1998 Toyota Corolla CE from North America - Comments

Bearings in tensioner pulley went; it is a known problem to Toyota, they would only cover it as a warranty issue. A new pulley assembly costs between 3 to 4 hundred bucks (managed to get aftermarket pulley for 20).

Front wheel bearings failed; I'm lucky that I can do my own mechanicals.

This was a low mileage old lady car; bought it due to reviews saying Toyota is the best; that's crap.

The engine is long to crank, due to poor quality injector seals, and the engine has a lot of vibration, not smooth at all, good power, noisy, (I use full synthetic and change every 5000k).

Fortunately I'm not real tall, as my 6ft. brother can't fit comfortably. The armrests are useless, the rear fold down seats only go down to 45 degrees, which totally defeats the purpose and makes this car useless to me.

Any crosswinds and this thing is all over the road; had all new rims, tires, bearings installed and a four wheel alignment, didn't help a bit.

Doesn't like the snow too much either compared to any of my previous vehicles (with same tires).

Average of 40 miles/gallon hwy. handling is average.

I'm not overly impressed by this car and can't say I'd buy another Toyota; it'll be for sale when the snows gone.

A 9 year old car with that kind of mileage on it, and judging from being owned by a little old lady, it's sat for ages and only done short trips.

For handling, look at the bushings as they're probably perished by now. A new set of sway bar bushes will do a world of good.

Vibration is a sign that the engine mounts have perished; once again normal for about a decade of use. If the vibration is when driving, look for drivetrain problems.

I would recommend an oil change every 3000m. Also, this car has been built for years, maybe you got not good one?

Also, as you know, people sometimes even do not know that they need to change oil... No oil change on time - seals are getting lose and some times... you know. A friend of mine was riding her car until it eventually stopped. "I did not know that oil must be changed" she said after ~1-2 years of riding it XD.