The valve of the left rear tire was discovered at approximately 15000 miles to be defective, causing two flats. The tire had to be replaced.
At approximately 25000 miles, the engine's belt tensioner broke causing damage to the belt and the battery. All three parts were still under warranty and replaced by the dealer.
One concern exists with a one time incident of ice expulsion from the air vents with the air conditioning on while at the same time having reduced air flow. I never reported the problem as it happened only once. The unit had obviously "frozen up".
The 2003 Toyota Corolla CE is a very good value for the money. I found through my own research that it had more standard equipment than a Honda Civic. The CE came equipped with power mirrors, air conditioning, auto transmission, tilt steering and a four speaker AM/FM stereo radio with a CD player, all standard.
Gas mileage is very impressive. I get approximately 28 miles per gallon in mixed driving. However, acceleration is merely adequate.
Rattling noises from the speedometer console, passenger side seat belt and driver side window are present sometimes. However, road and wind noise are very well muted, making the ride impressively quiet for an economy car.
The seats are firm and supportive.
Interior room is very large for a car of this class, as is the trunk room. It can seat four passengers very comfortably.
The one exception to the comfort level is the steering wheel. It seems to be too far away. The steering wheel has no telescoping adjustment and the driver's seat has no height adjustment.
I have a 2003 corolla CE and it does NOT come standard with power windows.
Pro: Low maintenance, good gas mileage.
Con: The standard windows are annoying. The clock no longer lights. The top tray door is broken. Replacement tires are much better than OEM.
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