11th Dec 2010, 19:52
Well, thanks a lot for keeping with the updates. My family has owned our first Toyota in the form of a 1996 Geo Prizm base 1.6L (4A-FE) for 2 years now, and I've only good remarks for Toyota. We purchased our car for $350 at 160k, and are currently at 203k. I am about to get a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi 1.8L (7A-FE) 170k 5 spd. I look forward to driving the manual. Perhaps I'll keep updates as well.
On a side-note, all the Geos that we've owned (Metro, Prizm, Tracker) have all had door handle issues.
Metro - inside door handle was replaced with a dog collar.
Prizm - at one point our car was in essence a 1 door sedan with only one door working. It's back to 3 doors working for now.
Tracker - the driver's side inside handle is a coat hanger for now. At least they're consistent.
Ron Paul Rvltion.
22nd Jan 2011, 16:23
Original Reviewer again.
My Corolla now has a little over 188,000 miles on it. It runs great with its recent tune-up, however, the heater core has failed. I'll be replacing it this coming week. Until then, I'll just have to live with no heat. I wish this hadn't happened during the biggest cold snap in years! But I can't really complain, the car has treated me very well so far, and I still have no regrets. After all, since it's just 12,000 miles shy of 200,000, a heater core failing isn't out of the ordinary.
22nd Feb 2011, 09:34
Original Reviewer again.
My Corolla now has 188,435 miles on it. I replaced the heater core and haven't had any problems since. Getting to the heater core was a real pain in the a$$, had to remove the entire dash instead of just rolling it back and pulling the core out.
The heater core was a pain, but I really can't complain because this car is treating me very well considering the mileage. I still have no regrets for my purchase and I'm looking forward to many more years with it!
21st Mar 2011, 16:37
Hi,
I have a 1996 Corolla, and I think the heater core is failing. In fact I just bought the car last week. Please, I need advice to avoid mistakes, and if you don't mind, a list of tools you used to replace it.
Thanks.
22nd Mar 2011, 20:32
Original Reviewer.
Sure! I'd be happy to help!
Taking apart the dash really doesn't require any special tools. Really all you need is a flat head and Philips head screw driver, a 1/4 inch or 3/8 inch drive ratchet, a 12 mm socket, a 10 mm socket, and I believe the bolts that hold the dash onto the body are 15 mm, but I can't remember exactly. You will also need access to an A/C recovery machine.
You will have to remove all of the wiring from the dash in order to pull it away from the body. One thing you cannot forget to do is plug the car's ECU back in (the ECU is located behind the dash in front of the shift lever). You will have to remove the support brace from the vehicle in order to get the heater box out. The evaporator core is inside the heater box as well, and it has to be disconnected before removal (make sure you discharge the A/C system before disconnecting it though!) Also, before removing the airbags, let them sit for 15 minutes after disconnecting the cars' battery (if you do not do this, the capacitors in the airbags won't have enough time to discharge, and the airbags may go off when you disconnect them).
Don't try to pull the dash all the way out of the car, just roll it back onto the seats. You're going to need 2 people to do this job, because the dash is too bulky to move on your own inside the car.
Own very important thing to remember: Once you have the new heater core in the car, TEST IT FOR LEAKS BEFORE YOU PUT THE DASH BACK TOGETHER!!!! If it leaks, and you have already put the dash back in, you will have to take it all back apart again in order to replace it again. The first heater core I put in was defective; thankfully I tested it before putting the dash back in, and saved myself a huge hassle.
Good luck!
5th Apr 2011, 20:03
Original Reviewer again.
My Toyota now has a little over 190,000 miles on it. I can't believe I'm just 10,000 miles away from 200,000! The Corolla continues to run perfectly, and has been returning about 37-38 MPG. I couldn't be happier with it!
Unfortunately, I will soon have to part with it... As my younger brother is preparing to get his drivers license, I am passing it on to him. I have purchased another vehicle however: a 1997 Saturn SL2 (and it has a manual transmission!) that I will be writing a review on very soon.
22nd May 2011, 20:59
Original reviewer.
191,704 miles. That's what it's got. Just got back from a long highway trip up to New Hampshire and back. The Corolla returned a whopping 45 miles to the gallon. This car continues to amaze me!
Only problem to report since my last update is that I had to replace the fuel filler neck due to rust. Passed inspection with flying colors this month.
31st Aug 2011, 19:02
Original Reviewer.
My Corolla is up to around 195,000 miles now. No issues to speak of since my last report. Tires will need replacing soon, but those are just wear items.
The car will be handed down to my brother within the coming months. I will no longer be driving it after that, so it looks like this is my last report! I've very much enjoyed my time with this car, even if I've only put 18,000 miles on it. Should be good for another 195,000 at the very least, but it seriously wouldn't surprise me if it went further.
9th Dec 2010, 17:52
Original Reviewer again.
My Corolla is humming right along at 185,600 miles. No problems to report.
Now that the cold weather has really set in here in New England, and I'm waking up to temperatures in the teens, I've put the heat to the test. All I can say is I love how fast this car warms up. Start it up in the morning, let it idle for about a minute, drive away, and by the time you've driven maybe 1/2 a mile, it's already half-way to normal operating temperature, which is more than enough to give you good heat.
In my last post, I stated that I would be changing the timing belt and other maintenance items soon. I still have not done this (between working all the time and going to school, and then having other things come up that cost me money, I haven't been able to). However, it's been good to me and hasn't given me any problems because of this. I will not be letting it go for much longer however, because it won't hold up forever!