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2010 Toyota Corolla

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Comments

  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    "The Subbie does not have one either, and the release tab's metal on the Corolla is just SO THIN that over time, it does bend and the door can get stuck shut!"

    I noticed this immediately while looking at the 10th generation Corollas. Both the trunk and fuel filler door release handles located on the driver's side floor area are made of a cheap, flimsy metal and have stickers for decals. This is another way Toyota decided to cut costs and "move backwards". My 1989 Corolla had the exact same release handles and you're correct, over time they bend and the stickers peel right off. The Corollas haven't had these same release handles since the 1988-1992 generation (I think). My '04 Corolla had sturdy release handles made of a thick plastic with the decals lasered right into them. Never once had a problem with the 04. Even the Yaris has the better quality plastic release handles.

    If you really examine the 10th generation Corolla all around in person, you begin to see the many ways Toyota cut costs.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Perhaps these gas door "cheaper release tabs" you posted about were a change for 2010. On my 2009 Corolla I have the same tabs as my 2001 Corolla. Rigid metal and never a problem.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2010
    Here are pictures to compare the two different materials used for the fuel door and trunk release tabs:

    http://idi.aultec.com/v/21/7034/txt/18889634_18572791.jpg
    (This is from a 2010 Corolla S)

    http://idi.aultec.com/v/21/7034/txt/19087928_19627817.jpg
    (This is from a 2007 Corolla S)

    Here is a picture of a 2010 Yaris release tabs
    http://67.192.79.212/inventory/thumb.php?cropratio=4:3&maxwidth=460&maxheight=34- 5&im=../eVox/stills_0640/6284/6284_st0640_063.jpg

    Everyone has their opinion, but I definitely believe the tabs used in the 2003-2008 generation were of much better quality. Over time, the decals (stickers) will lose their adhesive and peel off due to moisture and age.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Yes I have to agree that the tabs on the 2009/2010 Corolla fuel door are cheaper looking than previous models. I don't necessarily agree that the metal is thin and will bend, but I do like the looks of earlier style much better. I want to recall my post #217 as this was wrong information. I have/had so many Toyotas that sometime I post with the wrong model in mind.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    I was looking at my local dealership on Sunday morning. I happened to see a 2001 Corolla LE in the row containing cars going to be sent to the auction. I peeked at the relese tabs and they look exactly like the 2003-08 generation tabs. I figured you might see this on your 2001 as well!

    I have been doing some extensive research on these tabs. Apparently on the 03-08 generation, there is actually a release cable for both gas door and trunk. On the 09-present Corolla, there isn't a release cable. I found this by searching on "body hardware" category for the Corolla on the Toyota Parts database on my dealership's website. I compared the two generations and realized this. This is confusing because they both do the same function, but look different and are different materials. I just wish Toyota would go back to the plastic tabs on the Corolla! Heck, even the Yaris has the better quality tabs!
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    That's really interesting! I do agree the older style are more stylish. Thanks for the info.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2010
    My biggest regret ever is trading in my 2004 Corolla LE for a 2010 Avalon. The 2004 Corolla was one excellent car. Mine had 37,000 miles and was literally like new! It had every possible option for that model year, side airbags, ABS, sunroof, FACTORY leather interior, alloys, etc. It took me literally two years to find this car. No dealer in my region would special order this car with these options. They said it was impossible to get one with factory leather and would only offer to get one without the leather and install aftermarket. I refused the aftermarket as the quality and finished product doesn't compare to factory. Finally in December 2003, my local dealer found the car I wanted without the alloys in Boston (30 miles away). They swapped a car on their lot and I purchased this car. I had them put on the alloys that were offered as a Genuine Toyota accessory. It was one gorgeous car, Indigo Ink Pearl with oak leather. I thin I was one of very few people in New England to have a Corolla with this configuration! I felt very lucky driving around in such a hard to find vehicle!

    I meticulously maintained this car, synthetic oil changes every 3,000 miles, garaged, washed and waxed regularly. I am the type of person who parks extra far away in a parking lot to avoid dings and shopping carts. The car was exceptional for being nearly 6 years old!

