Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

j1221

My 99 Corolla has had the engine light come on after sitting in the heat all day. The speedometer and odometer would not work and the engine seemed to miss. After about 15 minutes of driving, the speedometer/odometer worked again. I took it to the dealer who said I needed a new speed sensor and replaced it free of charge. However, the problem is still happening. Any idea why?

liufei

Any idea how to invoke that secret warranty regarding paint for toyota? I too noticed the paint seems to chipped to easily. For the time being, I just touch it up with some touch up paint.

dchinn

My guess is the Department of Consumer Complaints in your state. I'll research it some more & let U know.

criecke

The Toyota warranty booklet with my 2000 CE lists
"paint chips" as one of many things not covered.

I went to a local Ford dealer today with a friend
to look at the Focus he is interested in getting,
while he looked I walked over to the Service Shop
parking lot and folks there are a lot of "new"
Fords,all kinds, with an awful lot of chips in
the hoods.

I have a '93 Escort wgn., got it new, and I can't
find any on it. Has 75000 miles, hwy and city driving. ????????

Something must have changed since then.

My next stop will be a good paint shop and see what they say on the subject.

All reports welcome. Charlie

vlady

Hi everyone. I have 98 Corolla CE(sandrift). The same problem here, chips on hood, front bumper, found a few on the roof(they got to bare metal). Had to buy a front mask and touch up paint. Plus paint chips on the muffler. That is so pity to compare to Escorts which my company owns. their hoods still look like new(cars have over 50K miles).

Someone did post a message about an ignition key gets hot during driving. Noticed too. Did you find out what is wrong?

kentuckyboy

I have a 95 corolla and I had a devil of a time bleeding the brakes. I had to use a compressor and force bleed it. In doing so I tripped the proportion valve! Anybody out there have brake trouble with a corolla should write me, I have been through mine completly!! Otherwise, an excellent vehicle, no paint chips, sorry guys!!

dchinn

Read somewhere from one of the respondees that the paint formulation has changed to a water-based (environmentally freely) paint. Not sure if this true. Will check w/ the aftermarket repair paint folks PPG or Dupont to see if this true especially on Toy products.

zipfinch1

Bought my 2000 Corolla 6 months ago and though it runs like a top, the paint seems to be very "thin" and chips easily. My last car was a 1989 Camry and it had fewer chips at 11 years old than the new Corolla does after 6 months. I thought it was just me. I am going to contact Toyota directly and ask if indeed the paint formulation has changed and further is a recall might be in order since a repaint/second clearcoat may be cheaper for them than rust warranty work. We'll see. ellen

sgorman2

Sorry to intrude on the Corolla topic here, but I had to respond to this paint chip issue. My 2K Subaru Impreza 2.5RS has terrible paint chips on it after 10K!! The rear spoiler is marked with penny sized flakes in locations that seem to be out of reach of rocks etc.
I'm very dissapointed with the paint-I have a 97 Escort (55 Highway K) with the same silver paint and the Ford looks brand new next to the Subie. Pretty bad. Quality has obviously suffered lately.
Will take it to dealer soon to have it looked at.

criecke

Please be sure to post here the results you get
on the paint change.

Thanks to all for getting on this topic, we may
be successful. Charlie

fundulet

I have a problem with my new 4-speed automatic 2000 Corolla CE:

there's a strange noise coming from the engine area ( or maybe from the brakes? ) when I push or release the brake. The noise, which lasts for about a second and it can only be heard from inside the car, resembles a high-pitched whine. This happens whenever:

1. I make a full stop then release the brake a little bit,

2. I release the brake a bit on a back-up,

3. I make a full stop in front of a bump and then slowly push the gas pedal and try to go over the bump. In this instance the whining occurs only when the car actually goes over the bump i.e. when the wheels start to move. Durung this time I don't push the brake at all and yet the whining still occurs.

When the car is cold and the engine and brakes are not warmed-up the whining is not present. The whining is noticeable only after driving for about 12-15 miles.

If I pump the brake in neutral or park with the engine running there's no whining. If I push the gas pedal while the car is in neutral, park, or drive ( with the parking brake on) there's also no whining.

