the spark plugs. The ignition control module failed and was replaced at 36,000 mi. while under warranty. My only gripe is that for a few years now it has had a minor oil drip from the front main seal that I have yet attempted to fix.

Absolutely do not get this car. I have had millions of problems since i got this. It was my first car. I'm 18, I bought a 2002 corolla wit 88,000 miles on it. Not bad right? Yeah okay. Hadnt even had the car 2 weeks, check engine light comes on. Needs a new timing belt. $365. About a month later, light comes on again. Needs some other belt. $365. About 2 months later, light comes on again. Gas cap wasn't on all the way, fine. Free. I then hit 90,000 miles. So I got a 90,000 mile tune up. As I'm driving away from the tune-up, I hear a loud rattling. The next day, the mechanic calls to make sure everything is okay with the car. I tell them about the rattling, I take it back in. Oh, I need a right front strut. $600. I let it be for a while, and drive around listening to the rattling. A few weeks later, light comes on AGAIN. I take it in. Needs a catalytic converter. Oh and while you're at it, it needs new brakes. $700 and $600. Sold that car for $3000 and that's it. i will never buy another Toyota again. I did nothing but pour money into that car. Not to mention I'm a student. And working in a lingerie store does not exactly make me have money bags floating around. Absolutely would not recommend it unless you want constant problems. All these problems were from October-May.

I have a 2007 corolla. At 20000 miles the trunk wont release.Has to replace the latch. No cost to me. At 38920 miles car acted like the fuel filter needed replaced. Toyato checked it and had to replace the computer. Again no cost to me.

i love my toyota... i just got lucky with it.. i bought it for $1500 with only 81,000 miles. I have it now for 2 years and im so happy that i never had a problem with it. i dont care how many new cars they come up with i wont change my car for nothing...

I have a 2001 corolla. I have had it for 6 years and it has been a wonderfull car up unttil now. It has 164,000 miles. It has been burning an about a quart of oil a week. The Toyota deadership has told me it is the block and another macanic says its the valves. Either way it will cost alot to fix. I have always stayed on top of oil changes. I thought I could get alot more out of it.

My Toyota just hit 175K and still is running like a pro. I'd be suprised if it did die!

has worked perfectly for 102K miles, so far. The only thing that died was the radio/cd player, at about 80K miles.

I love my 2007 Corolla. My car has great pick-up. It really takes off. It runs great. Like any car it has some dings and dents from being bumped. Overall reliability, it is a great car. I have taken it on some trips and I am comfortable in it. It is not a luxery car. It is a budget car. My son has my 1993 corolla and it still runs great.

I have a 2007 corolla and I had the check engine light couple of times. They said it is computer problem. But my worry is, since it is under warrenty they rectified, but when it goes beyond warrenty period, it is expensive to replace it. Are toyota consider it and need a recall?

our new 2010 Corolla with 500 miles(thats all)on has an extremely rusted exhaust and udercarriage (bolts corroded, metal rusted through), are there other corollas out there with same problem?

Hi, I'm Alberto, live and own a 98 Corolla in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. I bought this car back in 1996 from a previous owner, the car was in great conditions, now I keep it (after 4 years) in very good shape, I must say that I use this car every single day, even for a short ride, might stop 2-3 days when on my yearly vacations. This said, I assure this is a great car that works with no problem at all, in my case the engine is as stable as always, altough it burns oil pretty quicky, specially when I do a 160 miles trip from my city to another, really annoying because you can't count with the regular time before changing oil, you have to keep completeing it like every 2 weeks, this is why the engine got 3 out of 5 stars in this review; if you can bear with it, just as myself, you've got yourself a great car, otherwise, avoid the 98-02 corolas, get your self a 2003 or later, which is my next goal after my wife and I finish constructing our house here in Dominican Rep. Have a nice ride! Alberto Severino www.aseverino.com

BEST TOYOTA I HAVE EVER OWNED. GAS MILEAGE IS GREAT. HANDLES WELL. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT.

I bought Sandy in Florida at 96,000 miles. She now has 190,000 and starts every day in the cold Midwest winters. I have only had minor repairs for this wonderful car and haven't had car payments since the year of 2000. The only thing I do not like about this year of car is that the door handles are plastic and break easily. I have had them replaced twice but that still isn't bad for the miles I have put on her.

from canada british columbia. I owned the corolla gts with the high output 4-AGE. It is quit the car. It is faster than you think and has a great sound. Also, maintanance is rather easy but parts are not very readily availible in the performance area. It is a freaking awesome car. Everyone i let drive it also commented on how smooth and soild the car felt with 240,000 km on it.

Bought mine used with 10k on it. I like the gas mileage 38-41mpg hwy 34-35mpg city (with 5-speed manual) depending on how agressively I drive. I also like the ride & handling. What I don't lik e is the noise level on the highway especially on coarse road surfaces. It gets so loud you can't hear the radio or passengers talk unless you shout. The standard radio sound system is lousy & the CD player sometimes skips when I hit a bump \

I am happy with mine. Drives with no noises, no problems. She is a good little baby Sometimes i would have liked better were: 1) Better sound insulation from road noise 2) More powerful AC I have about 120k miles on mine and hope to put another 50k without anything major

Love this car. Few repairs. Do regular maintenance. Would buy another Corolla no problem..

We purchased our 1996 Corolla in 1997, with 15K miles. The auto now has 185K miles. We ahave done the routine maintenance, including the oil change every 3k miles. No major problems have ever happened to this auto. No service has ever been done at a Toyota dealer, they tend to "find unnecessary problems" that need to be immediately addressed. We are going to purchase a brand new 2009 Coralla this weekend and give our old car to a charity, rather than trade it in. Our mechanic said our Coralla is good for manyt more miles- just "take care of it".

I've had my 1992 for about 8 years and in that time i've had little problems with it. As far as "problems" go, i have replaced the CV boots a couple of times and the wiring for the spark plugs otherwise this has been a great car. It has 179, 000 miles on it, and has been driven across 3 statelines totaling over 4000 miles!!

Great car so far.

While the Toyota Corolla may be good on the gas mileage front, this car is not fun to drive. Our family recently rented this car (marketed as a 'mid size' by Hertz) for a week - boy, was it uncomfortable to drive. There is no lumbar support in the seats and no height adjustment, the engine has no pickup -- and I felt unsafe the whole time, the interior is 'plastic-ey' -- it's really a tin can on wheels. I'm sure the repair and maintenance is easy as it's a Toyota - you probably won't see this car in the repair shop. I wouldn't buy it for a family, it doesn't feel safe for the kids.

Bought brand new, now at 140,000 mi. I have had to replace the right rear hub assembly, and I need new struts all around now, and my a/c compressor just went out. The glove box and one of the center console doors wont stay closed anymore. The little coin holder to the left of the steering wheel fell off after a year. I guess I should be thankful. My previous car, a 99 Ford Escort, blew a piston at 125,000 mi. I just don't have good luck with cars.

Its no wonder that this is one of the best selling cars of all time worldwide. The engine is bulletproof, the car is light and tossable, and the styling is pretty boring. The only problems I've had so far are the peeling interior cloth door trim and faded paint surrounding the hood. Besides that, I can't complain.

This is a great car with excellent gas mileage. I have about 71k miles on my corolla and I have not had anything problems with it.