Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
We could hardly be happier with the car - it gets my recommendation for anyone shopping in this class, and deserves some thought even for people who think they need an Accord / Camry, but don't carry 4 people in the car that often [which describes us pretty well]. It feels extremely solid and well-planted at freeway speeds, and the ride/handling compromise seems to me to be just about ideal. Beyond the glovebox looseness that I fixed myself on the first day, we have had no new issues [knock on wood].
One more observation: the speedo on our car is spot-on, according to at least two different mobile radar displays. This contrasts to the well-known habit of Honda to build in a lot of slop in their speedo readings [our '96 Acura RL was off by a full 7 mph at an indicated 80]...I have had to be very careful not to assume that we are really traveling at least 5 mph slower than the dial reads, as has been a safe assumption with our Hondas. Don't need any visits from the CHP as part of the break-in process...
THANKS!!
Most likely suspect: wheel alignment.
The dealer should be doing all of this for free - if for no other reason than to satisfy you. Regardless of wether they think it is a problem. Just say the car pulls I want you to check the alignment - they can't really say no.
Check that out.
This problem should not produce the symptoms as described, but the fix is a simple one that only takes a couple of minutes with the car on a lift at the dealership. There are four bolts that hold the wheel hub [NOT THE WHEEL ITSELF - THIS IS WHERE THE HUB ATTACHES TO THE REAR AXLE] to the axle in the rear. These need to be retorqued on the recalled cars. You can see them from underneath if you get the car jacked up and look at the "back" of the hub area of each rear wheel.
I had the rear tires on mine off today to install the mudguards, and was easily able to eyeball the bolts they are talking about. [Our car was produced in March and thus is not subject to the recall].
And yes, I agree that any competent dealer should handle a wheel alignment as a warranty claim when there are clear symptoms indicating a problem.
Biggest problem is the dealer does not "see" the problem or at least pretends not to see the problem, because the problem is intermittent and very subtle it is very easy for the dealer to just dismiss it
Anyways as the dealership could not identify or "see" the problem I called Toyota and they've set me up for arbitration......have to see what happens there
Thanks for all your responses and help!!
I have a 1995 Toyota Corolla, I had a used engine put in that cost me $1900.00. When I received the car back the mechanic told me they had to remove the transmission because they forgot to shim the engine and it was faster to remove and shim the transmission.
I drove the car for about 2 hours and the transmission stoped functioning. I brought it back and they didnt want to hear about the transmission problem, told me they put an engine in not a transmission.
What I'm asking is should they even remove the transmission at all when they put in an engine? According to my Haynes repair manual, you shouldnt have to.
Can anyone help me on this one. Its impossible to get a local mechanic to look at the car unless they open the trans for 6 hours of labor.
I guess what I'm asking for is some feedback, and perhaps if possible a statement from a mechanic saying this should not have been done this way.
To me it seems to be very apparent what has occured, but all of the dispute people I spoke to give me problems.
If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it. Please email me at gungadin_@yahoo.com
Thanks for any assisance,
Scott
"Go to the following link to read more reviews of disgruntled 2003 Corolla customers, some of whom indicated the steering problem. It seems the new Corolla teething problems are more profound than would be acceptable from a company renowned for its reliability like Toyota."
Click here to see the article laksj linked in the message.I reformatted the link because it was too long to fit on a display using 1024x768 resolution - when this happens, folks using that resolution (or lower) must scroll from side to side to read every single line on the page containing the long link.
FYI, you can go to pat "Lost in the Town Hall? Ask the Sedans Host for directions!" Apr 13, 2002 10:25am for some information on how to deal with long links in a way that does not skew the page display.
Feel free to post a message in that discussion if you have any questions about the linking process.
Pat
Sedans Host
this is my first toyota (2002 corolla) and ive been disappointed the dealer network sucks(at least in Michigan)
and my car is suffering from the drifting to the left problem that i see people mentioning
also it feels like my suspension it getting worse and im losing my power steering. next oil change im going to bring it up and see what they say
Thanks!
Oh well. Good luck.
~alpha
As for steering problems [ or any substantive problems, for that matter ], our '03 Corolla runs, stops, tracks, steers and rides like a fine piece of work. As noted above, steering effort on all Toyotas [except maybe the MR2] tends to be below average, not above average, and our car is no exception. Our car is equipped with the GY Integrity tires, certainly nothing special except they have a very low rolling resistance and have a higher wear rating than most tires Toyota selects for OEM fitment. They contribute nothing to straight-line stability or handling, that's for sure, but I have no complaints about either in our car.
