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Toyota Corolla

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Comments

  • laksjlaksj Member Posts: 19
    I'm bored to tears with the interior of my 2002 Corolla and would like to find out if there are any after market upgrades to it. I've seen some "wood" panelling products on eBay, actually just one, but would like to know if anyone actually upgraded that generation Corolla's interior aftermarket and whether the result was satisfactory. I'd also be very interested to know if anyone changed the steering wheel on their 1998-2002 Corolla and whether the 'S' version steeing wheel would fit in my 'LE' version of the same year!

    I'd appreciate any feedback.
  • ztulztul Member Posts: 3
    I own a 2001 Camray.. A dealer told me I now need to have my rear brakes adjusted along with normal brake service. I thought rear breaks were self adjustng and that they no longer had to be adjusted by hand... Any advise.. Thnx ZTUL
  • lpc68lpc68 Member Posts: 45
    I just bought a 99 corolla today and have a serious concern about a sound i'm hearing from the front drivers wheel area. the previous owner said she just replaced the steering rod.

    the sound i'm hearing is like a rubbing/grinding noise when i accelerate. it's not like a grinding rotor sound... it only happens when i step on the gas. it happens when both turning and driving straight. when the speed increases it turns into a thumping sound (not really a clicking noise). when it reaches about 40 mph it stops.

    i took it to a shop and the mechanic lifted the car and said when he turned the front wheel, he heard a clicking sound in the transmission pan. he said the CV boot was fine.

    the sound is intermitent but pretty frequent. the brake pads are fine. i think the car needs an alignment because it pulls to the right and when it hits 70 mph the sterring wheel vibrates.

    would anyone know what this is... and is it a serious problem. when i first heard it i was thinking cv joint / tie rod... the mechanic thought it was a transmission issue and that i should bring it to a transmission shop.

    i really appreciate any feedback anyone has.

    thanks in advance
  • lpc68lpc68 Member Posts: 45
    update on the above issue. i replaced the cv joint and everything is perfect. the quote from toyota was $400 +. i went to Autozone and got the part for $60 and went to goodyear to install it for $45. total cost $105. took half an hour.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!
  • thegreattoyotathegreattoyota Member Posts: 5
    I am interested in the 2005 Corolla XRS, and I am very excited to hear the news from you about new features.

    Will the Corolla XRS be available with side airbags and VSC? Also, it's great to hear about structural improvements. I'm fascinated with crash-testing and vehicle safety. Can you provide any additional details as to what kind of changes were made?

    Also, I am very late in joining this discussion, but is the MSRP known for the Corolla XRS? I know Toyota hasn't announced it yet.

    Do you know what major options/packages will be offered on the Corolla XRS?

    Thank you!
  • newbuyer76newbuyer76 Member Posts: 1
    For those who have had experience with both in the long-run, for someone who is looking for a basic first car, would you recommend a corolla over a camry? Plus, any up-to-date advice on the whole internet vs. dealer shopping?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Is your priority, go for the Corolla. The Camry will only give you extra items, room, power and fuel consumption when you may not need it. Both are reliable. Costs will be lower with the Corolla, both upfront, and in operating.

    ~alpha
  • tundradudetundradude Member Posts: 588
    Assuming present models:

    Driving Position, back seat room (extra), Trunk - Camry

    Gas Mileage, Payments - Corolla
  • surjn98surjn98 Member Posts: 34
    The car itself is great except for the seat position. I am 5'10 and find that there is not enough leg room. Wish I could move it a back more. There is also no proper thigh support. Otherwise the car handles well on the highway and is not easily moved around on windy days.
  • 96accord96accord Member Posts: 20
    I wanted to find out if there are TSB's out there for a 2004 Toyota Corrolla or any website which has info on this free of charge and without any subscription.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm

    For a complete picture, search on both the '03 and '04 Corollas - that will give a good idea of the areas that Toyota has been focusing on.
  • mbukukanyaumbukukanyau Member Posts: 200
    Have a 2002 Corolla S. If you hear that noise change those original michelin. I changed ours to Bridgestone and the noise went away.
    that was almost after suing toyota. The thing had that noise exactly 2 weeks after I bought it new off the lot, and they tried everything to rid the thing of the noise.
    I was angry.
    The Braking noise, Mine has it. I think Its here to stay. So, I just make sure my brakes are good, and the wheels are well aligned and balanced. I was thinking of putting Celica disks in the rear to improve braking.
  • aitebar82aitebar82 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,

