1997 Toyota Corolla review from North America
"Reliable and nice vehicle to have if you do not have to impress anyone."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The only significant complaints are with the suspension. The replacements have been expensive, as identified below. But this might be a problem with driving in Dallas rather than the vehicle itself. Dallas has the worst roads of any place that I have driven.
Replaced rack-and-pinion at about 100,000 miles. This cost somewhere around $600.
Replaced struts and strut towers at 110,000 miles. The mechanic said they were the worst he's seen in a long time. This cost $1,100. I debated on just buying a new vehicle, but I figure the car will last another 100,000 miles.
Because of the suspension problems, I have had two or three alignments done.
Replaced rear seat belt when it was under warranty.
Replaced timing belt at about 60,000 miles out of precaution.
Car seems more susceptible to paint chips and rust than my other cars.
General comments?
Other than those problems identified above, the car is great. The engine, transmission and other systems seem to be in good shape.
I regularly replace the filters and do tune ups.
I have the 1.8 Liter engine and I think performance is fine.
Recommended reviews
| Wonderful small car -- super reliable |
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| Never owned a better car! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 30000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 110000 miles |
| Previous car | Buick LeSabre |
| Date of Entry | 9th November, 2004 |