Toyota Corolla Maintenance and Repair

saturnfan · January 2004

My 2003 CE's windshield got scratched up when brushed by an ice covered tree branch last year. This glass is just dog crap IMHO.

Regarding mileage (03 CE 5 speed) great in summer, lousy in cold weather. Sulphur farts are much less than last year, so perhaps the gas is getting cleaner.

Very fast idle for several minutes in cold weather might waste a lot of fuel.

kostadinov · January 2004

Does anybody know how to identify if the trans is 3 or 4 speed? I am not a very experienced driver and I couldn't tell by driving the car....there has to be something in the VIN...or somwere else?
Tnx!

nippononly · January 2004

VE was the 3-spd auto. Then the VE went away, and there were the CE, LE, and S. At that point the CE became the 3-spd auto.

Thank goodness, beginning in '03 there is no longer a 3-spd auto. Really they cheaped out badly ever making a 3-spd auto in the 90s. The 4-spd manuals have been gone for 20 years.

grandtotal · January 2004

The 3 speed auto does not have an O/D lockout button on the gear lever.

lizrn29 · January 2004

I bought a 2004 Corolla LE, 5 speed, in September. I have loved the car so far, but many times, when going over bumps in the road (especially with passengers in the car), I hear a very loud banging noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. I have taken the car in 3 times to the dealer but I feel like I am getting the run around. I even drove the car over speed-bumps with a service guy in the back seat, he heard the noise, said, "that's not normal", and then he told me that he would wrap my spare tire and other parts in the trunk compartment in foam and that it would help reduce the noise coming from the area. Guess what? It hasn't helped a bit. The noise is very obvious and troubling, I don't like to drive people around in my car because of it, and I am starting to regret my decision to purchase this vehicle. Does anyone have any advice for me?

nippononly · January 2004

a clunk or a bang? On my Matrix there is a clunk when the rear suspension comes down off speed bumps, and other Matrix owners have reported this also. I believe the rear suspension is similar between the two.

BTW, if you have the car really loaded down at the back, it is possible to bang the exhaust on the speed bump as you come over it - that is not what you mean, is it?

mcdawgg · January 2004

I would take it to a different dealer, and tell them the whole history of your problem and what the other dealer did (or didn't) do. This should be easy to diagnose and fix, if it's a problem.

lizrn29 · January 2004

I guess you could call it a "clunk"...but it's very loud and sometimes I feel like I can feel the car vibrate while it makes the noise. It also does this when I have no one in the car with me and I hit a bump at a decent speed.

toxoplam · January 2004

I have a corolla 98 and I recently changed the rear brakes, it was my first time an now the hand brake is all loose and I can't quite figure out how I need to tighten it. The rest of the brake system works fine. Any help please?

battb1 · January 2004

My 2003 Toyota corolla, bought new on October 27, 2002 is a big mess. From October 20, 2003 to January 22, 2004, we've had to take it to the dealership 5 times for either stalling, failing to start after several trials,or for coming to a complete stop while in traffic. In all 5 occasions, the engine light stayed on permanently. This car had to be towed twice already. The servive technician at the Toyota dealership told us that the ECU module could be the problem. In November, they replaced it, and since then the car stopped twice in a 8-day period,and on one of these occasions (this week), it had to be towed. We have been told that it had consistently generated computer codes unfamiliar to Toyota technicians in several diagnostic tets. Does anyone here have an idea about what is going on? Also, what are your experiences with the Toyota arbitration process?

03corollace · January 2004

Sorry, this is lengthy but I hope it will help other members.

Bought our 03 Corolla in March 2002. Experienced cold start problem first winter (2002-2003)when temperature dropped below -15C. Bypassed the problem by plugging in block heater the whole winter.

November 2003. I said to myself, this is a brand new car, why should I put my 'head in the sand' and pretend all is well? Why should I upgrade the battery to one with more CCA? So I started my pursue for the right solution.

1st visit to dealer (Nov 2003):
They replaced the battery with an identical slightly-used 310CCA battery. This didn't help because cold start problem returned on January 8-9 when the mercury plunged.

2nd visit to dealer (Jan 12):
They said there was a TSB on defective headlight dimmer switch that was draining the battery. The replacement switch didn't solve the problem either. Thanks to the extended cold spell we had recently, they were able to experience the problem first hand consistently.

