Faults:

Oxygen sensor became faulty on the day I got the car.

The factory fitted radio's reception is bad - been like this since I got the car.

The key of this shape Corolla/RunX was not the best patent. It's prone to breaking and it's quite a costly exercise if you don't have access to the right locksmiths to program you a new key.

General Comments:

Extremely reliable and running cost is very low. However it's quite a boring car to drive. It's a safe buy but a boring one.

Faults:

The engine light came on the day I got this car. After inspection by the dealer, the oxygen sensor had to be replaced. Total cost of R1400.

I've had to replace 3 keys already. This is the first one of the RunX shape Corollas that came out, and the casing of the keys are simply made from cheap substandard plastic. Don't bother to get a replacement key from the dealers; it's way too expensive. I discovered a few places that can cut and code keys at a third of the price the dealers will quote.

The factory fitted integrated radio/CD is rubbish. Reception is bad and Toyota refuse to investigate the problem, even though it's a Toyota product.

The rear view mirror started vibrating so badly while driving that it almost made me car sick. Again Toyota refused to have a look at it, and insisted on replacing it with a new one, quoting me R1600. I took it off, replaced the mounting and the problem is solved.

I had a break in where the small window in the left rear door was smashed and the bigger window was simply forced down. The alarm wasn't triggered as it is not equipped with a motion sensor.

I'm never looking forward to servicing the car, because for some reason I always experienced bad service at the dealers.

Front seats lack lumbar support, especially for taller people. Not very comfortable after 300km.

On the plus side, I get excellent fuel economy thanks to the VVTI engine.

Faults:

Only changed the headlight bulbs.

The clutch on the diesels I was told is hard, and is the norm with these cars.

There was also a noise from the gearbox when you release the clutch pedal; it was diagnosed as a pilot bearing. The dealer was very accommodating, and changed the bearings in the gearbox, and fitted in a new clutch and dual mass flywheel. It's still a little hard, especially when in traffic, but I was told this is normal because it's a diesel.

General Comments:

It's my first diesel, it's a Corolla D4D, and I'm enjoying it. I like the power band when the turbo kicks in from 1800 RPM, and before you know it, you must worry about the speed traps. You can cruise at 160kms with this car and not even feel it.

This car is very spacious and comfortable for both the driver and passengers, and it has all the interior bells and whistles, leather seats, speedo, and a nice sound system. It's a luxury sedan with good performance and excellent fuel consumption.

The handling is pretty decent with the 205/55/16 tyres as standard. The braking is good as well (EBD).

The fuel consumption is brilliant; on the open road (highway) you can average 6.0L/100k.

I did a trip where I had to travel 1100km to my destination, and I managed 1050km on a full tank. I think I would have got more if there weren't so many hills and curvy roads.

Very pleased, and I think Toyota did well with this one, especially now with the high fuel prices.