12th Apr 2004, 14:12

I purchased my 1989 Toyota "AllTrac" Station wagon used last year.

I have been unable to operate the fuel compartment door with the indicated switch, located to the left of forward on the floor of the driver's seat. If anyone has a comment on a troubleshooting procedure I might employ, It would be appreciated.

15th Apr 2004, 18:08

I have an '89 All-Trac purchased used 5/01. It has 150,000 on it now. Good car, tough. Goes almost 1000 miles a week now. No rust problems, but the transmission just went out. Cost, $2200 rebuilt, great work, cheap labor. Still gets great mileage, too, but I had to get rid of the tiny, tinny rear speakers.

10th Oct 2004, 17:30

I noticed a couple of comments from people who wish Toyota Corolla All Tracs were still made. Good news! They are, just under a different name. It is the Toyota Matrix 4wd. It has all wheel drive for all weather capability without giving up the handling, comfort, and gas mileage of a car. The All Trac lives!

26th Oct 2004, 10:00

Hello!

I have a Toyota Corolla Station wagon All Track 89. I bought it a week ago and it was running just fine until this morning. As soon as I started it up and I shifted in to first gear I heard a very strong squeaking sound on the passenger side. It seems that it is coming from the front part of the car, but it might bi from the middle too. The interesting thing is that the sound appears only when the car is moving even if the engine is not running. The car has brand new tires and the brakes, feels and respond just great. I will appreciate if anyone can give me an idea what could this sound be caused of and how much would be the repair cost.

Thanks!

3rd Jan 2005, 12:34

We also have an '89 Corolla All Trac wagon. We bought it "barely" used with 14k miles on it way back in late '89. It has been a fantastic car. We have also experienced the above mentioned rust and exhaust problems. A year or so ago we finally decided that it was time to replace it and bought a Subaru for the "family car". Well, the Corolla, while definitely showing its age and 190k miles, was just too convenient as a winter beater and farm utility vehicle to get rid of. So we kept it. And it just keeps on plugging along now affectionately known as the Rolling Tool Shed. One small item that we have experienced and perhaps worth mentioning (previous poster take note) is that when it is real cold the speedometer cable makes a squealing noise. Once everything is warmed up it goes away.

21st Dec 2005, 20:37

I just got mine I love it I got it for $400 no rust what so ever only problem battery dies change the alternator, and the battery bu still have the problem if any one has this problem or fix it please do tell what the problem.

22nd Dec 2005, 14:09

I purchased a 1988 All-Trak wagon in pretty good shape 79,000 miles on it about 2 years ago.

It now has 120,000 miles on it and has needed nothing other than oil changes. I been waiting for it to give me a reason to replace it, but the car isn’t cooperating.

25th Mar 2006, 13:39

I've got an All-Trac Corolla Sedan. Got it in 2002 with only 45,000 miles on it. (Belonged to a senior citizen). It had NO body rust or anything, and was running perfectly. The Connecticut snow has resulted in some rust at the corner of the driver door. I also had to replace the Oil pressure sensor, and it died on me one day, and after having 4 mechanics look at it, we figured out that the positioning pin on the distributor was cracked in half. It caused the engine to just not start half of the time (if the pin wasn't aligned properly. This car has saved my life many times in the snow.

19th May 2006, 17:21

I just bought my Toyota Corolla about a month ago and I love it. I do have a funny noise in the rear end. Does anyone have any suggestions on what it might be.

16th Nov 2006, 17:22

I've owned my 88 AllTrac Wagon for over a year now, 200k miles and no rust (welcome to California). I put after market 15 inch wheels and tires on it: looks awesome and gave me additional ride height, but the mileage went in the toilet (22 mpg) and the acceleration went from bad to almost unacceptable. I'm thinking of an engine swap to a 2 litre engine for more torque, any ideas out there? I also run mine exclusively in the OFF position (automatic trans) and I notice no difference in performance or economy. Am I hurting the car?

12th Aug 2007, 09:33

I have an 88 All-trac wagon (manual transmission) that I purchased in January 2004 with 170K miles on it; it now has 195K miles on it and is still going strong.

It runs better in very hot weather; I had it in 120 degrees Arizona summer for a while with no problems; cold AC helps.

Replaced alternator (twice: first replacement was bad), new battery.

Cracked exhaust manifold needs to be replaced, small exhaust damage.

Going to replace brakes soon.

Sunroof operates intermittently -- probably needs new sunroof cable.

Peeling clear coat paint started after I moved to a place closer to the ocean, so needs new paint job.

Had accident in March 2005, so replaced driver's side door.

23rd Aug 2007, 20:33

I got my 89 All-trac wagon about 5 years ago. 50 bucks with 112,000 miles on it. It sat in the parking lot at my job for months and I couldn't take my eyes off it. Finally I asked the owner about it and he said he just didn't want to drive anymore, so I snatched it up. It is without a doubt the greatest car I have ever owned. Very reliable and easy to repair. I certainly have had my fair share of exhaust repairs on it (I just had some done yesterday) but it still remains worth it. It also may not be the prettiest car due to the creeping rust, but it still looks as cool to me as it did on the day I first saw it. I would give anything to not have to put it down someday. I can't think of many more unique, reliable cars that I would like to drive. I'd recommend it to anybody.