3rd visit to dealer(Jan 15):
This time they got serious and worked in close partnership with Toyota factory tech/engineer. After working on it for a week, they determined the culprit was the ECU (engine computer) and replaced it. They found no DTC codes. The diagnosis said something like "FC terminal open inside ECU". Bingo! they fixed it! the extended cold spell allowed me to verify that my cold start problem is gone! My car now starts on first short crank!

Lesson learned: Don't just blame the battery, a more powerful battery may simply mask the real problem. I was lucky to have a dealer who got to the bottom of it. Get it fixed before your warranty expires!

mcdonaldjm · February 2004

2000 corrolla was consuming oil at 34000 miles,took to dealer ,they said was known valve problem on that engine ,they replaced the engine with no charge.Drove car for 58000 miles on new engine with no problems...yesterday my engine blew loosing all the oil ...prbly main bearing .The dealer that did the work says no warranty.I say the 60000 mile warranty should have started over with engine replacement.In process of contacting Toyota ...but I am problably gonnna eat it.

nick29 · February 2004

Toyota quality is a total myth. I have a 99 corolla VE. 20 000 miles on it, absolutely babied this car, bought new. Many problems from blown rad for no reason 720 bucks CDN., to paint thats applied so thin it scratches from snow and chips paint in car washes. It was rusting in the first 3 months. Im getting accustomed to the vibrating dash now. I had a geo metro that was far better built than this. As far as design goes why would they build a water run off channel in the roof that dumps its water on the driver when the window is open? Why would they design the spray washer lever to turn one way to spray then you must turn the lever another way to wipe what you've sprayed? Try doing this when a truck splashes the windshield and you cant see while on the highway. I must admit I was myself blinded by the "Toyota Is So Superior Mentality."I thought I sacrificed style for quality. I got neither. People do yourselves a favour save your money and buy north american or whatever you like but dont buy this car expecting premium quality. It isn't. Pure myth. As wide spread as the myth cooking in aluminum pots causes alzheimers. The more people buying Toyota's the more people realize they were blinded.

stinkinrolla · February 2004

I have a 2004 Toyota Corolla S, I have owned the car for over 2 months. I noticed I have a rotten egg smell in my car just 3 weeks after I purchased the car. I also noticed that my car is not getting great gas mileage either. I used to get close to 600kms a tank, now I'm only getting 420 kms a tank. Is there a recall or TSB regarding the sulfur smell and poor fuel consumption?

Karen_S · February 2004

Enter "sulphur" in the discussion search box. You'll find quite a few posts discussing this issue.

lpc68 · February 2004

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

mikeli_77 · February 2004

your catalytic converter probably went bad. that's usually what you smell when they go bad.

avnarsi · February 2004

96 Corolla 4dr sedan. Taillights work fine. (Both bulbs on both sides). When i hit the brake, only some of the 4 lights get brighter - sometimes, its 3 out of 4, sometimes 2. There appears no particular pattern as to which ones light up. I guess the bulbs/wires are ok, since each bulb has lit up sometime. Could the stop light switch cause the problem ? Where does the signal from the stop light switch actually branch to the 4 bulbs ?

Thanks,
avn

grandtotal · February 2004

This seems to be a common problem. I had a 95 Corolla with similar problems and I now notice a lot of Corollas that age with one or more brake lights not working or not working properly. In my case it was poor grounding in the rear light assembly. I doubt it is the stop light switch.

avnarsi · February 2004

Interesting to hear that it is common for the car's age. How did you diagnose that it was a grounding issue ? I don't see the light bulbs (neg point on the body) being separately grounded - the ground wire may be brought to the rear as part of the harness itself. or am i way off ?

lpc68 · February 2004

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.

1soloracer · February 2004

I am having a problem with charging system battery light comes on gauge show discharge when running high RPMs (over 3ooo) when it returns to idle, have changed all components and checked all wiring that I think would pertain to charging system. Have been totally lost as to why this is happening, and it's inconsistent. This does not happen when car is idling or staying under 3000 rpm

stinkinrolla · March 2004

Hey LaurelMarie,

who did you contact at Toyota Canada regarding the smell in your car. I think they need to buy my car too. It not only has a rotten egg smell, but it's getting poor mileage (23 mpg) and the engine runs rough most of the time. My car is a 2004 Toyota Corolla S for your info. It has 16,500 kms on it. It's my first car and so far I have been dissatisfied. If Toyota Canada and/or the dealer don't do anything. They can rest assured that I WILL NEVER BUY A TOYOTA AGAIN! and I'll be sure to discourage anyone from buying one. Anybody with any useful info is greatly appreciated!

lpc68 · March 2004

could anyone tell me what the symptoms are of needing a valve adjustment.

my engine seems to vibrate/clatter when cold or under stress (AC on, hard acceleration, etc)

it sounds great when in park and I rev the engine but starts clattering when in drive or reverse.

it gets better when warmed up but sill makes the sound when under stress.

thanks in advance for any info.

silly1040 · March 2004

On two occasions during the past 6 months I've had the vehicle almost stall. This happens after coming to a stop (Red light).

