1994 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

MY 94 COROLLA SEEMS TO HAVE A POWER FAILURE PROBLEM WHEN A WATER PUDDLE IS RUN THROUGH. MY STEERING WHEEL LOSES POWER AND MY BRAKES RESPOND VERY WEAK. THIS EFFECT LASTS AROUND 4 MIN. ANY IDEAS? *TR

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK ON MY CAR TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THE TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED THE ORIGINAL GAS TANK. THE NEW REPLACEMENT TOYOTA GAS TANK DEVELOPED CRACKS ABOVE THE EXHAUST PIPE WITHIN THREE YEARS FROM THE DATE THAT IT WAS REPLACED. THESE CRACKS WERE NOT CAUSES BY EXTERNAL WEAR, ABRASIONS OR DEBRIS, BUT RATHER APPEARED AS A FISSURE IN THE METAL OF THE TANK. IN BOTH CASES, DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE LEAKS ABOVE THE EXHAUST PIPE, GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE SHIELD, WHICH IS VERY HOT AND RISKS FIRE. DESPITE THE DEFECTIVE PART, THE TOYOTA DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE IT WITHOUT CHARGING ME FOR THE FULL COST OF A 3RD GAS TANK PLUS LABOR. *TR

FOUR NEW MICHELIN TIRES WERE PURCHASED FROM BJ'S WAREHOUSE CLUB ON 08/09/07 AND WERE MOUNTED ON A 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE INSTALLATION INCLUDED NEW VALVE STEMS AND BALANCING. ON 09/25/08 ONE OF THE VALVE STEMS FAILED CAUSING THE TIRE TO LOSE PRESSURE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED TO STOP, BUT THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER WAS PLACED IN JEOPARDY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE NEAREST BJ'S TIRE CENTER AFTER A SPACE SAVER SPARE WAS INSTALLED. THE BJ'S TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE TIRE AND COMMENTED THAT THE STEM HAD FAILED RESULTING IN DESTRUCTION OF THE TIRE. ALL FOUR OF THE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 13,000 MILES ON THEM AND ABOUT 13 MONTHS OF TIME. THE TECHNICIAN COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS VERY UNUSUAL. A REPLACEMENT TIRE WAS NOT IN STOCK AND WAS ORDERED. ANOTHER FULL SIZE TIRE HAD TO BE PURCHASED FROM ANOTHER TIRE DEALER (PEP BOYS) TO TEMPORARILY REPAIR THE VEHICLE, SINCE THE SPACE SAVER SPARE CANNOT BE USED AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 60 MILES FROM MY HOME WHILE COMMUTING. INVESTIGATION OF TIRE STEMS SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT DEFECTIVE STEMS WERE SOLD BY DILL IN 2006 AND 2007 TO SOME DEALERS. MY CONCERN IS THAT HOW DO I KNOW IF THE THREE REMAINING TIRE STEMS ARE NOT DEFECTIVE? SHOULD THIS BE A RECALL BY BJ'S? *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED, A SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS PRESENT AROUND THE VEHICLE. UPON SELF INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE GAS TANK LOCATED ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WAS LEAKING FUEL. THIS WAS THE 2ND TIME, FUEL HAD LEAKED FROM THE GAS TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP IN 10/05 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE VEHICLE A FEW HUNDRED FEET IN FRONT ME AND I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE. AT THE TIME, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I WENT THROUGH MANY BULBS WHICH KEPT BLOWING OUT. I REALIZED THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE HEADLIGHTS. INSIDE THE LENS IT IS BROWN THEREFORE DIMMING THE HEADLIGHT. *NM

3 INTERIOR AND 1 EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES HAVE BROKEN. FRONT PASSENGER INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE IS BROKEN AND HAS CAUSED YOU TO NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN DOOR FROM INSIDE. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE INTERIOR HANDLE IS BROKEN AND EXTERIOR HANDLE IS COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF SO YOU CANNOT OPEN DOOR FROM OUTSIDE.

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE EXAMINED DOZENS OF WHITE 1994 COROLLAS IDENTICAL TO MINE: THEY ALL HAVE MAJOR PAINT DEFECTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THEIR FRONT HOODS. I AM A PHYSICIST. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. (MY COROLLA WAS MADE IN CANADA.) IT AFFECTS ALL CARS MADE IN THE SAME YEAR AT THE SAME PLANT. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT AS THEIR FAULT. THE FAULT DOES NOT SHOW UP UNTIL _AFTER_ WARRANTIES HAVE RUN OUT - SO I CANNOT BE REPORTED UNDER THE WARRANTY. *AK

AFTER BUYING 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA IN 2003 FROM A USED CAR DEALER THE SEAT BELTS APPEARED TO BE LOOSE. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT NO LONGER RETRACTS BACK INTO THE HOLDER. SMALL PASSENGERS ARE NOT PROTECTED AS THE SEATBELT WILL NOT HOLD THEM TIGHT. THE DRIVERS SIDE BELT IS DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT, AND IS BEGINNING TO NOT RETRACT AS WELL. WHAT CAN I DO? THE DEALER WANTS $140.00 FOR EACH REPLACEMENT BELT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. DRIVER RECEIVED ABRASIONS TO THE FACE AND CHEST AREA, AND HAD DIFFICULTY BREATHING. THE NEXT DAY, PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS NOT OCCUPIED AT THE TIME OF DEPLOYMENT. *AK

THE GAS TANK DEVELOPED CRACK/LEAK DIRECTLY OVER THE EXHAUST HEATSHIELD. THE LEAK IS IN A LOCATION TOTALLY PROTECTED FROM ANY ROAD DEBRIS IMPACT, THERE ARE ALSO NO SIGNS OF TRAUMA. THE LEAK WAS LOCATED AFTER SMELLING RAW FUEL, SEEING A DROP ON THE REAR EXHAUST HEATSHIELD THEN REMOVING THAT HEATSHIELD. ONLY THEN WAS THE LEAK LOCATION VISIBLE.*AK