    While on vacation in Florida, I was offered a free upgrade and was given an Avalon to rent from Alamo. I fell in love with the Avalon as it drove and handled awesome. Remember in Florida, it's mostly highway driving. I primarily do all city driving and the Corolla was perfect for this. I liked the Avalon so much that I decided to purcahse one last November. I also thought Toyota was going to discontinue the Avalon lineup as there was much speculation about this. So, I stupidly traded in my lovely Corolla for this horrible Avalon. I have posted before that I am very dissatisfied with the Avalon as the transmission has issues while city driving. It's confused, it hesitates and doesn't coast.

    I thought long and hard about trading it in for a 2010 Corolla XLE. While carefully examining the current Corolla, the quality just doesn't compare to the 03-08 generation. In my opinion, Toyota really cut corners with this generation. If you look carefully at every detail of both 9th and 10th generations, you begin to notice things. Even looking at the undercarriages of both generations. Just Sunday, I was looking at a 2010 LE's undercarriage. The workmanship is literally sloppy underneath, compound, or undercoating smeared everywhere. Not that this is visible while driving, but the build quality just seems very sloppy. Nowhere near the quality compared to my 04. The 2010 I was looking at was built in Canada. I thought maybe as NUMMI was closing, the morale and work ethics of employees decreased and quality wasn't important, but this was a car built in Canada!

    Don't get me wrong, I am still a huge Toyota fan and will only purchase Toyota vehicles. I still think the current Corolla is a good car. The quality and workmanship has partially slipped, but I am confident Toyota realizes this and they are being proactive about it. Hence the delay of the 2011 model year. Also, there is an abundance of 2010 LE's in my region that were built at NUMMI. These cars are NOT moving at all, even with the great incentives since early March! The hottest model selling right now is the Corolla S. These are flying off dealer lots! The S is a much better value, MUCH more features than the LE for a little more money. Thanks for listening to my story! By the way, I've located my 04 Corolla. Someone purchased it in the next town over from me. I saw it in their driveway and know it's my old car by the alloys and window vent visors. I also ran the CARFAX and the report states the second owner registered it in that town. I'm tempted to stop in and introduce myself as the ex. owner of their car! They're lucky to have such a fabulous used car for being 6 years old!
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    That's an interesting story. I understand your thoughts entirely and agree with everything you said. I have three Corollas right now and my favorite right now is definitely my 2001 LE. I have a "92" and a "09 XLE" also. I really like my 2009 XLE quite a bit, but I'd rather drive my 2001. Your right about the quality skimping on the recent generation Corolla vs. the older style. I also had a favorite Corolla I wish I never would have gotten rid of. It was a "79" Corolla that drove like a truck, it had manual steering and you felt every bump in the road but it was great. I have previously owned a Celica and a Tercel. All great cars and would have bought them all over again. In a year or two I would love to get a fully loaded Tacoma. Wouldn't think of ever buying any other model car. I have full faith that Toyota will regroup and be a better company for all of their current woes. They sure were a victim of getting too big, too fast and started loosing the one thing that made them #1 in the first place, their known quality.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    I agree the 1998-02 generation Corolla was also one very well built generation. Interior materials are top notch for the compact class. I drove a 2001 LE as a rental for an entire week in Florida and absolutely loved it! Gas mileage was awesome and the excellent build quality was certainly noticeable.

    What I loved about the 03-08 generation was the height of the vehicle. It was super easy getting in and out of the car as it wasn't so low as previous generations!

    I also currently own a 1989 Corolla sedan and love this generation as well. With 150,000 miles, the engine still runs like new. Too bad the metal was cheap in those days and the car now has excessive body rot that started 10 years ago. It's only used as a spare car and rarely driven. I certainly have gotten my moneys' worth out of this car!
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    That's for sure, my "79" Corolla and my "86" Tercel were "rust buckets" but the motors ran forever. I used to take strips of aluminum as patches and rivet them on the body, then try to match the paint as close as I could. You gotta admit though, that's one area I think all car manufacturers really came leaps and bounds on, is the integrity of the cars body.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    Not that this information is 100% accurate, but it does look like Toyota is delaying the release of the 2011 Corolla until December. As far back as I can recall, this hasn't happened before with the Corolla. Toyota usually begins assembling the new model year in early March and cars reach dealer lots in April. Here is some information about the 2011 model:

