2003 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING, CHATTER TYPE NOISE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED. IN LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION I FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. MANY HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED ONLY TO HAVE THE ISSUE RESURFACE WITH THE NEW/REFURBISHED TRANSMISSION. THIS WOULD SEEM LIKE A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND COULD BE VERY PROBLEMATIC IF THE CAR WILL NO LONGER SHIFT INTO GEAR, AS SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE NOTED. *TR

VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING OR CHATTER TYPE NOISE WHEN IN ANY GEAR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PRIVATE MECHANIC AND FOUND THE ISSUE TO BE THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FOUND A SITE WHERE MANY OTHER 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA OWNERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. ALL HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED. THIS DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE ISSUE AS THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS SEEM TO BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW COULD NOT BE CLOSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD LOUD NOISE. PULL INTO A GAS STATION AND CALLED HUSBAND. WHEN HE GOT TO ME HE TRIED TO PUT CAR IN REVERSE AND IT JUST MADE A GRINDING NOISE. IT WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. NOW JUST 3 YEARS LATER JUNE 4, 2012 I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD SAME NOISE. I GOT HOME TURNED OFF CAR AND WHEN TRIED TO PUT CAR IN REVERSE IT JUST MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND WOULDN'T MOVE. *JS

WHEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITH NO WARNING. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT; THE CAR HAD BEEN COMPLETELY STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BEFORE THIS EVENT. NO INJURY WAS SUSTAINED. A CERTIFIED TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE AIRBAG SENSORS AND A SHORT IN THE PRE-TENSIONER ASSEMBLIES. ALERTED TOYOTA MANUFACTURING OF THE ISSUE....UPDATED 06/18/12 *BF *TR UPDATED IVOQ 06/21/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I MANAGED TO PUT THE CAR IN FIRST GEAR AND MAKE IT BACK HOME EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING THIS LOUD GRINDING NOISE. I BROUGHT THE CAR FOR REPAIR AND THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. JUST 6 WEEKS AGO I HAD THE CLUTCH REPLACED. AFTER INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA S. THE CONTACT WAS IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 153,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD WHINE AND LOSS OF POWER. SINCE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD UNTIL I GOT TO A SERVICE STATION. THERE, I CHECKED ALL FLUIDS, WHICH WERE FINE; I THEN CONTINUED ON MY WAY TO AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN EYE SPECIALIST I HAD, AND AT THAT TIME I NOTICED THE CLUTCH WAS DIFFICULT TO USE. ONCE I HAD THE APPOINTMENT WITH THE SPECIALIST, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST AUTO TRANSMISSION SERVICE CENTER, WHERE I HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION, CLUTCH, AND AXLE PUT ON MY CAR FOR OVER $4,000 BECAUSE THEY SAID "NO ONE REBUILDS TOYOTA TRANSMISSIONS". I AM A 60-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO ALWAYS TAKES THE CAR FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGES, AND HAD A PRE-TRIP CAR CHECK JUST 6 WEEKS BEFORE THAT BY A VERY RELIABLE, HONEST MECHANIC. I STAY CLOSE TO HOME, AND ONLY TOOK THIS TRIP BECAUSE I HAD TO SEE AN EYE SPECIALIST. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 106,000 MILES ON IT!

2003 COROLLA S & MANUAL TRANSMISSION WITH UNDER 90K MILES. DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IN THIRD GEAR. CAR BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY 3 LANE STREET NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. IT WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT COULDN'T GET IT TO DRIVE. ALMOST FELT AS IF SOMETHING WAS HOLDING IT BACK OR STUCK UNDER THE CAR. HAD TO MANUALLY MOVE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED YET, BUT ALL INDICATIONS POINT TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THEME WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE & MODEL. *TR