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Comments
Has anyone else had this problem?
B: Look under the engine, low down toward the front - warning - the exhaust manifold tends to make getting at this less than easy.
Yes, we did go with the Honda Civic. Personally I would have waited because the 2009 Civic WILL have stability control and traction control, but my son needed a car this summer-so we did the deal. You might just wait until August to see exactly what the Civic will have--rumor also that it may include bluetooth.
We like our Civic--especially the color, royal blue pearl. It drives nice and smooth. Realistically it gets 26 mpg in town--we have never taken it on the highway for more than a couple of miles so I have no report on highway mpg, but most people on the Civic forum say 40mpg is easily attainable.
We did like the XLE Corolla, very nice car. My wife just preferred the Civic, color and styling.
Hope you find what you are looking for--I know the XLE's are few and far between in any color--we never did see a white one.
Our Civic EX was $19,100 including dealer handling. The XLE Corolla (w/nav) was going for about $19,900 at the time. The price of the Corolla was a little better considering the options.
Some people have complained about rear tire wear on the 2006-2007 Corolla due to a sway bar problem, but I am not sure if the problems extends to the 2008 model.
The Civics are getting pretty scarce here in Denver, especially EX auto and the price is going up a little. But as I am sure you are aware so are the Corolla's.
Thank you for asking about my purchase. Any other questions just let me know.
Brad :shades:
I did the spellcheck but the brain freeze checker is optional.
Sorry, Brad
Thanks for getting back with me. I'm still considering both cars. I have a white/tan interior Civic coming into a dealer within the next 10 days that he is holding for me to take a better look at. I had mentioned to this dealer that I had heard online through bloggers that it is rumored the 2009 Civic would have stability and traction control. He took a day or two to get back with me and said, he spoke with three different sources (can't remember their titles, but his inventory guy, people like that) and they confirmed to him that there would be no stability, traction control or blue tooth in the 2009 Civics. So, I said I would take a look at the white/tan 2008 that he had coming in. Do you think he's lying to me to sell his inventory?
I've been test driving the Corollas too. They aren't as much fun to drive as the Civics, but they do have all the features that I would like when I hand it down to my daughter in two years.
We live in Michigan, so the roads can get pretty treacherous here with ice and snow as well. I did find a silver/grey XLE but it wasn't exciting to drive and the color was blah to my19 year old daughter. The white Corollla I drove a week ago wouldn't stay on the highway due to the touchy steering, so I turned that one down. The deals aren't that great because of supply and demand, but the financing they are offering this month on both vehicles here is creating an urgency in me to make a decision this month.
So, I'm wondering, what are your sources that make you think the Civic will have these updated features like bluetooth and stability and traction control, if the dealers haven't heard anything? I can't find anything on Honda.com.
I can understand your viewpoint concerning the low interest rates currently available. We had those same concerns when we looked at the Corolla, however the rates have stayed the same since the 2009 Corolla first debuted. Who knows about the future.
As far as sources regarding the confirmation of VSC for the Honda, I have no concrete evidence only conjecture. It is mandated by the Feds by 2010, so Honda may jump the gun and introduce it this year. The salesman would NEVER tell you something positive about the new model if he ever thought it would hinder a sale today. In reality they probably do not even know themselves.
Very hard decision--I mentioned the VSC to my sales rep when we bought the Civic and he just muttered that we have done without it for this long--why worry about it. That is like saying we did not have seat belts in the 40's so no need today.
Hope you get the car you like and it suits your needs.
Brad
I'm also getting a very annoying vibration in the steering wheel, especially when driving on the highway.
I would appreciate any help!
Thanks,
Erik
:confuse:
Note: if you really believed the oil level was below the level of the dipstick, it's already too late - the engine would be ruined. That would have manifested itself with very high coolant temps, and other symptoms that would be obvious.