I've never had a car with ABS brakes before - good luck
~alpha
I have had seat time in a total of 4 2003 Corollas [ 3 LEs, including the car we own and a rental, and one S ], and they all rode and handled admirably, with no wandering or steering issues whatsover. 3 of these had the GY tires, and one the Firestones. I felt no significant differences between OEM tires. And I certainly have to observe that if Mich X-Ones didn't solve the problem, then by definition tires are not part of the equation - these are the best out there for this class of car.
The 2003 is a VERY nice car, quiet, seemingly high quality, and yes, certainly much larger in the back seat area. Good looking car, peppy, good MPG, (didn't notice any steering problems)and decent handling for an entry level car (well...maybe the Echo is entry level?). My biggest problem (maybe a blessing as I am really not ready to trade cars..yet) is the seating position of the driver's seat. I must say that the pedals seem too close, even with the seat in the farthest back position, yet the steering wheel would seem too far, if the seat DID go back further. Has anyone esle noticed this? The car I drove was LE, and I tried adjusting the seat in all its obvious ways. I have not noticed that in my Civic, or the Protege.
I am helping a friend's daughter shop for a new car; she is nearly 5'11", or almost as tall as I am, and also long in the legs, and decided to focus on the Protege precisely because of this issue...it's a case where they should have given the seat more travel, at the expense of max leg room in back. I can comfortably sit behind the driver's seat with it all the way back in our new Corolla, which I could not do in the old car, and I am sure this is what the designers were aiming for. In doing so, they have eliminated a certain number of buyers who need another notch of rearward seat travel.
In other words, does the new Corolla have that fun to drive feeling which is usually there in most Hondas?
When I drive our Camry right after driving the Civic, my first realction is "wow! this car is quiet and smooth", but after a few minutes, it does feel quite numb, and I am earger to get back in the Civic. The Corolla feels somewhere in between the two. The Civic is definately more "fun to drive." I hope I haven't been too confusing.
Seriously, that really was an excellent explanation about the difference between the Civic and Corolla. I know exactly what you are saying, having myself driven a Civic for many years. I guess it comes down to a question of giving up that connected feel to the road in favor of more quiet and smooth. So, were it not for the seating position problem with the new Corolla, would you be inclined to trade in your Civic?
VERY, VERY nice car.
??
anyone have one long enough to confirm this is true?
Thanks
This is a touring car, and as such is the best in class. If you want more handling than this car offers, you need to buy the Mazda or Ford and be happy with the difference. The Civic probably splits the difference, but I'm just not willing to give up the extra room that the Corolla offers vs the Civic to achieve that small difference.
Yes, all of this assumes you fit in the driver's seat. At 6', 175lbs, and a 32" inseam, I do. You may not...
Im 6'2 and find the new Corolla's seating to be perfectly comfortable. It has the most comfortable seats in the class and the legroom is fine for me. Im surpised people have a problem with that.
I bought a 2003 LE in Indigo Ink (blue) with the luxury package (leather + sunroof), made in the Canada plant. Right now at 1300km I have had no problems at all, Im really enjoying it. I found the new Corolla beat all the other cars I tested in most respects (Protege, Civic, Sentra, Elantra, Focus). I highly reccomend this car.
Whistler2, why does it surprise you that some people, like me, don't find the Corolla's driving position to be comfortable? Are you assuming that everyone has the same body measurements that you do? I'm 5'10", 170 lbs., and a 32" inseam, and I'm sorry to say, the LE 5-speed's driving position just didn't cut it for me. That doesn't make the Corolla a bad car. I think it's a great compact, maybe the best out there in its price range. It just isn't the right car for me. It just proves again that no one should buy a car without driving it first.
When the seat is moved to the backmost or nearly backmost position, the steering wheel is farther away than I would like.
Ever notice NASCAR cockpits where the steering wheel is right up on the driver? Well, that's because their arms are less tired from having to reach out for 3-4 hours of driving. Same principal applies, at least for me. I finding myself having to place my arms on the center and door arm rest respectively once I settle in on steady hwy driving. Luckily, the arm rests are positioned well.
jrct9454 suggests raising the seat and adding seat cushions. Unfortunately that does not work for me because as the one raises the seat, it also tilts forward, a disadvantage of not having cushion front and back adjustors. I like to have a more settled in feeling; sitting in the seat rather than on it and spilling forward.
A telescoping wheel would solve the problem for me. But I think in this class, only the Jetta/Golf has this feature.
Well in the long run, I will adjust to this. As I mentioned a while back, I think the Corolla's driving position would be ideal for small drivers. The steering wheel's position would be an advantage for those that move the seat way up, safety and comfort wise.