160k '03 corolla CE

[Venkatesh]

Hi again folks; back to this forum after five years,

Just got a 160k mile 2003 Corolla CE (automatic); it seems to be running great, just got 42mpg on a long highway trip. Brakes are crisp, no oil leaking, mostly seems happy.

What sort of things should I look at, maintenance-wise? I have the full maintenance history available; anything to look at closely, for things that should've been done at points in the past? Anything I should look at replacing? What goes bad on these cars? Any fun DIY projects (i've seen the sticky; anything else?).

I've heard that the struts last ~60/80k miles; the suspensions seem okay (certainly better than my first car, 195k gen3 camry ), but I don't know what I'm missing perhaps. Should replacing the struts be high on my list?

The spark plugs are original; worth replacing?

Anyone have any experience with strut braces and sway bars in these cars?

Thanks,

[mikered30]

I would replace the PCV valve, give the VIN at the dealer when ordering and clean the MAF, throttle body. Inspect the air filter too, along with the cabin air filter, located behind the glove box. Some people don't know that the 9th gen has a cabin air filter, and never changed it.

Most common complaints with the 03's is the belt tensioner and belt, they can chatter an squeal quite badly, esp in the cold. A TSB was issued and a revised tensioner was issued. Look how often the oil was changed and the last time the ATF was drained. I recommend a drain and refill every 30K miles. If the plugs are original, they got their moneys worth. The plugs are iridium and are rated for 100K miles. Replace with NGK or Denso iridium plugs only.

Not sure if the CE has power windows, but there is a recall on the window bolts. I would only replace the struts if they fail the bounce test. If you are feeling ambitious, the power steering fluid is probably original and a little worn. Suck and refills are very easy to do, use Dextron ATF for Power steering fluid.