    For those of you looking to read up more on the 2005 XRS - check out this site:

    http://www.import-heaven.net/specs_toyota_corolla_xrs.shtml

    They had a few more pics of the car.
  • rick0204rick0204 Member Posts: 1
    I just traded in my 2003 CE for a 2004 LE. I really was not happy with the CE and the lack of options. Plus the car had an unbearable rotten egg smell that the dealer claimed was normal. I went to arbitration and lost. I am very happy with the LE plus I like the color much better- Desert Sand. The CE was Super White and it just was not me. This past Saturday I drove into the dealership at 10 AM with my CE and left with my LE by 1 PM. Only the alarm has to be installed.
    I improve the driving position by using a car cushion.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    It looks like the Corolla is getting its refresh a year early! That is probably due to the fact that the current Corolla has been around one year longer in other countries than the US. Here's the link to the article:

    http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2004/04/23-1-05-Corolla-- Pricing.html
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Coolguy, indeed, this is earlier than I had expected the 2005 to debut.

    The availability of side curtains and seat mounted chest airbags, as well as VSC, is a good thing. I wonder how such options will be packaged and priced. Lexus style Optitron guages on the LE will no doubt be a hit. Any pics? I cant find any of the updated head and taillamps. I wonder if the seat fabric is any different, I dont really care for the current colors/patterns.

    The XRS sounds awesome, especially at $17,455(excluding destination). Toyota was smart to re-engineer the 2ZZ engine to produce better midrange torque, with only a minimal loss in high RPM horsepower, to 170. The same engine will be in the Matrix, but the Celica retains the ultra high strung wind-it-out older version, w/ 180 hp.

    ~alpha
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    I just don't get the XRS. How can it get worse highway mileage than the much larger Camry (32 vs. 33). The Camry has a huge advantage in torque, and nearly the same horsepower. With the manual tranny the Camry is pretty close to 8 seconds going to 60 as well.

    "Fuel economy is hardly compromised". A drop from 40 to 32 seems pretty steep to me. Even a Chevy Malibu with a 3.5 liter V-6 and an auto tranny gets 32 mpg on the highway. The 270 hp 3.2 liter Acura TL gets 30 mpg on the Highway. 32 just seems low for a 1.8 in 2600 lb vehicle.

    What did they do to that poor 1.8 liter engine to get it to slurp so much fuel. Won't the curreny Corolla break 9 seconds as is. I think the handling improvements are great, but I don't think the extra oomph (mostly as extra high rpm anyway) is worth the cost in fuel consumption.

    I know it probably would not work because of the weight and space, but imagine if you put the Camry 2.4 in the Corolla.

    I do like the Corolla, and if there was a wagon version I would snap one up (Matrix just does not have much cargo space), especially if it had slightly better handling - don't want to loose the fuel mileage though.
  • i_luv_toyotai_luv_toyota Member Posts: 350
    Still no foglights on the LE? They've been optional on the Corolla LE in Canada since they came out in 2002 (for MY2003), so what's wrong with offering them here in the US?

    Oh and Toyota, it's the end of April (the last week of, anyway), better start updating the Corolla and Matrix sections on your site.
  • stevengordonstevengordon Member Posts: 130
    I test drove an '03 Corolla this past weekend and I found the driving position a little odd. By the time everything was adjusted, the steering wheel was too far forward or the seat was too close (resulting in knees coming up too high). Perhaps that's the Corolla way--I'm more used to Honda Accords and Civics.

    Any chance for an '05 update?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Toyota's estimate of "under 8 seconds" seems very conservative, given the quite heavier Matrix using the older version of the 2ZZ engine was clocked at 7.5 to 60 by Car and Driver. You're also right- the Corolla manual will do the trick in 8.2 seconds, also according to C/D. My point: I expect that the Corolla XRS will time about 7.2.

    I really dont take issue with the MPG of the car. Its probably just the result of shorter gearing, but also, you ARE getting an extra 40 hp, so I suppose thats the price to pay. 32 MPG is hardly poor.

    The Camry 2.4L is actually a pretty light engine- 40 lbs lighter than the old 2.2L iron block it replaced, with much stronger hp and torque ratings. And Toyota probably could shoehorn the 2.4L in the Corollas engine bay. But the main constraint is production/manufacture. None of the plants that make Corollas also produce the 2.4L, and you can bet that given this engine wouldnt be found in a high number of sales, Toyota's not going to pay for shipping/installation elsewhere.

    ~alpha
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    For those interested, it seems Toyota has updated their website... well, kind of. In typical www.toyota.com fashion, there are still lots of '04 photos, and the pricing isnt quite right. But it seems that specs and options are up-to-date, and maybe the site is just in a transition phase and will be FULLY updated shortly.

