1999 Toyota Corolla VE review from North America
"The Corolla is a excellent all-around car that deserves a chance"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My handbrake came really loose (maybe from the dealer pulling up on the handbrake too hard?...). I haven't really touched it, but I have been using the automatic catch to tighten it. I guess I could open it up and tighten it manually, but it hasn't been horrible.
Dash rattled after about 1,000 miles. I took it to the dealership, but they weren't very helpful. I ended up taking the dash apart myself. The noise came from some tape wrapped around some wires sticking and unsticking to the inside of the dash. As the car is getting older, there are little rattles here and there on the side and in the dash. I haven't bothered trying to fix them.
The radio light went out around 30,000 miles, and after a couple months came back on and I haven't had any problems with it since.
At around 45,000 miles the brakes began to shudder under really hard braking. I really think this was my fault since there was a time when I used to push the brakes really hard down mountain passes. I think I may have slightly warped my brake rotors from the heat.
At around 50,000 miles I thought my gas mileage was dropping dramatically. I used to average 39-40 mpg (miles per gallon) give or take a couple miles, and then it went to 30 mpg. Anyway, make sure your tires are properly inflated... I got lazy and neglected to check them for a while.
General comments?
The car isn't the greatest handling car, but when pushed, it sticks enough. It's an economy car, not a sports car. There is body roll, but the car is very predictable as it slides.
The car is geared very appropriately for everyday driving and can be pushed. The shifter/clutch is very smooth and shifts very cleanly in between gears. It has one of the best shifters I have ever driven (compares to a lot of the luxury manuals I have driven). A lot of cars, Civics in particular, are geared inefficiently in my opinion, and have a "chunky" feel when shifting (might have something to do with the longer throw (distance) in between the different gears).
The car isn't the roomiest in the rear. The folks up front will be happy, but I can't say that for everyone in the back on a long roadtrip.
Random points: Car gets good gas mileage, has a decent ride, and is quiet.
Recommended reviews
  | 1999 - Corolla LE 1.8 4 Cylinder Reliable and comfortable car, but it has bland performance |
| A poorly made unreliable car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 3 miles |
| Most recent distance | 54000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Corolla |
| Date of Entry | 15th January, 2003 |