I know of no other factors that could help duplicate this problem.

Anyone else hear of anything similar?

Troy

friendly_jacek · March 2004

Hi,

I have a 2003 corolla S with chronically poor mileage and occasional sulfur (aka sewer) exhaust smell. The MPG varies from 26 city to 30.5 hwy (constant figures since i bought the car new; now it has 15000 miles).
I recently scanned the ECU with my new OBD2 interface.

No codes, O2 sensor works well. However, the TPS registers 10.2 % at idle without pressing on accelerator. Engine effort is registered as high as 14% at idle (warm engine). IMO, it should be 0% and couple of percent, respectively.

Can anyone confirm that the TPS settings are wrong for this model?
If so, IMO there is chance that every stinky Corolla out there is stinky because emission control devices are installed at a factory without proper adjustment allowing for rich A/F ratios.

Anyone, please.
Thanks,

Jacek

jeff_l1 · March 2004

I installed an aftermarket factory style spoiler on my LE. What kind of adjustment can I make to the trunk hinges because of the added weight to the trunk door? I hate that the trunk door slams down hard. I assume that changing the hinges will cost more. Is there a way to adjust them without spending a lot? I talked to a toyota dealer and told me that the S model has the same hinges as the LE and that it's supposed to be heavy. I don't believe it because it is annoying. Has anyone done this? If you have the S model, do you have this problem?

hpoohh · April 2004

I have a 02 Corolla S Auto w/ 30K miles. I do encounter the following issues:
1. Engine stalls while waiting on Signal 4 times during the past 2 years (couldn't duplicate this at the dealer)
2. Dashboard vibration buzzing sound at about 1800rpm to 2000rpm 30-40mph
3. Gas mailage 26-30 mpg Mix
4. Car pulling to the right side, dealer tried to realign it 1 1/2 yrs ago but problem still exist till now (expecially during acceration)
5. little ticking sound coming out from the left front wheel area during acceration (window all closed)
6. Front brakes need to be replaced (seems early coz i didn't need to change the front brake on my other 98 Civic EX until 40000Miles)

Planning to bring it back to dealer and fix it one shot... but always busy. Will keep you posted

ztul · April 2004

I own a 2004 Corolla LE..I cant find the gas filter. Where is it located? How and when do I change it? No mention of the gas filter in any of the owners manuals. My previous Corollas had a small plastic on- line filter in the engine area..Thanks Ed

mcdawgg · April 2004

60,000 miles on '99 Corolla, brakes are still going strong.
There is no fuel filter to change beginning on the '98's to current. The filter is in the gas tank.

thickcommish · April 2004

The check engine light came on our 03 Corolla yesterday at about 70k miles. We have only changed the oil and tires and no other maintenance has been completed as of yet. The dealer told us that it was still under warranty 80k or 8 years for the catellic converter and it would be replaced at no charge. They also said that there has been SEVERAL of those to go bad on the early 03's. Just thought I would pass it along.

thickcommish · April 2004

I was called on Wednesday by a "follow-up" person making sure that I knew that my new cat converter was in. This was new news to me. I asked the caller if I needed to set an appt. and we did so over the phone. Friday we dropped the car off at 8 and they said that it would be done by 12. Low and behold, I called them at 1 and they told me it was not finished. I asked them when it would be done and they said 4. They called me a clople of minutes after 3 and told me it was ready. Thanks Cloninger Ford/Toyota for the over promising and under delivering!! I cant wait for the infamous "TOYOTA SERVICE SURVEY" phone call.

gfilicetti · April 2004

Hey guys, I'm thinking of buying an '04 Corolla and was wondering what the prices are of regularly scheduled maintenance at dealers in your area... I live in NH.

Also, does this Corolla have a timing belt or chain? Just changed the belt in my '96 Civic, not fun spending that much money.

