1997 Toyota Corolla dx 1.8 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Unreliable

Faults:

Leaks condensation water,

Needed new tail light bulbs at 170,000 miles,

Carpet is stained,

Floor mats had to he replaced at 175,000 miles,

Paint is fading,

Wind shield cracked from the sun,

Needed new tires at 180,000 miles,

Alternator blew at 200,000 miles,

Needed new wiper blades at 205,000 miles,

Belt broke at 210,000 miles,

Needed a new oil change at 220,000 miles,

Needed new spark plugs at 230,000 miles,

Seats have holes in it,

Hood does not open,

Needed a new oxygen sensor.

General Comments:

This car was always at the mechanic, this car is the worst car I've ever owned. The 1.8 4 cly engine is very slow and only has 90 horsepower. If I could go back in time I would have kept my metro, a very reliable sporty little car. I've sold my corolla and got a mustang and I love the car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th April, 2006

27th Apr 2006, 10:15

Is this review for real??? Are you really serious. I just can't get over this review.

All this stuff that you are complaining about is normal wear and tear. All the parts you are complaining about do not have a lifetime guarantee. Do you really expect everything to last forever. Most of these "problems" were either caused by you, the previous owner, or mother nature. Your paint will not fade if you maintain it by waxing it regularily, the carpet would not get dirty if you did not make it dirty, the sun did not crack your windsheild, but do not drive behind rock trucks, or any vehicles at all if you want to protect your windsheild, you need to change the oil every 3,000 miles, etc. The other stuff is normal maintenance. About the only semi-normal claim you have is against the hood not opening. That is not normal. Also having the oil changed is not normal. That should be done every 60,000 miles or so. Sarcasm. Otherwise you should blame your problems on yourself, the previous owner, and mother nature.

If you do find a car that needs no maintenance or does not get dirty, please let me know. I would love to know where you get a car that has everlasting wiperblades, light bulbs, tires, spark plugs, brakes, bullet-proof windows, no-maintenance paint, seats made of metal, carpeting that cannot get dirty, no-maintenance engine (no oil, coolant, transmission fluid changes, etc. Please let me know.

You might want to stick with the bus if you are worried about maintenance or repairs or better yet stick with walking. Wait your shoes might get worn out or a shoelace may break. Take it easy. Good luck with the Mustang. "little snicker"

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1997 Toyota Corolla 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Good car, great first car

Faults:

Connectors for the starter got impacted at 110K miles so it wouldn't start for a few days until I had a mechanic look at it and replace them. About $80 for repairs.

The driver's side seat belt has a bad retractor, so I need to fight with it to come out. Sometimes. It would cost about $200 for parts and labor, but since it still works mostly fine, why bother?

General Comments:

This was been a very safe and reliable car through my college career, and has since become a good commuting car. It gets great gas mileage and is extremely reliable.

It doesn't handle like a sports car, obviously, because it's an economy car. I've had very, very few problems. I've probably put $500 into it and that's for the one problem and basic maintenance. Including oil changes.

Speaking of oil changes, the oil is very easy to change on your own with this car, though I'd recommend a hydraulic jack. It's a bit tough to get underneath. The filter is in a convenient and obvious place, unlike on my girlfriend's Saturn.

Performance will net you 0-60 in just under 10s and a top speed of 110. 115 going down hill. Not that you'll want to maintain that for long. On a mostly straight road, I feel perfectly safe and comfortable going 85+.

There is flaw in this car that I should be very clear about. It's got a low recommended weight limit. By low limit, I mean that the manual lists max load at 850 pounds. Now, that's not a problem in most cases. However, don't expect to carry 4 adult males in the car at once and have any sort of luggage in the trunk. If you're taking a trip you'll have to limit it to 3 people or 4 small people. If not, then the mud flaps can scrape against the ground when you're on on-ramps/off-ramps on the interstate. It's a horrifying noise.

That's the only thing I could say bad about the car though. It's treated me very well and held it's value for the last 2 years, too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th April, 2006