2003 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

THE C-59 FIVE SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2003 COROLLA MODEL YEAR, BOTH COROLLA AND MATRIX, ARE KNOWN TO BE PRONE TO EARLY BEARING FAILURE, DUE APPARENTLY TO A FAULTY BATCH OF BEARINGS. I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY WHEN I FIRST HEARD BEARING NOISE FROM MY TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT CONFIRMED THE NOISE WAS FROM ONE OR MORE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND OFFERED ME A CHOICE OF REPLACING JUST THE BEARINGS, A FULL TRANSMISSION REBUILD, OR A NEW TRANSMISSION. SHOULD THE BEARING HAVE FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY AND BLOWN UP MY TRANSMISSION, I COULD EASILY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN A NASTY ACCIDENT. TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO A RECALL, BUT THERE ARE DOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF THIS EXACT SCENARIO SCATTERED ONLINE. THE EARLIEST SYMPTOMS ARE A GRINDING OR WHIRRING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION (OR MORE GENERALLY, FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT). IF THE FAULTY BEARINGS ARE NOT REPLACED, THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GRENADE (SHATTER AND ACT AS SHRAPNEL, DESTROYING YOUR TRANSMISSION) AND YOU'LL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA DEALERS FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE, SAVE A SINGLE OIL CHANGE WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP. THERE IS NO REASON A MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL THIS EARLY IN ITS LIFE. I'VE NEVER RACED IT OR ABUSED IT ANY WAY. *TR

LEAVING A STOP LIGHT ON A HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WITH NO COLLISION, BUMPS, OR ROAD CONSTRUCTION. *JB

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE. CAR ENGINE RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. I CANNOT DRIVE CAR BECAUSE I CANT PASS SMOG EITHER (DUE TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). I HAVE FILED TWO FORMAL COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANUFACTURING. DEFECT. I AM EXPECTED TO PAY OVER $2000 TO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE. (EXCERPT FROM ONE COMPLAINT I FILED) THERE WAS A RECALL ON MATRIX AND COROLLA: TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR 2005 TO 2008 MODEL YEAR COROLLA'S AND MATRIXES, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE. THE RECALL NOTICES STATES THAT AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CAN DEVELOP A CRACK IN ITS CIRCUITRY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, HARSH SHIFTING, AND STALLING AND/OR FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START. I HAVE A 2003 MATRIX XRS WITH A 2ZZ-GE ENGINE WITH A CONTINUOUS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, HARSH SHIFTING, STALLING AND RANDOM FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS DONE ON THE VEHICLE TO PASS SMOG INSPECTION OVER THE PAST 5 OR 6 YEAR AND HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE LIGHT STAYS OFF JUST LONG ENOUGH TO PASS THE SMOG TEST AND IS THEN RETURNED TO ME WITH THE LIGHT STILL ON. I HAVE PAID A TOYOTA DEALER $95 TO RUN DIAGNOSTIC ALSO. THEY SAID THE ECM IS CORRUPT AND CAN'T BE FLASHED AND THE CAT HAS TO BE REPLACED FOR OVER 2K! I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION FROM YOU'RE QUALITY DEPARTMENT AS TO WHY TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE THE ECM BEING REPLACED ON THE ENGINES STATED IN YOUR RECALL NOTICE AND NOT ON MY TYPE OF ENGINE. WHICH HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DETAILED IN THE RECALL LISTED ON YOUR SITE. TOYOTA STATED AFTER BOTH COMPLAINTS THAT THEY CANNOT HELP ME OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I MUST PAY FOR SOLUTION MYSELF. DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE IN A CRASH BEFORE THIS IS ADDRESSED? *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPENING THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW, THE CONTACT NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE EMERGING FROM THE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V133000 (AIR BAGS) AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

I RECEIVED A RECALL ON MY AIRBAGS A FEW MONTHS BACK. I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP LAST WEEK AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE TWO PARTS RECALLED. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THOSE BUT THEN TOLD ME THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT WILL STAY ON BECAUSE I ALSO NEED A NEW SPIRAL CORD WHICH IS NOT RECALLED. THEY WANTED $500.00 BUCKS! AFTER READING MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME THING, I AM OUTRAGED THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT OVER THIS ISSUE. THE AIRBAG EITHER WON'T GO OFF WHEN NEEDED, OR IT CAN DEPLOY AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY CAR KNOWING THAT IT COULD GO OFF AT ANY MOMENT. I FEEL LIKE ITS A TICKING TIME BOMB. I HAVE ALWAYS RAVED ABOUT TOYOTA AND WHAT GREAT CARS THEY HAVE AND THAT I WOULD NEVER DRIVE ANYTHING ELSE. AFTER CALLING THE CUSTOMER CARE LINE, I SOON REALIZED THAT THEY DON'T CARE AT ALL. THE REP WAS RUDE, AND BASICALLY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN HURT PEOPLE! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN..AND I HAVE INFORMED MY FAMILY THAT IF I DIE IN AN ACCIDENT FROM THIS ISSUE, THAT THEY GO FULL FORCE AFTER TOYOTA. THEY DON'T CARE FOR THE OWNERS WELL BEING. I AM NOT THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS AND WON'T BE THE LAST. LETS PRAY NOTHING HAPPENS TO ME OR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

AT JUST OVER 91000 MILES MY VERY WELL MAINTAINED 2003 COROLLA WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAD A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WHILE ACCELERATING THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A "THUD" AND COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ON ME. I ENDED UP STUCK ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH MY TWO YOUNG BOYS IN THE BACK SEAT. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED OCCURRENCE WITH THIS SPECIFIC YEAR AND MODEL OF TOYOTA COROLLA. ULTIMATELY I WILL BE PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION IN FROM A DIFFERENT MODEL OF TOYOTA AND TRADING THE CAR IN WITH THE HOPE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN TO THE NEXT OWNER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 3V133000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER THE REMEDY PART REMAINED UNAVAILABLE. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,641.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V133000 (AIR BAGS), HOWEVER THE PART NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE SERVICE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DATE FOR THE REMEDY PART TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCE A FAILURE.

I HAVE MY TOYOTA MATRIX ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS. HAD 4 OR 5 TIMES RECALL ON THE DIFFERENT PARTS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE ANY MORE WITH THIS CAR. HOW SHOULD I TRUST FOR ANOTHER PARTS ARE OK. I HAVE A KID WITH ME WHEN I'M DRIVING. THEY SHOULD GET THE CAR BACK AND PAY FOR IT. I WORKED SO HARD TO PAY FOR THIS CAR. SHAME ON TOYOTA. *TR