Thanks,

G

jrct9454 · April 2004

This engine uses a chain. Routine maintenance out here in the West for a Corolla is about as cheap as it gets for any new car. Can't speak for the NE.

In the case of maintenance, I don't think the absolute $ are as relevant as how a Corolla competes with all the other makes in its class for total maintenance burden - and in that sense, it is one of the least expensive cars to own out there. Should be less than a Civic, for example...

drivehard1 · April 2004

So what is exactly up with this, I just bought A 2004 Corolla, i have 1600 miles, and haven't noticed anything unusual, I bought this car for reliability, my old 2001 Alero only made it 95000 miles, hopefully this makes it longer, I am starting to believe that toyota reliability has gotten worse over the recent years.

jrct9454 · April 2004

Don't know how many more times we have to talk about this, but the problem is high-sulfur fuel. I note that you live in Wisconsin, and indeed a lot of Canadian crude is going to result in gasoline product with more sulfur than is desireable [some fuel with over 250 ppm sulfur content]. Those of us in the West who are served by refineries that produce for California [even many who don't actually live in CA] see virtually none of this because of the CA requirement for less than 50 ppm of sulfur in motor fuel [even though we get a lot of crude from Alaska, which is also pretty yucky for sulfur]. The result is a more expensive product, of course, which is a source of endless complaining on the Left Coast.

The nationwide requirement for low-sulfur fuel will solve this problem, but thanks to the oil-company-friendly people who now populate DC, not until 2006. In the meantime, you can experiment with different fuel brands to see if you can find one with lower sulfur content, though in certain regions, refining monopolies make this hard to do, even across brands.

And contrary to the belief that seems to crop here regularly, this is not a problem unique to Toyota [similar complaints come from Honda owners, and others]...and from my perspective, hardly demonstrates anything about Toyota "reliability".

jsylvester · April 2004

Other than a 92 Miata I owned, this is the only Japanese vehicle I've had a long term experience. Let me say I am completely underwhelmed at 76,000 miles.

My wife bought this before we were married. At 59,000 miles we took the car in because of piston slap. Toyota rebuilt the engine, and did pay for a rental car. I can buy one issue with a car.

At 75,000 miles, two more expensive problems. First one - The check engine light came on. After diagnostic, one or both of the oxygen sensors were bad. I figure, $50 each just like my Grand Marquis (which I never had to replace them yet, nor on my 2000 Intrepid, but had seen the list price of the part). Nope, try $150 for one, and $240 for the other, and that is just for the part. I decided we'll get to it soon if it kills the gas mileage.

Second one - the transmission is about the crap out. Started shifting very firmly a couple of months ago - went and got the tranny serviced and the fluid changed. Did absolutely nothing to improve it, and in fact is getting worse. I figure it should crap out on us soon.

Sad to say, I'm more confident with my wife driving my 94 Grand Marquis with 104,000 miles out of town than this thing (never had any engine or transmssion issues, and the car is built like a tank). Most people tell me the Corolla problems are just a fluke, but add in the fact that the paint is superthin and scratches very easily, and the lack of features, and I don't get the fascination with Toyota's.

Her 1990 Corolla was great, but this 2000 model stinks. Also, the Corolla costs more the insure than my 2000 242 horsepower Intrepid R/T. Go figure.

balbcj · April 2004

My 04 corolla was hit from back. The rear bumper and the rear one third of the trunk floor were damaged.

After body work done by a local TOYOTA dealer, I'm back driving my car. But I'm still worrying about the INSIDE MACHINE part rather than the body work, especially the gas tank. Can you tell me where is the gas tank in my car, and usually whether this kind of accident would have impact on the gas tank and anything else? Thanks.

tjdepere2004 · May 2004

'99CE w/ aut---does it have a drive belt or a chain? thanks

mcdawgg · May 2004

Timing Chain.

cc11 · May 2004

i work in an autobody shop and i have never heard of anyone having this problem after being rear ended and you really shouldn't have anything to worry about seeing as that the work was done by a respectable repair shop(i'm assuming- dealerships shops are usually fairly good). all of the inner structures are checked and repaired/replaced as part of the repair. as well if the inside structures were damaged it would make the repairs a lot harder for the bodyman since the parts wouldn't fit together properly if they were damaged.