Vibration: There are two things that will cause your problem - wheel balance, and/or tire/wheel runout. [Runout refers to the amount the tire and wheel combination deviates from perfection in two planes - roundness and straightness. Out-or-round tires are not unusual, I'm sorry to say.] A good tire shop with a road-force balancer can easily measure the problem and fix it. It's possible one of your front tires is actually defective, with an internal problem [belt irregularity]....all of these possible problems can be solved by a competent shop, and should be covered under your tire warranty. Check your warranty materials for the tire warranty for your brand, and pick a shop that sells that kind of tire.
An easy way to test what's going on is to swap the wheels from front to back - if the problem disappears or gets dramatically better, then you know you have a tire that needs attention.
Another, very remote, possibility is severely warped brake rotors, but that is very unlikely in a new car, and in any case, the symptoms there would be obvious more on braking than steady-state driving.
Besides that the car would probably be working quite well with no rattles or any other issues.
I'm still pleased with the Corolla and would never question the integrity and quality of the service of toyota despite this mishap.
I am bringing the Corolla to Herb Chambers Toyota of Boston (Massachusetts) and having them take a look at it to check out the possible wheel balance issue.
By the way, I'm a little confused about the recommended tire pressure. The tires were inflated to around 40 when I bought my 2009 Corolla S from the dealership, but the owner's manual recommends a 30 PSI. What is everyone else inflating their tires to?
Erik Haan
Massachusetts
Thanks,
Erik
Only had the Corolla XLE a couple of weeks now. I have never had an economy sedan before, so I am in learning mode myself . So far, so good, and my timing for the purchase, could not nave been better. The oil spike occurred 2 days AFTER I BOUGHT IT.....Let's just say there were LOTS more buyers than there were cars.For once, my timing seems to have been good! :shades: It is a good feeling to pass gas stations without having my wallet at the ready!!!
There is a section in the manual on the TPMS system
Re: Tire Pressures - As mentioned above, the cars are routinely shipped with over-inflated tires to fight flat-spotting, and dealers often leave them that way on the lot for the same reason. HOWEVER, they are supposed to be reset correctly before retail delivery. Well, don't count on it - always check your tires before leaving the dealership after ANY service visit, and always after taking delivery. My experience is that they will be wrong 99% of the time.
Correct pressures are on the sticker in the car, and in the owner's manual.
As boring as this advice may sound, read the owner's manual from cover to cover. It's there for a reason.
TIA
I hope Toyota's other filters are better than this piece of junk. I would value it at less than $5 and it took about about 5 minutes or less to take it out and put it back in . I am not a mechanic either so do not let your dealer rape you! This is the easiest one I have ever taken out and put back in! :shades:
Hopefully there will be some 2009 3rd party cabin filters soon. they would have to be of better quality than the oem one. One with activated charcoal would be nice!
I have an 09 XLE w/a little less than 1000 miles on it and I do like it (dumped my 2007 SUV regretfully, but gas is not going down IMHO.).
The filter already had some debris in it and I would be surprised if it were not delivered that way. I had to use my compressor on very low pressure to blow the debris away for fear of damaging the element! I mean really flimsey! :mad:
I am experiencing vibration in my 2009 Toyota Corolla S. I feel it all over the car, really, but especially the steering wheel. It is nothing that really visibly shakes the car, but it is definitely noticeable when gripping the steering wheel.
The vibration is most noticeable on the highway but I also experience it at lower speeds.
It doesn't seem related to engine vibration, as I noticed it last night when coasting down a steep hill, as well (my foot was off of the gas pedal at that point). It is uncomfortable to drive this way. I usually love fresh pavement, but it seems lately I'm more comforted by rocky roads because they're a nice retreat from the constant vibration.
I took the car to the Toyota dealership from which I bought it, and they claimed they test-drove the car on the highway and didn't notice the vibration. They also did a wheel balancing and this obviously didn't help.
Does anyone else experience similar symptoms?
:confuse:
I just bought a new corolla 2009 LE!