    http://iguida.com/2011-toyota-corolla
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    It looks like Toyota will be building the Corolla at a new plant in Mississippi. Here is a news article discussing it. Production will not begin until the fall, which could explain the delay of the 2011 model year.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100617/us_nm/us_toyota_mississippi_4
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Yesterday I received my recall notice for my floor mat recall. Not quite sure what they are going to do though. I suspect they're going to give me new floor mats. The recall notice states that "Toyota will modify the floor surface in the driver's foot well as well as the pedal itself". I already had the wedge put into the pedal at a separate recall. It also states if the optional "all weather floor mats" are of the older style they will replace them on the passenger side and the drivers side free of charge. The only part that concerns me is the "modification of the pedal and the foot well".
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Talked to a buddy of mine who works at my local Toyota dealership. I asked him about the TSB for the evaporator replacement. He said while the TSB states the the replacement job takes 4.5 hours to complete he said it's more like a 6 hour job as the whole dash has to be removed first just to get to the evaporator. So I guess I'm going to live with this odor for about 30 seconds when I first turn on my A.C. rather than have my whole car torn apart for the replacement. He did give me the Petro A/C Chemical cleaner that most Toyota dealers use and sell to try on my car. They'll do it for you for about $60.00 but really, it only takes about 30 minutes of your time to do it yourself. The only drawback is you have to crawl halfway under the car to get to the A/C drain hose. This is a two can foam system; you shoot half the can up the rubber A.C. drain hose into the evaporator. After it turns to a liquid and drains out you repeat with the second half of the can. After that, you use the smaller 6 oz. can to totally disinfect the air intake and ductwork. I did this last night, I'll post about my success with this or not.
  • ntassistantntassistant Member Posts: 64
    My 04 Corolla had this same problem with the AC odor. Last summer before I traded it, dealer suggested I have the AC system charged and deodorized, but I never did as the AC always blew cold air. I'm assuming this is common with most Toyotas or all cars equipped with AC? As you mentioned, the odor goes away quickly once the air is turned on. I also notice this with my 2010 Avalon as well. There is a faint mildew or moldy smell initially, when the AC is turned on.

    As for your post about the pedal and floor modification for the separate recall, I just had this done on my Avalon yesterday. I went in for my first oil change and the service advisor notified me of the second phase of the recall. I never received an official notice from Toyota, but the dealer said they could perform the fix for the recall. I don't notice any modifications with the carpet or carpet pad in my Avalon. The Avalon has carpet pad under the carpet for extra soundproofing (I assume for this reason). Nothing looks to be modified on the floor, just the pedal itself has been trimmed on the bottom portion (corners) of the pedal. They also installed the brake override system, which shuts the engine down when the brake and accelerator are pressed at the same time. With the oil change and recall fix, it took about 2 1/2 hours. Originally they told me only one hour. I peeked through window of where the service bays are and two technicians were working on my car for the recall fix.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Thanks for the info.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    Wow what a difference! A few days after using the Petro A/C cleaner the odor is all gone. This is the two can system most dealers use and can be purchased from them for around $15.00. Note: you will have to get under the passenger side of the car to attach the provided hose to the A/C drain. Well worth the money.
  • 09rolla09rolla Member Posts: 1
    I'm driving a 2009 Corolla XRS and recently noticed this same rattle coming from trunk area. Not sure why I didn't notice it earlier but probabaly because I usually have tunes playing. Checked license plate, wires, cables. Even placed weather stripping under trunk floor cover covering spare tire as it was making contact with bare metal. Have had it to the dealer 3 times now. 2nd and 3rd time it went to a body shop I'm told to have some welding done in the trunk area where there were some spot welds that had come undone apparently. Rattle still persists and is very annoying. I was hoping by searching this and other forums, someone may have found a solution to a similar problem. I'm taking it to the dealer again next week for another test drive with the service manager. Would like to get this resolved before the warranty runs out in 5 months.
  • windgracewindgrace Member Posts: 84
    I too have been having rattling problems with my Corolla!

