I've rented a number of Corollas over the past few years. They were all great cars except for one - I can't remember exactly when but it was probably 5 years ago.

This car felt like it was going to fall apart very soon. There were squeaks and rattles and it felt like a very poorly built automobile. So I guess it proves that Toyota is not perfect but, for the most part, they still make good cars.

The Corolla is a great economy car, and gets great mileage. However as a used car they are very overpriced and they do tend to develop lots of squeaks and rattles early on due to poor construction.

The manual transmissions do tend to be a little short-lived, though often this is due to people not keeping the transmission lubricant at its proper level. Unlike domestic vehicles the Corolla tends to lose transmission lubricant, usually by very minor leakage. I have never known anyone who made 100,000 miles in one of these cars without some pretty expensive repairs.

In the used market you can't beat the no-longer-built Ford Escort ZX-2. These cars can be bought cheaply and will easily make 150,000-200,000 miles with routine maintenance. They are also far more comfortable to drive.

My '04 Corolla also has a sulphur smell. I've had the catalytic converter and whole exhaust system replaced, and am now using low-sulphur gas, but the problem is still there. Not just when the engine is cold - it happens intermittently. The sales and service people all admitted it was a common problem with several Toyota models including the Camry, 4-Runner, Sienna. It is rare in the Echo, but does sometimes happen with those - so the only way out is to forget about Toyota. This is incredible as they have been considered #1 by so many car experts.

I was very disillusioned with Toyota after having this happen. The car is supposed to be the best in its class. I am probably going to sell it at a loss because we cannot live with this stench and pollution - but the whole issue is what will go wrong with the next car I choose?

I've learned my lesson - don't believe hype. There are no perfect car companies. Toyota may build with more quality and care than other companies; the car may last longer than a Korean car with fewer repairs, but at the cost of a mysterious problem that even the company cannot figure out.

They will not take it back because it is not considered a lemon since so many of their cars do it and people are just tolerating it. They will buy it back at the depreciated price (25% in just four months). This is so disheartening to have the first new car I bought since 1984 prove to be so stressful. It makes me see why some people lease. It makes me think about selling the car, investing what's left, and going back to taking the bus.