2003 TOYOTA COROLLA Complaints

MY 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM TWICE. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA'S FIELD TECHNICAL SPECIALIST REFUSED TO BELIEVE THE CAR WOULD HAVE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF UNLESS I HAD PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. NO WAY!!!! THEY SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CAR TO HAVE PICKED UP SELF-ACCELERATION. THEY WERE UNABLE TO PINPOINT ANY PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! I WAS LUCKY NOBODY WAS HURT OR KILLED.

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THERE IS A DELAY BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL STOP. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. ON DECEMBER 2003 CONSUMER HAD A ACCIDENT BRAKE TOOK LONGER TO STOP. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER.*AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR KNOCKED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THIS OCCURRED EVERY TIME THE DRIVER PULLED THE VISOR DOWN OR PUSHED IT BACK UP. *LA THE CONSUMER LEARNED THAT THE ORIGINAL REAR VIEW MIRROR IS REMOVED AT THE PORT AND REPLACED WITH A LARGER AFTER MARKET MIRROR THAT HAS BUILT IN MAP LIGHTS. *NM

(1) ROTTEN-EGG SMELL FROM DAY 1 (PURCHASED 9/2002) W/ COOLING OR HEATING SYSTEM FUNCTION. DEALER TOLD ME TO SWITCH OCTANE AND DO NOT USE RECIRCULATION - NO IMPROVEMENT. (2) IN 11/2003, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON IN MIDDLE OF NIGHT, DRAINED BATTERY. DEALER SAID TSB HAD BEEN RELEASED - PART ORDERED & INSTALLED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. (3) IN 1/2004, LEAKING OIL FROM UNDER CAR, RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE - DEALER SAID RIGHT FRONT STRUT LEAKING & "COMPLETELY BLOWN." HAD TO BE REPLACED & CAR REQUIRED SUBSEQUENT ALIGNMENT. *JB

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA. IN COLD WEATHER AS THE ENGINE IS WARMING UP, THERE IS A VERY STRONG ROTTEN EGG SMELL WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE WINDOWS ARE ALL CLOSED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *JB

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE THAT EMITS A ROTTEN EGG SMELL WHEN THE ENGINE IS ON AND THE CAR IS IDLING. *AK

I BOUGHT A NEW 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA IN MAY 2002. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, WE NOTICED THAT ON OCCASION THE RPMS WOULD SURGE TO OVER 4,000 WHILE DRIVING ON UPGRADES, AND COASTING ON DOWNGRADES. IN NOVEMBER OF 2003, WE WERE DRIVING UP A SLIGHT GRADE GETTING ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN THE RPMS ONCE AGAIN SURGED TO OVER 4,000, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT EXCEED 60 MPH. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A FLUTTERING NOISE AND SMELLED HOT. WE PULLED OFF THE FREWAY AND LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN. IT WAS FINE AFTER THAT. WE TOOK THE CAR TO CHUCK PATTERSON TOYOTA IN CHICO, CA. THEY TOLD US THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR US. IN DECEMBER 2003, WE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE RPMS SURGE FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE DRIVING UP GRADES AND COASTING ON DOWN GRADES. WE TOOK THE CAR TO NORTHRIDGE TOYOTA, CA. THEY ALSO INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. IN JANUARY 2004, I TOOK THE CAR TO THOUSAND OAKS TOYOTA, CA. I TOOK A MECHANIC FOR A TEST DRIVE. WHEN WE COASTED DOWN A GRADE, THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN SURGED WITH THE RPMS EXCEEDING 4,000. THE MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS DROPPING OUT OF OVERDRIVE. MY FEELINGS OF EXCITEMENT THAT THE CAR WOULD FINALLY BE FIXED QUCIKLY TURNED TO DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN THE SERVICE MAMAGER INSISTED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE CAR. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT. EVERYONE IS VERY POLITE, BUT I AM GETTING THE RUN AROUND.*AK

MY NEW '03 TOYOTA COROLLA CE (17715 MILES AS OF 01/19/04) HAS SOME SERIOUS DEFECT THAT MAKES IT STALL. AT LEAST 5 TIMES, FROM OCTOBER 20, 2003 TO JANUARY 22, 2004, WE HAD TO BRING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. IT ALREADY HAD TO BE TOWED TWICE, AS IT WOULD SOMETIMES STOP IN TRAFFIC, PUTTING THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY IN DANGER. SO FAR, NONE OF THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP'S TECHNICIANS HAVE BEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS PERFORMED ON THIS CAR HAVE SHOWN UNUSUAL CODES UNFAMILIAR TO TOYOTA TECHNICIANS. ONE SUCH CODE, THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO INTERPRET, IS "P1780. THEY THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ECU SWITCH. THEY REPLACED IT IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS STOPPED TWICE. ON JANUARY 24, 2004, LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER IT WAS DELIVERED TO US FOLLOWING REPAIR FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS, IT STOPPED AGAIN, BECAME INOPERABLE, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AT EACH OCCURRENCE, THE ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT, AND IN SOME CASES THE "LOW ENGINE" PRESSURE LIGHT WOULD STAY ON PERMANENTLY, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME VERY HARD TO MANEUVER, AND THEN THE CAR WOULD COME TO A SUDDEN HALT. TO RESTART IT, IT WOULD TAKE TURNING THE IGNITION KEY ON SEVERAL TIMES. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT IT MAY SOMEDAY STOP SUDDENLY (AS IT USUALLY DOES) IN A BUSY INTERSECTION OR ON A HIGHWAY, THEREBY PUTTING AT RISK THE LIVES OF MY WHOLE FAMILY. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS SOME URGENT ATTENTION. *LA

INTERIOR NOISE, RIGHT FRONT DOOR AND DASHBOARD NOISE, RADIO/CD PANEL NOISE, SEVERAL PARTS WERE REPLACED AND REFIXED BUT NOISE IS NOT GONE YET. EVERYTIME I TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TELL ME THAT NOISE CAN'T BE DUPLICATED. AS A RESULT I USUALLY HAVE TO RIDE WITH SOMEONE FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO PROVE THAT NOISE IS THERE. IN MY OPINION SOME INTERIOR PARTS DO NOT FIT CAR'S STRUCTURE. AND SO MANY TIMES I TOOK TO DELERSHIP AND THEY SAID TI SI FIXED AND AFTER CERTAIN TIME IT WILL COME AGAIN.I EVEN TRIED TO GIVE MY CAR BACK AND THE ARBITRATOR SAID I HAVE LESS ATTEMPTS TO REPLACE. *AK

THIS MODEL IS A 2003 BOUGHT IN MARCH 2002. THERE A STRONG SMELL OF SULPHUR/ROTTEN EGG WHEN ENGINE COLD OR CAR CLIMBS A HILL. DURATION ABOUT 5 MINUTES. TOYOTA'S EXPLANATION: IT IS CAUSED BY THE SULPHUR IN GAS , PROBLEM WILL VANISH OVER TIME, NO REMEDY EXISTS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUILD AS PER SPECS AND STANDARDS. THE SMELL PERSISTS TODAY A YEAR AND A HALF LATER. ANY TECHNICAL REASONS YOU KNOW , ANYTHING THAT TOYOTA COULD DO AND IS NOT DOING ? THANKS