1998 Toyota Corolla VE from North America - Comments

Well, after the first few months, the blower fan went out. I took it to the dealership (Powers Toyota) in Oklahoma City and they pulled some BS about trash getting caught up in the A/C. They gave me a choice of either having them open it up and looking for trash and if it was there I'll have to pay for the problem, if not they will. Hesitant about this shady deal, I went down to Norman, OK to Fowler Toyota to have them look at it, and at last it was fixed and I was happy. The same problem happened recently, but 120,000 miles later. The blower fans of these vehicles are inferior, but it was only $150 the second time around (out of warranty) so no biggie. I noticed the new blower fan installed was of quality. I've had a secondary fan to the radiator went out at some time in the past that I never realized until recently, that I am hoping is the cause of my car overheating in summertime when the A/C is turned on. The interior features of this car are very cheaply made. The factory radio is just OK, nice sound and speakers, but the buttons you use on it break easily. The radio was replaced for the button problem while on warranty, but now it has done the same thing. I plan to get a mp3 player put in anyway. So, if you get a new corolla try to get it without the their overpriced cheap stereos and go buy your own if possible. The display lights for the automatic shifter went out every now and then after the first year, then stopped. The overhead light is cheap and broke, but I managed to glue the problem plastic pieces back in place on several occasions. I've had to replace the driver-side door opening latch (only$20), the cup holder $60 (very cheaply made, just a spring and some grease rubbing against some plastic backing) sticks a lot. The interior latch to pop the hood and gas are losing integrity (140,000 miles later though!) The pieces that hold the lighter in place are very cheap too. the housing behind it has broken. Power steering hose started leaking at 130,000. An oxygen sensor went out at about 100,000 (there are two and they can cost you up to $120-200 dollars a piece.) Fronts struts quit at 100,000, rear at 130,000. If you get a check engine light take it to someone besides a dealer they are clueless and charge a lot. Most of this is normal wear and tear, and so are the rest of the problems I have had, i.e. battery, tires, the belt, spark plugs, brake pads, ruffer sounding engine. I think my car could go another 50,000 minimum, I will see and maybe get back to you. Btw, this car was driven at very harsh pizza delivering conditions, and still is in great shape.

The front is a little too low to the ground, you run into a lot of curbs in a parking lot with them. The front part of my bottom bumper now has a thin straight vertical crack.

P.S.

Parts I've had to replace go for about twice to maybe 3 times as much as American parts.

If you want to buy an Oxygen sensor for a Toyota, whoa do it online or something!

This is a car that represents the best of cars today for its price. I don't know why there must be so much plastic, but I think the $13,000 I paid for it plus interest was well worth it, because hardly anything under the hood has been replaced yet, out of normal wear and tear. The transmission is doing good, the engine, the muffler is good, the paint job on this car (sandrift, a silver-brownish metallic) still looks like new and when the paint gets chipped no rust forms around the chips.

I agree with some points. I have a 1998 Toyota Corolla VE, and I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Today (July 2, 2005) we have 93,500 km on it, and the shocks are already bad. Winnipeg is notorious for its streets full of potholes, but this cars shocks are simply weak! As for acceleration, I like to drive all my vehicles smoothly, this car if I accelerate how most people do, it makes a brrr sound... because the engine is giving it all of its power. WEAK!. I hate weak cars like this. I sure aint buying no 4cylinder when I'm older. V6 Baby! I hear the Olds Alero with a V6 is power, because it has a almost corolla size body and a big engine inside. Time for a test drive.