After 430 miles I have noticed some rattling on the right front side by the glove box mostly. I noticed some people have had the same problem here. Im just wondering if anyone has gotten that fixed some how.
If anyone has, plz let me know.
ty
Thanks,
Erik
My only complainant about this car is the steering. The car feels like you are driving in windy conditions all the time. The steering with this car is simply not right. I have contracted Toyota about this issue by email and Toyota has responded quickly by email and wants me to see my dealer...but there is nothing mechanically wrong with the car. This is a design issue with the EPS and only Toyota will be able to rework or fix this issue. Surely, Toyota has to know about this steering issue as all the car magazines test reviews, as well as the internet forums have pointed this major flaw out. It will be easier to just move on instead of wasting time and effort with Toyota on this issue ..... so much for the Japanese making the best cars and Toyota was suppose to make one of the best......it's all just a perception by the public that the Japanese make a better car, because it's certainly not the case with this 09 Corolla... don't the engineers at Toyota actually drive the cars they design....if they do how could they allow the steering like it is in this 09 Corolla. I just wish I would had read more about this 09 Corolla before I spend my money.
The vibration I experience is so annoying. It also feels like the car never rides smoothly on even the smoothest of pavements. It's like it's always taking these tiny little "hops", which seems to lead to the vibration. So ridiculously annoying. I just want to enjoy fresh pavement!
By saying "It will be easier to just move on instead of wasting time and effort with Toyota on this issue", do you mean you're trading in / selling your Corolla?
Erik
The TPMS sensors might be a problem, since the system will "loose sight" of the 4 summer sensors when I install my winter wheels.
One dealership told me that the system will eventually reprogram itself for the new sensors. Another dealership contradicts that. I know it was true for < 2008, but one of them claims that the 09 has the new capability.
It it out of the question that I visit my dealer twice a year to get the TPMS reprogram.
Can anyone with factual knowledge confirm that the 09 is either capable or not of self-reprogramming?
Thanks!
-It's highly unlikely that the system will "reprogram itself"
-Why worry about it? Do without the sensors on the winter set, and just let the light glow....or cover the light with a small piece of black tape, which is what I did on our '06 Prius when I replaced the OEM wheels with a new set that had no sensors.
I think the TPMS is a complete and total waste of time and money. Use a tire gauge, check the tires regularly, and ignore the stupid system. I agree completely that fooling around with this nonsense twice a year is insane.
Does anyone else feel this? What I'm referring to is you're on a perfectly flat section of road, you take your foot off of the brake and let the car power itself forward (slowly) and you feel this constant (slight) dipping feeling?
This is my wife's cars. There vanishes the dream of the tire pressures being checked regularly.
That only leaves the black tape solution.
You probably don't remember all the Ford Explorer roll-over crashes due to Firestone tire tread separations in under-inflated tires when running at highway speed. Many occupants were killed or seriously injured because they were not wearing their seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle. There was a manufacturing defect at the Firestone tire plant in Decatur, Illinois that caused the tread to separate in hot tires if they were under inflated. It was generally the left rear tire that failed.
I frequently noticed that for some unknown reason that it was frequently the left rear wheel on any car or truck with a low tire.
The TPMS won't help save gas because the tire pressure has to drop below a set point before the sensor triggers the warning system. That set point is well below the vehicle's recommended tire pressure.
If a vehicle has been driven you should wait a minimum of 3 hours to check tire pressure.
If the shop had removed the wheels for some maintenance task then the first thing I did when I got home was to get out the the torque wrench and check the lug nuts and then check the tire pressure later. I had a Tacoma 4x4 in for service and discovered when I got home that one of the lug nuts had disappeared and the rest were loose on that wheel. I have also found where the lug nuts were seriously over tightened. A torque wrench must be used to tighten the lug nuts to the spec for that vehicle.
Tire under and over-inflation as well as under and over-tightened lug nuts can cause front end vibration. The tires can also have manufacturing defects causing vibration and the wheels themselves can be out of round causing front end vibration.