Looking to buy a 9th gen corolla S which year should I avoid that has the mostproblem

[rollallor]

Hi,

Im looking to buy a 9th gen corolla S 5 speed but I want to know from 1st hand experience which year to avoid that has the most problems?

I am hearing the 2005-2007 has ECM problems occuring around 35000 miles. The vehicle will just shut down with no warnings while driving.

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

[deja_vu1344]

Basically the 2008 is the last edition to the 9th genns and as a general rule of thumb, the latest edition for most cars is usually the most reliable because the major problems have been worked out.

I have an 05 LE Auto and my sister has an 08 LE Auto. Both drive similarly and look exactly the same. However i have noticed that the 08 has quicker and more responsive acceleration than my 05. Also the 08 engine compartment is less cluttered than the 05.

The 05 is still a great car, i have not had any major problems with it. I actually had the serpentine belt changed last weekend due to a load squeal, and the result is an absolutely silent car and a much happier driver.

[mikered30]

The 06s have the most problems with the ECU issue. Supposedly the 05+ have a new designed tensioner, but mine still leaked.

[rollallor]

so your saying the 03 and 04 models are the way to go??? 05+ ecu issue is that a one time fix or do they come back in the long run?

can i just ask the dealer to fix the ecu and they will lmk if its covered under warranty or do i need to wait when the problem happens?

i was looking at a 2006 s manual with 140000km car. guy changed the clutch already i dont know if u already changed the ecu? do i still need to worry about the ecu when its at 140000km?

thanks

thanks

[bford17]

my mom has been driving her 05 corolla ce auto without problems at all..just do all basic maintenance like oil change and stuff and the car will last..i also just recently replaced her serpentine belt cuz its starting to slip and make some noise...she bought it used with 30k miles and now it is at 80k miles and still running strong...

[sledneck96]

We replaced my the ECM in my wife's 06 corolla at 145000kms. It was not the problem, it was an O2 sensor. From what I've read on this forum, if your ECM hasn't gone by 35K miles or 60K kms, it probably won't go. Either way we have a perfectly good ECM sitting in the garage now.

[Sean 06 Corolla S]

I now have 50,000km on it and I haven't had a single problem with the car. All I do is regular maintainance, though I do use mobil 1 for my oil.

[UNCLEBEETS]

The 2003 manual tranmission is prone to failure, you may want to avoid it.

[rollallor]

hi,

whats the problem for the 2003 manual models?

[Slaander]

I owns 2008 Corolla S Manual, I love it so much compare to my old Kia Spectra GSX, I have no problem on the car yet, beside the windshield noise when driving on highway, but it has been fixed by reseal the windshield.

I put 14k clicks, so far over 15 months driving all I done is oil change, but yet i bought it brand new.


only things I want it on the 9th gen is heated mirrors, and flapable side mirrors, but over all still good car

[JasonA]

The ECM problem is a one-time fix, and is covered under Toyota's 8-year/100k-mile federal emissions warranty. I wouldn't consider that to be an issue. It's a known issue, and if it ever does happen to you, your dealer will fix it for free...and it'll never come back.

As I understand, the reliability of the 5-speed transaxles improved after 2004 or 2005. The 2005+ models have drive-by-wire, so no throttle cable or cruise control module under the hood. The engine compartment is very clean. Personally, I'd look for a 2005-2008 model. Mine has about 23k miles, with not a single repair.

[rollallor]

How do you know if the ECM is bad? This car im looking at has 160k kms and the owner said during cold starts the car revvs high and drops almost like a roller coaster. He said that it was normal on these cars.

Would that be an ECM issue and if so is that still covered under the federal warranty? Can I just visit the toyota dealership and fix it for free even if im not the original owner?

Also he hasnt changed the manual tranmission fluid since brand new. Is that good or bad? He told me that gearoil rarely need changing and it doesnt get as dirty as AT cars.

Please help thanks

[mcdawgg]

Originally Posted by rollallor

How do you know if the ECM is bad? This car im looking at has 160k kms and the owner said during cold starts the car revvs high and drops almost like a roller coaster. He said that it was normal on these cars.

Would that be an ECM issue and if so is that still covered under the federal warranty? Can I just visit the toyota dealership and fix it for free even if im not the original owner?

Also he hasnt changed the manual tranmission fluid since brand new. Is that good or bad? He told me that gearoil rarely need changing and it doesnt get as dirty as AT cars.

Please help thanks

If the car starts and runs fine, the ECM is ok. From your description, the idle speed is fine - high at cold start, then drops to normal when warm enough. The ECM is fine. The only problems I hear about the ECM is some have a bad ECM that causes the engine to turn off unexpectedly.

He is correct about the gear oil, it doesn't need to be changed as often as automatics, but it doesn't hurt to change.

[JasonA]

I prefer changing gear oil more often than in automatic transmissions. There are no filters in manual transmissions. Whatever gets in the oil stays in the oil. Mine was pretty dark at just 22k miles when I changed it.

[rollallor]

I dont know how it will look like at 160 000kms. Is it too late? if so will i have tranny problems or tranny rebuilt?

any comments...

thats my biggest concern on that car and he said the car on cold starts will high rev and drop and then high rev and drop it will do this several times and then it will stop. Normal or not?