    I bought the 2010 Corolla with 9500 miles on it last summer (original warranty intact). I have brought it to the dealership 5 times for a rattle in the driver side B-pillar. I have also complained because I found that there was a dent removed from the driver side door and I was displeased with discovering several small bumps from the tool used to remove the dent. I have a feeling that the two are related somehow. When I was shown the Carfax the report was clean (no-accident history).

    My car has been at the dealership for over a week now and each time I call they say they cannot figure out the rattle. They can hear it, though.

    I'm starting to get rather worried. What are my options if they claim they cannot solve the rattle? Can I demand they buy the car back, trade it in for a similar vehicle, give me a good price on a trade-in...? I need to know because this is absolute b.s. and I refuse to accept an "irreparable" 2010 Corolla with an excessive and unnatural rattle I dropped $15k on (and bought new tires for!!) just a few months ago.
  • terceltomterceltom Member Posts: 1,024
    You can demand but I doubt if they'll comply ! Did you try another dealer? Warranty is good at all Toyota dealerships.
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,968
    I'm assuming the car is drivable...correct? Is there any safety issues with it? Has it ever left you stranded by the side of the road? The only issue you have is a "rattling" issue, correct? Annoying yes, but the car is working as promised. Doubt they'll take this car back for a "rattling noise" but I'd suggest trying another dealer whose techs might have better luck finding the area that's touching something else. Understand your frustration...having a similar noise issue from the right front of my kids Versa which they can't seem to duplicate. After 3 tries...nothing, but it's been documented so when the warranty ends and they eventually find something, we'll be covered.

    Annoying none the lesss, just as your situation must be.

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • lindat1lindat1 Member Posts: 1
    I read the measurements for the Corolla and Civic and they're similar; we have an 06 Civic. I cannot get comfortable in the 10 Corolla; my back hurts, my shoulders hurt, even my hands hurts and I'm only 5'5". Something is just not right. It's like I'm squeezed into a tiny box. We've had two previous Corollas and never had this problem.
  • tom_n0gsgtom_n0gsg Member Posts: 1
    You're not off your rocker, Jeff. I have a 2010 Corolla LE (1.8 L, auto) that behaves in exactly the same manner. I purchased it used about 16 months ago, and have noticed the same issue with rough idle. I drive this car on the highway generally so it's a minor annoyance, but here's what I've observed:

    With A/C on (in summer months): Issue never appears. Idle is consistently 800 to 900 RPM.

    With A/C off: Idle is normal (800 to 900 RPM) unless the brake is depressed enough to turn on the brake lamps. I backed up to a reflective surface so that I could observe the brake lamps, put the car into [D], and set the parking brake to keep it from moving. While depressing the brake pedal very slowly, the idle consistently falls to a shuddering 500-600 RPM as soon as the brake lamps illuminate. When the pedal is released slowly, the idle returns to normal as soon as the brake lamps go back off. Turning on the headlamps causes an immediate return to normal in the idle speed with the brake depressed.

    Discussion: The engine control unit (ECU) certainly controls idle speed, probably in a quasi-closed-loop fashion. The ECU knows if the A/C compressor is operating, if the brake is depressed, what gear the transmission is in, and so forth. On the Corolla the ECU must also be reading the state of the headlamps. This car is also equipped with vehicle stability control (VSC), which is essentially an augmented 4-channel ABS system (probably powered by an electrical hydraulic pump). My guess is that there is either an unaccounted for errant/ signal wiring path, engine load from the VSC system, or firmware defect (or wrong calibration constant) in the ECU that is leading to this trouble. The engine is properly compensating for load factors such as A/C and headlamps on, but failing to maintain idle with A/C off and brakes on. I've seen others mentioning this about related Toyota models, so I'm guessing it's more common that you think. Goes to show you that there's a lot more happening under the hood of your car than the average shade tree mechanic could even dream of 20+ years ago.

    Concerns: (1) Idle dropping low enough to stall is a safety issue in city traffic. (2) Low idle speed is not healthy for an engine, and could impair lubrication if the oil pressure is consistently falling below acceptable levels.

    I've got some local control systems experts in KC that I can consult with...I'll bring this to them to see what they think.

    mcckc.edu/btc
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