2003 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

SULFUR ODOR/CATALYTIC CONVERTER; ORIGINAL CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED BY TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN MARYLAND AT 69308 MILES COVERED BY WARRANTY ON 4/8/05. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON AGAIN ON 5/30/07, WENT OFF BY ITSELF ON 5/31/07. TOOK VEHICLE TO TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA ON 6/4/07 FOR SERVICE. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AGAIN AT 134939 MILES. ANNUAL INSPECTION AND EMISSIONS DUE BY OCTOBER 2007, AND REPAIR QUOTE FOR THE THIRD CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS OVER $1200.00. CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT COST OF THE REPAIR, BUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA TO NEED ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER. REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED ON VEHICLE, AND IT WAS USED MOSTLY FOR ERRANDS AND COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT HE NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND PERFORMED THE REPAIR, IN ADDITION TO A NEW OXYGEN SENSOR. THE LIGHT REMAINED OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS BEFORE IT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. TOYOTA PERFORMED AN EXPENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND NEW SENSOR. THE CONTACT HAS SPENT OVER $1,500 ON REPAIRS. INITIALLY, TOYOTA WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. PRESENTLY, DUE TO THE AFTERMARKET FAILURE, TOYOTA IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THEY ARE JUST MAKING AN EXCUSE TO NOT REPAIR HIS VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 147,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 21,000.

2003 TOYOTA COROLLA PURCHASED IN 2002 WAS TOLD TODAY I NEED A BRAND NEW ENGINE. MY CAR HAS 102,000 NOT OLD AT ALL WELL MAINTAINED GOT SERVICES WHEN NEEDED. NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY MY ENGINE HAS GONE BAD. I JUST WONDER HOW MANY OTHER ENGINES HAVE GONE BAD THIS SOON?? THE LAST TIME SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR IT ENDED UP BEING A RECALL A FEW MONTHS LATER HAD TO HAVE A REAR AXLE REPLACED. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ITS 105,000 MILE SERVICE. PART OF THE SERVICE WAS TO REPLACE THE OIL. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THE SERVICE AND THE CAR WAS OK. I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES. IT SAT FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND WHEN I LEFT I DROVE IT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND THEN THERE WAS A LOUD CLANKING AND BANGING FROM THE ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY I NEED A NEW ENGINE. THERE HAS BEEN NO OIL LEAK OR BLACK SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. I HAD AN OIL LEAK AROUND 96,000 MILES THAT I TOOK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED. ALTHOUGH I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FIX IT PROPERLY THE FIRST TIME. I FEEL THERE HAS BEEN SOME ERROR ON THEIR PART AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO GET INTO THE ENGINE AND SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND JUST WANT ME TO REPLACE THE ENGINE NO QUESTIONS ASKED. *TR

CAR BEGAN MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SMALL PLANE WITH LOTS OF VIBRATIONS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. THOUGHT IT WAS THE TIRES, BUT AFTER REPLACING THE TIRES, THE NOISE REMAINED. TOOK IT INTO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR HUBS NEEDED REPLACED. WAS TOLD THAT IF THE HUBS WERE NOT REPLACED THAT THE CAR WOULD LOSE CONTROL. SPENT OVER $1200 ON NEW REAR HUBS. *AK

UNDER IDEAL NIGHTTIME ROAD CONDITIONS (DRY ROAD AND CLEAR VISIBILITY), I SWERVED TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR. I MISSED HITTING THE OTHER CAR, BUT WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY LOCKED UP AND PUT THE CAR INTO A SKID FROM WHICH THERE WAS NO RECOVERING. THE CAR SPUN OUT AND CAME TO REST AFTER COLLIDING WITH THE CENTER DIVIDER TWICE. THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT HAVE LOCKED UP, AS THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS). IF THE ABS HAD WORKED PROPERLY, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND AVOIDED THE SPIN AND CONTACT WITH THE CENTER DIVIDER.

WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STARTED TO MAKE A RUMBLING AND RATTLING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I NOTIFIED TOYOTA CORPORATION AND THEY FLAT OUT REFUSED TO ASSIST ME OR OFFER ANY "GOOD FAITH" MEASURE OR ANY SERVICE WHATEVER TO ASSIST ME WITH THE DEFECT. THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY WAS LEAKING AND WAS NOT DETECTABLE WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICES AND INSPECTION. *JB

INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE PLATED WITH A CHROME METALLIC PLATING. METAL PLATING IS POORLY ATTACHED AND STARTS FLAKING OFF OF PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE. WHEN METAL PLATING STARTS PEELING OFF, IT IS VERY THIN AND SHARP. IT HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS FINGERS BEING CUT / SLICED OPEN. ONE HANDLE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, THE OTHER THREE HANDLES HAVE FLAKED AND PEELED AS WELL. IN ORDER TO "FIX" TWO OF THE HANDLES, I CUT AND SCRAPED ANY REMAINING METAL PLATING OFF OF THE HANDLES TO LEAVE ONLY THE IVORY COLORED PLASTIC HANDLE. THE THIRD HANDLE IS GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE METAL PLATING SOON. *JB

MY 03 TOYOTA COROLLA WHEEL CAPS (HUB CAPS) FLEW OFF. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. ONE FLEW OFF AT LOW SPEEDS AT MY SONS SCHOOL. IT ALMOST HIT A SCHOOL KID. HAVE BOUGHT 3 NEW CAPS AND IT'S RANDOM. IT LOOKS LIKE THE WHEELS CAPS DON'T LOCK DOWN TO WHEEL. *JB