    ~alpha
  • ameriscotameriscot Member Posts: 1
    Have you noticed the growing gap between the top of the radio bezel and the dashboard??
    This is very prevalent on the 2003 body style.
    You would think Toyota would have had this fixed before intro to the US market since this body style was marketed elsewhere before US introduction. NOT SO!!!
    There are two TSB fixes issued by Toyota on this problem but they are only temporary (larger radio surround to fill the gap). Be warned the dash will continue to move after the fixes. This is a design flaw they do not want to admit to, so much for Toyota quality! Still not fixed after many requests.
  • tomrtomr Member Posts: 20
    Just want say a few words of thanks for my 1995 corolla. It now has 269000 miles and I have replaced the struts, radiator, alternator and timing belt twice. I have only had two sets of brake pads, 1 battery and 2 tune ups and I still get 33 mpg's All this and I still drive it 600 miles a week. If it rattles, squeaks or moans either I don't hear it or I don't care!
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Not to devalue your experience tomr, but it seems that's not too extraordinary for the Corolla! :-D
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    It's usual to replace the water pump, as a precaution, the second time you replace the timing belt, but presumably yours looked OK?
  • tomrtomr Member Posts: 20
    coolguy - I know you are right but it really just blows my mind.

    grandtotal - I honestly never asked how the water pump looked at the last timing belt change (177,000 miles). Last week I asked a dealer how much is the pump change and he said $400 dollars. Plus of course the timing and other belts for a total of about $700. I think I may just do the belts. Any thoughts?
  • gearheaddgearheadd Member Posts: 15
    Drove a 2005 Corrolla and want all the safety features (vsc,side & curtain bags, abs) but not the sunroof or upgraded stereo. Dealer says side curtains only available with sunroof. Is this true? Toyota lists each seperately and as a package. Thanks.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...for packaging options on production cars differently than implied in the brochures and website. They often build the cars just one way, with options combinations that are "mandatory" in the sense that trying to get the car any other way is theoretically possible, but practically impossible. I suspect your dealer is right.
  • onedergyalonedergyal Member Posts: 11
    Hello,

    I am new to all of this and have done my research and realize that I want a 2003 toyota corolla LE. I checked edmunds.com and kbb.com and it seems like there is a big difference in the price ranges

    I want to buy this weekend because its the end of the month and also because its a holiday weekend, but I dont want to rush it.
    I live in Atlanta and the average miles per year is about 15,000, so Im looking for a vechile with no more than 30,000 miles... I did see an S model though, for $10,500 but it has $43,000 miles... the price is right, but I dont know what I should do because it has so many miles on it. Please help..
    I am doing this all by myself and do not really have anyone to give me advice.

    thanks
  • grandtotalgrandtotal Member Posts: 1,207
    My advice is simple. You're looking for a Corolla LE with 30000 miles or so and you have found a Corolla S with 43000 miles. It does not match what you are looking for, so ignore it and continue searching. I would not be inclined to compromise on mileage because at 30000 miles the car will still be under warranty in the unlikely event that you should need it.
  • onedergyalonedergyal Member Posts: 11
    You are right, I guess I fell in love with the S model, being that it had more features for such a lower price.

    Anyway, I have a question about price. I am trying to be reasonable with my budget and I don't want to spend more than $11,800 on a 2003 toyota corolla le. According to edmunds the price is around $11,500--but I can't seem to find a deal like this. I have been shopping around on the internet and viewing different dealership websites and find that their offer price ranges from $12,500-$14,500 for this model. I think it price is highly ridiculous, but yet they are trying to get me to come to the dealership, because one dealer told me they don't negotiate on price unless I am there in person--my thing is that I don't want to waste time at a dealership if they are not going to give me the price I want.

    But is $11,800 really unreasonable for a 2003 corolla? Seems like most dealers use Kelley Blue Book over the Edmunds TMV. One dealer hung up on me on Friday because I didnt want the car he had for $12,600. He said that he can tell it is my first car and that I'm overly cautious.
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    ALL used car prices are negotiable. There is a TON of room left for negotiation in almost all asking prices. They are NOT going to offer low prices to someone on the phone. Plus, a price in a book or on the internet is merely a price in the book or on the Internet. It does not and cannot take into account local market conditions, the time of month, and most importantly, the PARTICULAR car's condition, from the shape it is in to the color!

    THE most important part of a used car price is condition. You can't see that on the phone. Have a mechanic THOROUGHLY check out any car you consider purchasing. Use that report as a way to get the price you want. Don't forget service, either.

