1998 Toyota Corolla LE 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Corolla's are the most reliable cars ever!

Faults:

Seatbelt sensor at 135K KMS.

Other than that, nothing except some small maintenance things such as a brake light needing a new bulb, and a fuse going.

General Comments:

Pure awesomeness.

This is my second Corolla (previous was a 1996).

Bought it for the A/C.

The anti-lock brakes work wonderfully. Gas is okay, I get about 425KM's per tank.

The cup holders could be in a better location, but it's not a big deal.

In terms of reliability, this car is incredibly reliable, and I would buy another Corolla any day.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th June, 2011

27th Jun 2011, 13:31

The 90's Corollas were good cars for the most part. However before basing the purchase of a NEW one on your experience with a '98 model, I think I'd do a bit of research. My best friend is trying to sell his 2009 Corolla at the moment. He has encountered a lot of problems. The rear suspension has sagged from the weight of the car, and can no longer be aligned without special shims. We just replaced the brakes on it, and the A/C is not blowing as cold as it should. Lots of issues for a 2-year-old car.

In two recent comparisons, the new 2011 Corolla either came in dead last or wasn't even considered for the test at all (the Hyundai Elantra took the top spot in both tests). Toyota quality is slowly coming back up due to consumer pressure to build better cars, however I'd wait a while before buying one at this point. Sales were down for Toyota in May, and are projected to stay pretty flat in coming months due to lack of demand for new cars, higher prices, and much stiffer competition from Korea and the U.S. At present the company having the greatest increase in overall U.S. sales is Hyundai/Kia.

View 3 more comments

1998 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8 DOHC from North America

Summary:

With 285,000 miles, it's still a great little car!!!

Faults:

This car had its original clutch until 280,000 miles. That was verified by the previous owner who had it from 40,000 miles. I had it replaced as well as some suspension parts that will obviously be worn out at this high mileage. This car still gets 34-35 MPG consistently, but does use some oil. Most people can't believe the miles, because the car is in such good shape, inside and out.

General Comments:

I bought this car on craigslist for $733. The reason it was so cheap was because of the high miles and a worn clutch. I have found that I can do most of the suspension work myself (lower control arms, endlinks, etc) and I am no mechanic. If you can find one in good shape and that doesn't use a lot of oil, then go for it. It's a great little car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2011

15th Feb 2013, 08:14

I agree, when I got mine the suspension was a little tired, so I replaced the shocks, springs, ball joints and bushings. It wasn't that expensive and the car rides like new. Given the kms yours has done, it's probably due for valve stem seals and/or perhaps piston rings and a rebore to stop the oil issue. If you change oil religiously though, it should last you a fair bit longer (the only thing is burning oil eventually cokes up the combustion chambers, leading to degraded performance).

1998 Toyota Corolla GS 5 door 1.3 5 speed from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Indestructible, functional

Faults:

Brake pads / tyres (standard wear and tear).

Three batteries.

Clutch at 90000.

Gearbox at 112000 (a rarity apparently).

Not very much at all for several years of regular heavy use.

General Comments:

This car is basically indestructible from what I can tell. I have used it a LOT for a LONG TIME without anything like the problems I've had with more expensive, nicer looking and feature-laden cars.

Admittedly, it's a bit weird looking. If you cut the car in half and compared the front to the back, you probably wouldn't match the two. But the boot's spacious, the hatchback 5 seater I've got allows for trebling of the boot space with the folding back seats, and it's practical for moving stuff / people. The interior's cheap and plasticky, and the fabric's not great. It's bland and inoffensive to drive, without much pickup.

But the bottom line is this car is reliable like a rock, doesn't break down, regardless of how hard you drive it, and costs very little to keep going. Which is all you REALLY need a car for, isn't it?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st December, 2010