Any ideas what might be wrong with my car?

dchinn

Sounds like a transmission problem. Since it's under warranty, drive it around & once the sound appears, bring it to the dealer & have them experience that whine w/ U in the car.

fundulet

I did take it to the dealer. The transmission tech drove the car with me in it and duplicated the whining after which he told me that he doesn't have a clue what the problem might be. He even told me that they might not be able to fix it. I left the car there overnight for them to check it again tomorrow... From what I've heard dealers are not very interested in fixing cars under warranty.

dchinn

Did U take the car back to the same dealer that U purchase the car from? If so, that dealer has a pretty poor after sales attitude. I would either visit another dealer or call the regional Toyota HQ for some help.

cls4

I bought a new Corolla 2000. It had minor scratches on the hood. The dealership tried to remove the scratches, but in the process they burned the paint on the hood. Now they want to repaint the hood. Is that normal? What has upset me the most is that I spoke to a customer representative who told me all dealership are privately owned and they could not help me. I'm a first time buyer and certainly the last. I thought a TOYOTA was a smart choice, but I guess many of us have been deceived.

cmotyka

I am a possible first time toyota buyer, the problem I am having is trying to decide if I should purchase the corolla or the celica? I currently own an 89 Mustang. Is there any suggestions out there from any one out there who may have corolla?

vlady

Its a joke,right? Any way its up to your wallet.

tnomad

I have a 96 Corolla with only 28k miles . I had to get a new head gasket about 2k miles ago. Has anybody else had this happen? Everyone I've talked to says this is very strange. A friend of mine had a head gasket go on his T-100 too.I'd like to hear from anyone with this problem

dchinn

R U looking for a 2 dr or 4 dr? R U planning to or have a family? Do U have an image to maintain or not? R U willing to spend more $ for a Celica (car price, insurance, fuel economy, etc.)? Did U answer those FAQs yet?

bnormann

cmotyka,

The best place to ask this question is in the Sedans and/or Coupes conference. This conference only deals with identifiable maintenance issues with these cars.

Good luck on your purchase.

Your host, Bruce

mano2

I am getting conflicting info from shops. My '98 Corolla CE has about 33,000 miles on it and am wondering if I need to get the fuel filter replaced. One dealer said the filter is in the fuel tank and I do not need to worry about it until my car hits 100,000 miles. Another dealer said it should be changed around 30,000 and quoted $79.99. There is no mention of the fuel filter anywhere in the manual, and it is not listed as part of the scheduled 30,000 mile maintenance. What is the truth? Does anybody know where my fuel filter is and if I need to worry about replacing it?

sopman

I have a '86 Corolla GT-S with 167,000 miles. Great Car!!!
I have to replace the Master Cylinder on the clutch. I can change it, but I'm not sure on how to bleed it. Can someone help??

rollaman2

Hello,

I have a 2000 Corolla LE with a 4-spd automatic transmission. I noticed that when accelerating steadily uphill, it occasionally shifts rough. There is a noticable THUMP from the transmission and the tach needle jumps up about 1000 rpms. This is accompanied by a spurt of acceleration. Should I be concerned? or is this normal?

Thanks in advance.

dchinn

There R 2 filters. One is a fuel filter & the other is the fuel pump filter both located in the gas tank. Hopefully that clears up the confusion.

cxiong

I bought my 2000 toyota corolla VE 4-dr about 10 months ago. I have problem on the doors, the door will never close tight, I have slang hard and maybe 2 or third time before I can have it close as it suppose to be. Anybody knows anything about this? Is there a known problem?

heckel2

I had a 97 prizm which is basically the same thing as the corolla. The engines in you the newer ones are different then mine. I had the 1.6 liter but it had the same problem a little jerking I was told that was just how the transmisson shifts. Also for your door I would take it back to dealer if not over the mileage and let them know I had never heard of that problem on them and I'm always reading up in consumer reports and they haven't mentioned it as of yet.

