1994 Toyota Corolla SRD 2.0 Liftback review from UK and Ireland

This has been a great car with only a few minor niggles. The main problem is finding a reliable and trustworthy Toyota dealership.

Vehicle services are not always done properly. One Toyota dealership told me I could not see the grease they put on the door hinges because it was 'invisible grease'. They also said they would not wipe the old (filthy dirty) grease off the door because the service requirement was to grease the hinges and it did not say they had to wipe the old grease (laden with filth) off before doing so. I shudder to think what else was ignored on the service record.

At another Toyota dealership, a short while after our car had a further poorly executed service, another disgruntled customer parked a large 4 x 4 outside with a sign reading 'I would not let (dealership name) service my lawn mower', with details of what was done wrong.

Additional spare keys for the driver's door were cut by a Toyota dealership, but so badly that the brass tumbler mechanism of the driver's door lock was damaged, soon making the lock difficult to use. It lasted a few years, but had to be replaced prematurely recently (December 2002).

On ordering a replacement lock barrel recently (December 2002), the relevant Toyota dealership parts department claimed the lock barrel was supplied with only one key. However, any lock barrel is always supplied with at least two keys. On collecting the barrel, the packaging was open and only one key was supplied. On checking with Toyota, the replacement barrel comes with two keys. As this happened only recently, I have raised this with Toyota GB because I am concerned that the other key might be sold with details of the address where the car is kept and the car stolen to break for parts.

Of the minor niggles, the driver's side electric window switch broke at 28,000 miles and was replaced by a Toyota dealership under warranty. They did not replace the relevant sections of dashboard properly. I took it back to have that done and they managed to break the dashboard light serving the heater controls. I did not return to get that fixed, being worried about what else they would break.

At around 30,000 the driver's side electric window motor mechanism developed a clunking noise when operating. This was dealt with by the dealership under warranty.

The driver's side window has also always been very slow to wind up, with the motor making a noticeable struggling noise. The human equivalent would be an unfit person going uphill. It has been a useful warning that the battery might need charging as it gets worse then. A recent clean and lubrication with WD40 has ameliorated the problem, but not banished it.

The car has always had a flat spot when depressing the accelerator. This can gives a slight jerk when pulling away or changing gear. The only Toyota dealership we have any confidence in attempted to deal with the problem under warranty, including replacing the clutch at about 30,000 miles, but with no luck. It was a credit to the dealership that they did try to fix it and that dealership is the only one we trust to touch the car. With a little practice my wife and I got used to it and can avoid the problem, but it was a little irritating because the car gives such a good ride and is generally of excellent design, quality and construction.

The carpet in the boot is held in place with plastic plug type fixings. When carrying a heavy load in the boot, the carpet will move and displace the fixings, but this is not a major problem.

When a front wing was slightly damaged by a careless driver, a Toyota dealership failed to secure the plastic wheel arch to the wing and body. Eventually the wheel arc can away on the motorway, which was dangerous and disconcerting. The dealership would not accept responsibility because the faulty work had not been noticed immediately. It cost a couple of hundred to get that fixed.

It can cruise the motorway comfortably at the legal limit, but with another 30 to 40 mph for those who can use it.

Inside the driving compartment is quiet. Even on the motorway at speed it is easy to hold a conversation with the rear passengers.

The suspension rivals the previous BMW 520 for comfort, with none of the annoying thumps other cars develop after a few years when going over bumps.

The 'liftback' is an extra foot long, with a tremendous amount of boot space.

I would love to get another Toyota car if it is like this one, but will probably buy a brand that has a proven reliable and honest service network (if such a thing exists in this day and age).