    One of the best negotiation tactics does not require you to waste time in a dealership. Try out the car you are considering buying. Have your mechanic check it out. (If they won't let you do that, that tells you something). Then, after, say five minutes of negotiation, if they aren't anywhere close to what you are willing to pay--Tell them so. Tell them what you can pay (don't forget you will have to pay tax, title and license).

    They may not take it. Making SURE they have your phone number, nicely and quiety LEAVE. Yes, leave. Do NOT fall in love with any ONE car.

    Wait. It may take several days, it may be before you even get home (answering machines and voice mail are great things!)

    Chances are excellent your phone will ring.

    For this to work, you must be nice but firm. You must know what price you are willing to pay. You must KNOW what, if anything, is wrong with the car. Why is it a used car? What will the dealer fix? Is anything wrong with it that a warranty won't cover? (Scratchs, dents, bent frame!)

    You must NOT be nasty. And you must not change your mind and just have to buy the car today.

    Good luck!
  • laurelgraelaurelgrae Member Posts: 15
    I am looking at buying a 2005 Corolla. I know I could get a better deal on the 04's but I really want the side curtain airbags (and at first the Stability Control). I still would like the VSC but it seems you can only get it with an automatic. I really like to DRIVE manuals so I was wondering if anyone could give me some input as to the benefits of the stability control. Should it be the deciding factor? I was lookingat an 04 Civic EX with SAB until I read about how they don't really even protect your head. Safety is really important to me when purchasing my first new car. That and affordability...along with gas efficiency and emissions. Should I expect to pay MSRP on a new vehicle or can I still haggle upward from invoice and get a "deal"? Also, except for the wood panelling I want the "LE" model. Is there any way to remove it? Is this really expensive? I know I am being silly but I don't want to get the "S" with the black interior. Oh how I wish the perfect car were out there =)
  • farrellfarrell Member Posts: 1
    Is anyone familiar with a 1989 Toyota Corolla sedan DX? I have 2 questions: this car is an all wheel drive however when it's in 4WD, there's a grinding noise when in reverse. When put in 2 WD, this does not happen.
    Is it harmful to drive this car in 2WD all the time? ALso, any ideas what would cause the grinding sound?
  • modestmousemodestmouse Member Posts: 53
    Has anyone been to the Toyota website lately?

    I was researching the 2004 Corolla when I thought it would behoove me to look at the dealerships website to get a list of standard features (just like I found on ford's and mazda's and nissan's websites). Low and behold, however, there is no such thing (that I could find) on the entire website. The only information on a corolla I could find was for the 2005 version. As if no one would still be interested in the 2004 model, considering it is still 2004. Not to mention the 2,000 increase in price for the 2005.

    Is there any other resource besides actually walking down to the dealer and getting the list there? I understand that they are trying to push the 2005, but seriously. Thats not very progressive in my opinion.

    MM
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...the current model year for the Corolla is '05. I know of no manufacturer's website that tries to stay current, with detailed specs, on more than one year's worth of models. Understand your frustration, but I also understand Toyota's approach...
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Go here: http://www.edmunds.com/new/toyota/index.html?tid=edmunds.n.mainin- dex.content..0.*

    I gave you that link because that's where you can "save" the car and/or get an InfoPak if you want. You can go to all the details of the 04 Corolla from that page.

    :-)
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    No offense, but there has NOT been a $2000 price increase on MSRP of similarly equipped Corollas for 2005. Its more like $200-$300 depending on model. Perhaps you are talking purchase price? Even so, your figure is still a bit exaggerated.
    For example, in recent months, in my area, the Corolla was offering lowered financing (but not LOW) or $1000 cash back only on CEs. Because it is a strong entry in its field, this car has done well for Toyota in terms of incentives. The 2005 updates will continue this trend.

    ~alpha
  • modestmousemodestmouse Member Posts: 53
    I was going by the purchase price per edmunds.com TMV. Perhaps the figure was slightly exageragted, I may have rounded up. IN any case my main point was couldn't Toyota at least keep specs for a car that has just recently been replaced? I mean six months? or at least until that year is over? I understand that their market driven approach, but really.

    Typically, in my experience (which may be a bit limited) car companies only offer huge incentives on cars that aren't moving well. I understand that the CE is the low end (although quality I'm sure) of the Corolla line. I can understand their approach on offering incentives on that model; though not because they are inferior quality, but because the cheaper model usually out sells the more expensive. Though from the people on this site it would look like everyone owns LE's~! (haha).

    In any case I would think the standard features of a car not even out of its own designated year would still be available, thats all.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    And you're right- the highest volume Corolla is the LE- its pretty smart on Toyota's part; Look at it like this- a standard LE is equipped almost identically to a Civic LX (actually, the Corolla has a few nicer touches), and can be easily optioned identically to the Civic EX. Because of the options, the Corolla LE effectively covers the middle and high end of the market.