eve54

I have been having paint problems with my 2000 Corolla (Sanddrift). I first noticed it after having owned my car only two months. On several places on the trunk, the paint has come off. I also noticed at least one spot on the side of the roof, and many spots on the right quarter-panel. I will show it to a Toyota factory rep when they are in town, but the service people at the dealer insist that it must be coming from something getting on the car (such as from parking under trees or from chemicals getting on the car), so I do not think that I will prevail. I have seen people park under trees for years without this happening, and that just makes no sense to me. I also thought the fact that this happened to several different areas of the car bolstered my case of "bad" paint. The dealer insists, though, that if it were only one spot, then that would be a stronger argument for my case. They say that the individual parts of the car are painted at different times. I still think that if the paint is defective, then it would not matter what batch was used. Can anyone inform me of how a car is painted, and how I can judge what the problem is? Would the problem lie in the painting process, or in the paint itself? Do you think the dealer makes sense, or do I? Thanks.
P.S. I do not even think I want a new paint job. I just do not think this should be happening.

theebe

It sounds like the paint is defective. If the dealer refuses to assist you. I would write a letter to Toyota stating the problem with the paint and that you have received no help from the dealer. I have found that if you write letters stating your dissatisfaction with something and that you intend to express your dissatisfaction to everyone around you about your toyota they will be more likely to help you because they do not want any bad press. Contact the toyota website. www.toyota.com

theebe

Well,

I had been considering purchasing a 2000/2001 Toyota Corolla. But after reading everyones horror stories, I think I'll have to reconsider that. I have a 1989 Corolla and have been extremely satisfied with it. But it is getting old, and just not running like it use to I may have to retire it soon..

pat455

Just be sure to keep in mind that since this the Maintenance and Repair Conference, posters here are naturally talking about problems they are having with their vehicles. This is not a good place to look for a balanced viewpoint.

Have you checked out other Corolla topics in Town Hall? You can use the Topic Search feature on the left side of this page for Corolla and you will find lots of topics that may be a bit more balanced.

Good luck.

Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference

liufei

Someone had stated here that Toyota changes their paint from an oil-based paint to water-based paint, making it more prone to rock chipping,etc. Now if the paint start peeling off, there's definitely something else happening.

And theebe, the Corolla is a good, reliable car. I dont think you will have any problem with it. Lots of people bought and very satisfied with it.

eve54

Thanks, theebe, for the advice about the paint. I will contact Toyota Corp. directly, as you say.

criecke

This is text of e-mail I received from
Mr.Leonard F. Scheurle<<A HREF="http://Leonard.F.Scheurle@USA.
dupont.com">Leonard.F.Scheurle@USA.
dupont.com>

Mr. Riecke, The paint used on all cars is not intended to chip under normal conditions.All
automotive manufactures require the paint
company's to meet a specfic spec. for different categories. Chipping being only one of many. The
design of the car also has some say on how the is
put to the test.

Other varibles that can have a bearing on how a
file performs is how it is blended,applied and,
undercoats that are used. All of these can play a
part in how a topcoat behaves.

If you feel you have a problem with excessing chipping you will want to contact your dealer
and discuss it with them. Regards,Len Scheurle

Well he spreads the blame around pretty well so
where do you start?

What are--Normal Conditions

What is the Toyota Spec.

The design of the car .......

How is it blended..

How is it applied..

What undercoats are used..

Then the real kicker-- "you will want to contact
your dealer and discuss it with them"

Were have we all heard that before?

Suggestions? Charlie

criecke

Corrections:

Make the word "file" read "film" and the word
"excessing" read excessive"

Add word finish to "how the "finish" is put to the test"

Charlie

criecke

Please post the reply you get from Toyota.

Thanks, Charlie

snflwrselena

The paint on my 2000 Corolla CE (Sandrift) has chipped on the hood. I noticed when I was washing it the other day. It is only 6 months old and I have only been driving in normal conditions. I am afraid that it is going to rust b/c It looks like the paint is completely gone with no protection.

mikar70

Can you complaining people check where your car is built - in Canada or in the USA? Let's find out maybe it's a plant problem?

criecke

Calif. USA Charlie

glogan

I have a 1989 Corolla also, great car, 157k miles and will be giving it to my daughter for school soon. I just bought a 2001 Corolla, also a nice car but fades to the left on the highway. Dealer says, tires are balanced, wheels are aliened, Factory Rep came, said car is perfect. Said the problem is the way highways are crowned for drainage. I understand the drainage concept but I've never had a car do this. Anybody have a similar problem.?? Thanks

criecke

Tire pressures all equal and correct?

