1987 Toyota Corolla LE US VERSION 4 Cylinder,cruise control from North America

Summary:

Truly a Five Star Vehicle!

Faults:

Muffler Replaced 2 times, engine pump replaced, back door bottom siding partly peeled off.

General Comments:

This is the best car ever!It is very reliable and has fixed itself many times. That makes it cheap in maintenance. The biggest problem was with the muffler. I took it to a shop once and they had installed a new muffler after 9 years. The muffler was replaced before a long car trip to Oregon State. During the trip the muffler started falling apart and we had to buy muffler tape replacing it often down the road. After we finally returned home I decided to buy a muffler and install it myself. That was the best decision, the muffler hasn't had any problems at all for 6 years. The Toyota dealer service isn't too good. They aren't too willing to help transport old parts and everything is overpriced. When a part is needed I usually go to a car junk yard and get it my self for a dollar or two. This car is also comfortable. It is good for people of all heights exept the back seats are a little cramped. Overall this is a Five Star Vehicle!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2005

1987 Toyota Corolla LE 1.6, 4 cylinder carbureted from North America

Summary:

Great If Not For Constant Electrical Problems

Faults:

Catalytic converter stopped up.

Starter went out.

Alternator went out 4 (!) times.

2 new batteries gone bad.

All this has happened in 7 months time.

General Comments:

I like the looks of this car, no rust and the interior is like new. No cheap materials.

It has adequate power for such a small engine. Cheap on gas, a real plus considering how high gas is now.

But the electrical problem makes this car unreliable. When I first got the car, the brake light stayed on all the time, though the brakes were fine. The alternator went out. It had been replaced 3 times. I got to checking and turns out the ones I got to install my alternators did it wrong. They were not wired up correctly. After I had wired it up right both the brake and charge lights on the instrument panel went out.

The new battery was damaged so I got another one.

Well, I thought I had the problem solved. It ran fine for a week and 300 miles. Til one day, not expecting it, I tried to start it. It turned over slow.

I had the battery and alternator tested.

They were both bad. A new battery gone in a week! All the fuses were OK. Perhaps my alternator was going bad when I put in the new battery... I don't know. I got a new alternator, but not a battery yet. I don't know if the problem will ever be solved.

Of course, I won't complain. The car is 18 years old and has high mileage. So I expected problems. Also I bought it dirt cheap. It would be great if not for the electrical problems. Burns no oil and runs good.

But it is not the car's fault those "grease monkeys" did not install my alternator correctly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th September, 2005

21st Jan 2006, 13:00

On my car, it was very reliable until 140000 miles, and then several parts needed replacing all at once, but they were all "commonly replaced" parts.

Most of the complaints owners have against these cars, are for parts that should be expected to break and be replaced.

Catalytic converters, Batteries, Brakes, light bulbs, etc. should not be cause for a posted review for any car ever. Even rust, should be the owner's responsibility to check and prevent, according to the year of manufacture. An older car cannot be compared to modern cars, because in 1987 even the best companies did not have great rust-prevention techniques.

The important parts, the motor and transmission, are ridiculously durable. When buying mine, I saw an example that had been driven without any oil whatsoever, and was only complaining very mildly. I scolded the owner, put in several quarts of oil, and said "no thanks".

The 4AGE is the best small motor ever made.

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