    ~alpha
  • modestmousemodestmouse Member Posts: 53
    Yea I believe you're right.

    I wonder where the sport comes in? Perhaps for people of my age who aren't looking for woodtrim interior. LOL

    I was curious are there any appereance packages to say upgrade the S's gages/interior trim? I find the trim on the inside rather bland (I'm refering to the pics here on Edmunds, which may be out of date).

    MM
  • killerkevkkillerkevk Member Posts: 7
    Hi,

    My daughter just totalled her 2000 Mazda Protege last week. She's banged and bruised but the seat belt saved her. The car, to say the least is not okay, and we went shopping for a new car. It came down to the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla and my daughter picked the Corolla. She liked it better because she felt there was more room in it than there was in the Civic. She bought the car for $15,259 and this included the all weather guard package, cruise control, 6 cd changer, floor mats and trunk mats. It is such a quiet riding car that you couldn't even hear the air conditioning going. It is a beautiful car with some pep for a 4 cylinder. I would love the opportunity of driving it with 6 cd's of Springsteen in it and drive down to Cape Cod, but she won't let me near the car. It also has an immobilizer that will not allow the car to run without the smart chip in it. Nice car for the money!!!!!
  • jacknimblejacknimble Member Posts: 171
    killerkevk, You are right. Absolutely one of the best values on the road. We looked at the Civic also, but thought it felt like an econobox - the Corolla doesn't.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    What do you think of the new trick electroluminescent instrumentation?

    ~alpha
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Congrats! What do you think of the new trick electroluminescent instrumentation? The price your daughter paid seems very good. (I assume it is pre Tax Title License.) What color did she choose?

    ~alpha
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Hi all!
    My Toyota Corolla is 2 weeks old. It's a Lunar Mist Metallic. Options include: CK,AB,BE,CL,EJ,CF and C1. Paid $15797 + $600 alarm system, tax and DMV for a OTD of $17998.

    My 2000 Mercury Sable station wagon was totalled in a collision I had. It protected me with its strong body structure, seat belts and air bags. Other than having my arms burned by the deploying air bag and a slight pain in my neck, I didn't sustain injuries. I do have some emotional scars though.

    I can't say enough about my Corolla. It's no econobox. Refined, powerful, comfortable, quick are the adjectives that occur to me now. But there is a a great deal more to say about this fine car. I initially wanted a Camry. But at the show room after doing numbers, there was a 5300 dollar difference between the Camry and the Corolla. I went Corolla, but I've been experiencing a good deal of post purchase dissonance since. Nothing whatsoever bad about my Corolla. It's just that I'm used to drive a much heavier and powerful car. It's a matter of adjusting, getting used to the new reality.

    Regards to all.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Im glad to hear that you were unharmed in the accident, and congrats on your new Corolla!

    ~alpha
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    Thank you Alpha for the kind thoughts!
    I'm really pleased with this car. There is nothing wrong to say about it.

    The purchase experience was very pleasant. I was some 3 hours at the dealership and I drove the car home that night. A minor glitch was that the dealer charged me $600 for a security system which supposedly was being installed by a Toyota technician. I think that this is BS and the car came equipped with the system from the factory but was programmed or activated. This was the case when I purchased my previous car.

    Toyota is not new to me. I had previously owned a 91 Camry which I had for 7+ years with no trouble whatsoever. My car purchases went down from there. I never owned a car better than a Toyota. I'm glad I returned to the Toyota fold which I don't plan on leaving again.

    After my accident I went to get a Taurus or a Sable as I felt that my car had protected me well. After visits to 2 Ford dealers and 1 Mercury dealer and being exposed to trickery, mind games, lies and double talk, I decided, to buy a Toyota. I began with www.buyatoyota.com and then I went to Edmunds.com and Cars.com. I put information required and within a few hours (on a Sunday) I began receiving e-mails from several dealerships.

    I finally bought the Corolla from Plaza Toyota in Brooklyn, NY. I came very close to getting a Camry XLE though. It'll be next time.
  • modestmousemodestmouse Member Posts: 53
    I was wondering, is the TMV a good reference? I know edmunds boasts it, but thats because its their service. I was wondering what your exerience with it was, did you get a price close to the TMV and still feel like you got a good deal?

    The reason I ask is because I see people getting their corolla for much less than I was quoted here on edmunds.

    Also I am looking to buy a new 2005, has anybody test drove it? If so what did you think compared to the 04?

    MM
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