rollaman2

I've read a number of posts about paint chipping. I am wondering if it is only on sandrift mettallic Corollas.
I have driven my twilight blue pearl 2000 Corolla for 4500 highway miles without any chips. I do have swirlmarks though, courtesy of the dealership that prepped my car.
I hope this helps us to isolate the paint chip problem.

vlady

Glogan, they gave a pretty stupid answer, but it is true My Corolla acts in same way if you drive on the right line of the street.
To solve your problem get on highway(freshly pavement),speed up, take hands off of steering wheel and see. Your car should go straight a few hundred yards

rollnlow90

I am an automobile technician, so don't think that this response is unfounded. I bought a 2000 Corolla LE (Silverstream) in January. I have 9000 miles on it so far and I love the car. The paint seems to be fine, so i would guess that your sand color problem is specific to a car with the same paint. As far as alignments go, a car's alignment is normally set to favor the left side by one half, to three-quarters of a degree. This compensates for the "road crown" that is designed for water runoff. However, this alignment setting will act differently on different roads. Not all roads have the same amount of road crown. Especially on the freeway, where driving in the high speed lane is the same as driving on the wrong side of a normal road! By design, the car SHOULD pull to the left when driving on the left side of the road. If you do nothing but freeway driving, you may want to ask your dealership to align the car without any road crown offset. This should compensate for driving in the center lane of a freeway. Lastly, Edmunds list of standard features for the Corolla LE lists Retained Accessory Power. My car, however, does NOT have retained accessory power. Either Edmunds made a mistake or the factory did when they built my car.

dchinn

I also checked the Toyota's 2K Corolla brochure as well as Edmunds list
of standard features for the Corolla which does lists
Retained Accessory Power. My car, too, does NOT
have retained accessory power.

criecke

What dat??

dchinn

Retained power is when the ignition is off but the pwer windows r still operational for about 30 - 90 secs.

pebbles7

I had a problem with Toyota here in San Diego at BOB BAKERS TOYOTA when I first bought my car. When I came back to put my spoiler on my car I had asked the mechanic if they found anything wrong with the alienment, or the wheel shaking. She had said no. This was my first car so I wasn't that experience with it. So I let it go. 7 months later. I was going down a straight street and the back of my car started swerving. It did a 360 and hit the little island and my axle broke off. I had a problem with the dealer because they hadn't sent my extra package of road assistance. So I had to argue with the dealer to send me a tow truck. Then when I had arrived, they started assuming what happen, and they gave me so many reasons that the axle came off. Before they even looked at it, until they came up with a piece of pipe or long wood jammed the axle. When they said the inspector was coming I had asked to meet with him. They agreed. They called me when he arrived when I got there, the people in the dealer told me that I am not allowed to meet with the inspector because they don't meet with the customers. They just ran me around in circles. I didn't know what to do. Many of the managers there that I spoke with agreed that they should fixed that to there expense because I had just bought the car, and it was less then 7 months. But they just lied to me so much and didn't know what my rights were and gave up and just took it somewhere else and fixed it. If you have a future advice I would like to hear it. Thanks!

liufei

Wheel Alignment is covered up to year by Toyota. Since you bring it in for a check, the dealer should have a service record indicating there's nothing wrong with your alignment (if that's true) according to them. No car is perfect, but to have the axle crack down in less than 7 months sounds like a defect to me. Regardless, the Toyota dealer should fix it, thats what the 3/36k bumper to bumper warranty is for. Not to mention the managers said they should fix it as well. Contact the Toyota customer assistance # to have your repair cost refunded if all reasonable talk with the dealer yield no result.

glogan

Thanks for in info,I can agree with the crown of the road, drainage thing. But my problem is, I have never had a car that fades so quickly before. The dealer did offer to reset the alignment but I thought he was just trying to humor me. What they did do was give me the 800 number to pursue the Lemon Law. So as you can tell, Wallingford Toyota of Ct. and I did not leave on the best of terms. I'm going to bring the car to my local car tech and go from there.

cebucity

Hello, everyone. I have a 1995 Corolla which makes a sharp, very high-pitched noise when I press on the brake pedals. The sounds is coming from the back, driver-side wheel. I assumed, at first, that it was just brake dust. But then why aren't the others making the same noise? I plan to spray it with lithium lubricant. Is that suggested?