2000 Toyota Corolla

NO CRASH. ANNUAL "SAFETY INSPECTION" IN VIRGINIA REQUIRES REMOVAL OF WHEELS ON ONE SIDE OF VEHICLE FOR BRAKE INSPECTION. WHEEL STUDS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AT NEARLY EVERY INSPECTION FROM OVERTIGHTENING USING ORDINARY EQUIPMENT AT THE STATION AND USING NORMAL PROCEDURES. APPARENTLY, TOYOTA DID NOT MAKE THE STUDS STRONG ENOUGH FOR ANNUAL REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION USING UNCONTROLLED AIR IMPACT WRENCHES. I HAVE REPLACED 5 WHEEL STUDS SO FAR AN I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE COULD BE MORE. LOSS OF MORE THAN A FEW WHEEL STUDS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF A WHEEL AND A SERIOUS CRASH. *TR

66,760 MILES ON THE ENGINE #3 ROD BEARING COMPLETELY WIPED OUT. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED 8512 MILES FOR 5 YEARS I MANAGED A REPAIR FACILITY THEN OWNED MY OWN SO I PERFORMED THE OIL CHANGES NEVER OVER 3000 MILES BETWEEN. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES A SLUDGE PROBLEM HOWEVER MY CAR WAS ASSEMBLED IN CALIFORNIA PLANT (NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL) AND 6000 MILES OVER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. TWO YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT (CRANK KIT, BEARINGS, RINGS, OIL PUMP, ETC.) NOW HAVE 76000 MILES AND STARTING TO SHOW SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE, SLIGHT NOISE IN ENGINE MAINLY AT HIGHER RPMS AND MORE AFTER LONG TRIPS WHEN ENGINE IS GOOD AND WARM. *TR

MY DADS 2000 TOYOTA COROLLA WAS BOUGHT NEW AND WAS DRIVEN FOR FOURS YEARS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. HE TOOK CARE OF THE CAR RELIGIOUSLY AND HAS 60 MILE COMMUTE BOTH WAYS TO GET TO WORK AND HOME. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UP TO THE MIDDLE OF 2004 WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED USE OIL AT AN EXCESSIVE RATE AND THEN, OUT OF NOWHERE, IT DEVELOPED A ROD KNOCK. HE ENDED UP BUYING A NEW CAR BUT THE COROLLA STILL HAD THE ROD KNOCK AND IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. FINALLY, THE ENGINE GAVE OUT AND THREW THE CONNECTING ROD END AND CAP THROUGH THE BLOCK, DISABLING THE CAR AND BLOCKING TRAFFIC IN A BUSY INDUSTRIAL AREA OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS. THE COROLLA ENDED UP SITTING AT MY UNCLE'S FARM FOR TWO YEARS UNTIL MY FAMILY AND I COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE CAR. WE ENDED UP GETTING A USED 2001 PRISM MOTOR WITH 88,000 MILES ON IT AND SWAPPING THAT MOTOR FOR THE BLOWN ONE. UNFORTUNATELY, I KNEW THE RISK OF BUYING A MOTOR FROM A JUNK YARD BUT THE RISK WAS ALSO A DOUBLE RISK DUE TO THE ENGINE'S PREVIOUS HISTORY. AFTER TWO WEEKS AND THE MOTOR WAS JUST BEING RUN UNDER LIGHT LOAD CONDITIONS AND EVEN WITH FRESH MOTOR OIL AND FILTER, THE PRISM MOTOR ALSO DEVELOPED A ROD KNOCK. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND I HAVE FOUND OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME MOTOR HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS MY FAMILY HAD WITH OUR COROLLA. THIS ENGINE HAS SHOWN TO BE UNRELIABLE AND A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA COROLLA. DURING A CRASH AT 15 MPH, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELTS MALFUNCTIONED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. DUE TO THE LACK OF RESTRAINT BY THE SEAT BELT, THE CONTACT SEVERELY INJURED HER RIBS AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO DAYS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE SALES DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT COOPERATIVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000. UPDATED 04/28/08. *LJ