Faults:

- Starter.

- A/C relay.

- Plugs and wires at 80 thousand - could have went longer, but I was just bored and looking for something to do one day.

General Comments:

I bought the car (with 18,000 miles and 2 year old) for my daughter to go to college. Became my wife's car for a few years, and now my youngest daughter will take it to college in the fall of 2015. One day it will finally filter down to me. I'm using it as a test case to see just how many miles a properly maintained Corolla will run. I've used only synthetic oil, and have done the majority of the maintenance myself.

There is nothing spectacular about this car, other than it always starts and gets from point A to point B with little maintenance, and gets superb MPG doing so. It's not fast, showy or sexy, but it just keeps going. I'm a little surprised by the rust in front of the fender wells (we live in eastern Tennessee), but it has always been kept outside, uncovered since 2005. Nothing a little body work won't fix.

We've driven it to the Outer Banks numerous times and consistently delivered MPG in the high 30s at 70+ mph. Mostly driven around town, and I haven't checked it, but I imagine high 20s to low 30s MPG.

I've owned dozens of cars in my 54 years, and I can say without a doubt this has been the most reliable, trouble free car I have ever owned (to date). Boring yes, but very dependable.

Faults:

Engine rods bent and broken.

Ignition module.

Electrical wiring.

Transmission wouldn't shift into second gear at 80000.

Intake manifold cracked in the cold weather of 2009.

Driver's side mirror motor burnt out.

Driver's side passenger door window motor burnt out.

CD player doesn't work any longer.

Rear door latch passenger side broke.

Trunk will not close until three hard slams.

Plastic wheel wells fell off both sides.

Reoccurring braking problems.

The air conditioning doesn't work.

Other numerous things as well.

My engine light stays on.

All problems haven't been fixed yet.

General Comments:

The car handles well on roads with curves.

It's peppy at the green light. But I wouldn't say it's a sports car.

Noisy interior with little wind resistance.

Ugly boring car with no individuality.

More plastic than a water bottling company.

Faults:

Replaced left door manual window mechanism under warranty (about 3 months in).

Replaced serpentine belt under warranty (2 years in) was squealing in high humidity weather.

Replaced OEM battery after 5 years (normal).

Replaced front discs and pads at about 80000km (also normal).

Replaced ECU under warranty (TSB2754) (this year 2010), was causing well known (but not every car may exhibit this behavior) idle hunting condition in cold weather (Corolla and Matrix 2003-2004).

General Comments:

This is a car to go from point A to point B. Not a sports car, not a luxury car, just a reliable car.

It's got cabin rattles (especially in cold weather), a stiff suspension combined with uncomfortable seats makes for a bumpy ride. It also has decent power and great fuel mileage, but it's a boring ride.

My motor is surprisingly quiet at highway cruising speeds in fifth gear. It growls a bit to pass a car, but not an unpleasant noise. My father has a 2007 Yaris, and his 1.5L motor is very noisy at any speeds!

So far, it's been a dependable, economical means of transportation. With a very low maintenance cost!