96accord · May 2004

I just bought a 04 corrolla around 2 weeks back and I have done around 1200 miles on it and I have been getting around 25-27mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. I think its pretty low someone told me that I need to wait for sometime until the engien breaks in inorder for the gas mileage improves. I normally drive at around 70mph on the freeway and I am not heavy footed.
Any advice.
Thanks In advance

jrct9454 · May 2004

For a new one, with the kind of mix you're describing, your fuel use is right on the money with our experience. It takes longer highway trips to break 30 mpg. Your avg will probably be about 1-2 mpg better after the engine is fully broken in, and no, that won't be until at least 5000 miles, based on our history.

Suburban running around should settle at 26-28, and longer highway runs at 30-33. [This is with an automatic transmission.]

ytchen · May 2004

Hi,

Do you solve the problem ? I got the same car and same problem. Please help me.

Thanks,

Steve

96accord · May 2004

Thanks for your reply. I am using Chevron 87 Octane for my AT Corrolla. I was thinking I will try out another brand of gas to see if there is any difference. I was hoping to get around 30 in the city and atleast 35 on the highway. I am not heavy footed and I guess the mileage may go down a little bit with aircon useage. After 1500 miles the engine seems smoother and hopefully by around 5000 miles the engine should be completely broken in. I am planning on getting my first oil change anytime soon and will see if it makes any difference.
I use to commute to work which is just 10 miles away and the engine sees a lot of stop and go traffic and short run and no out of town trips as yet. My corrolla is built at NUMMI and I was wondering if japanese built ones would do any better.
Thanks

jrct9454 · May 2004

...that changing fuel brands will make any difference. Based on our ownership experience, assuming you're talking about an automatic, I think your expectations are simply not realistic. And no, final assembly location has nothing to do with it [all Corollas for the North American market come from either NUMMI or the Canadian plant].

Good luck, anyway...

betong · May 2004

actually I am also experiencing this unconfortable feelings about my 2004 corolla S..?????? first of all did you ever tried to put your windows half way then move it side ways if it has a very small clearance you are still lucky, coz mine which I bought last April 16th, and put 300 miles on it I have a very loose clearance,I did took it to the dealer getting an answer it was build that way, I did own older toyotas but the windows were really tight, imagine buying a new car with this kind of problems, and also look at the gas pipe where u put gas going to the fuel tank w/c is only protected by a small piece of plastic shield, if tire burst it might burst into flames,...best remedy might be customize with a larger and sturdier shield,still hoping for the right solution.....

friendly_jacek · May 2004

My experience with MPG in my AT 03 Corolla is identical. Initially, I was dissapointed too, becouse I was hoping to get closer to EPA numbers. However, with my driving in many other cars, I almost never got close to EPA figures. Acctually, my last car, 92 Protege, did only 22 MPG in the same commuting in heavy traffic.

The numbers irct quoted above are right on the money. I heve never gotten more than 31 MPG on pure highway. My city driving is 26-27.
I understand that some people get 40+, but I am not sure how. Most likely MT, very slow driving, no stop signs, extraordinary gas, lean engines by defect, and perheps errors in MPG computing ;-)

I also understand that some people expierience 20 MPG in new Corollas in winter, so you have to balance your experience.

BTW, the thing about MPG improving with a break-in is a myth (IMO). I never saw it in my new cars. On the other hand, the sound of engine (often described as "agrarian") did improve some after first 5000 miles.

Some people reported 1-2 MPG improvement with mobile 1 oil, but IMO, synthetic oil in this engine is an overkill.

Good luck.

96accord · May 2004

I have 99 Camry which pretty much gives us EPA numbers in terms of gas mileage. I was hoping for the same in my new corrolla. The vehicle should give MPG close to epa numbers or else it defeats the purpose of the EPa numbers which in my opinion could be very misleading. I am not flooring the gas pedal and expecting to get close to EPA mpg. However, my car is still new and I donot want to panic. I will wait and observe the mileage and see if it improves with time which most people on the forums have mentioned only marginally.
Believe it or not there is a difference between J built and locally assembled cars and JD powers have verfied that too. I only have a minor rattle in my car along with the MPG issue not coming close to EPA numbers. Other than that this vehicle has been excellent. If this vehicle is going to give me 26-28 city and 32 highway then I don't think I should have bought this car as one of reasons I bought this car was for the gas mileage. I'll will observe and see what is to be done in the future if it continues to return poor mileage.
Thanks

cocotte · May 2004

Has anyone else noticed vibration or noises coming from their sunroof when it's either open or tilted up when going over bumps?

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