Faults:
Carburettor went at approx. 260000 Ks.
Starter motor went at approx. 265000 Ks.
Head blew at approx. 295000 Ks.
Drivers side window became stuck / very hard to wind up.
Boot would not stay open because boot hinges broke. Had to hold it open while loading / unloading car.
Probably a few other small problems - just general wear and tear.
General Comments:
I bought this car for my wife from a dealer for $4,500 in 1999. At the time this was honestly the best example of a Corolla I could find for under $5k. Very frustrating when a model is popular and hard to find - my wife had to have one!
This car was a good little runabout. It was a sedan with factory air-con and 3 speed auto. It used a small amount of oil between services and occasionally blew grey smoke when started. It was a bit gutless on the highway for overtaking etc. Around town the performance was fine however.
This car had a lot of heavy use from us over 5 years and beside the problems listed above was a good car. However it didn't quite live up to the impression I had that these cars were rock solid, reliable small cars.
Once the head went in the car I bought a newer car and patched it up to sell. Someone still gave me $1,500 for it even with its mechanical and minor cosmetic issues (fading paint, minor surface rust etc). I sold it unregistered.
This type of car is worth considering if you are on a tight budget and want economical motoring. I would suggest finding the best low kilometre, well maintained example you can find. Don't touch anything with high k's unless its dirt cheap!
22nd Mar 2007, 19:44
I am residing in NJ USA, I am still using the 1987 Corolla. It is very economical and reliable. Everyday I travel going to my work back and forth around 90 miles a day. Right now it is still doing good. What a wonderful car.