2010 Corolla: Safety & Reliability?

[beforewisdom]

Hi;

I test drove a 2010 Honda Civic and 2010 Corolla yesterday.

I was incredibly impressed by the Corolla. It drove better, felt more comfortable, looked better, cost less and came with more features.

However, like many people I have been spooked by the bad press Toyota has gotten over the last 2 months.

I've seen a few newspaper editorials stating that the number of failed Toyotas has been statistically insignificant .

Does anyone know where I can see reassuring statistics, directly, for myself ( independent of Toyota)?

Also, is there anyway I can verify that any Corolla I buy comes with the new acclerator pedal? Is there a particular name I can ask for and is it something I can see for myself?

Thanks in advance for any info.

I really fell in love with the Corolla.

[mmasse]

Welcome to TN. There are a ton of these posts in the toyota news section but I will summarize for you. In the 24 cases where driver age was reported or readily inferred, the drivers included those of the ages 60, 61, 63, 66, 68, 71, 72, 72, 77, 79, 83, 85, 89—and I’m leaving out the son whose age wasn’t identified, but whose 94-year-old father died as a passenger.

In that time I have not heard of a single instance of a corolla being SUA but there are a large number that have been reported after the whole Lexus incident. Now what does this mean? Could it be owners are trying to get out of payments, Perhaps. Could it be that they had their foot on the accelerator, maybe. What I can tell you is that I have total and complete confidence in my Corolla and I am not about to give in to the fear mongering that is our Government controlled media.

[beforewisdom]

Originally Posted by mmasse

Welcome to TN. There are a ton of these posts in the toyota news section but I will summarize for you. In the 24 cases where driver age was reported or readily inferred, the drivers included those of the ages 60, 61, 63, 66, 68, 71, 72, 72, 77, 79, 83, 85, 89—and I’m leaving out the son whose age wasn’t identified, but whose 94-year-old father died as a passenger.

So, you are saying in half the cases of reported accidents the drivers were elderly? Elderly meaning there was a higher chance the drivers were confused and made mistakes?
Can you tell me what search strings you used?

In that time I have not heard of a single instance of a corolla being SUA

What does SUA mean?

What I can tell you is that I have total and complete confidence in my Corolla and I am not about to give in to the fear mongering that is our Government controlled media.

On what do you base your confidence?

Toyota employs people in the US, why would the government want to hurt Toyota?

[Persian Scarface]

By law, Toyota can't sell you a car with a recall unless it has been fixed. The same question was brought upon when i bought my car last month. The dealer has to fix any know problems/recalls on their vehicles before they sell them. When I was at the dealership, they marked all the cars that have been fixed, and the ones that haven't been fixed. But I can assure you that the accelerator pedal will be replaced before you leave the lot, thats for sure.

Also, thats good that you already love the Corolla over the Civic. I was the complete opposite. I dreaded the fact that my parents were even considering getting me a Corolla. I was pretty unhappy when I got it because I was promised a G35 coupe. But over the past month of owning one, I really fell in love with it and I don't regret getting one at all.

Good luck with your purchase! Whether it be a Corolla or a Civic.

[mmasse]

Originally Posted by beforewisdom

So, you are saying in half the cases of reported accidents the drivers were elderly? Elderly meaning there was a higher chance the drivers were confused and made mistakes?
Can you tell me what search strings you used?

What does SUA mean?



On what do you base your confidence?

Toyota employs people in the US, why would the government want to hurt Toyota?

Question 1: Ted Frank: "I am not afraid of my Toyota Prius"
Question 2: SUA= Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Question 3: I base my confidence with 20 years of Toyota ownership. Plus the fact I have confidence in my driving abilities should the worst come to light; I will stop the car.
Question 4: You really need to go to the General Section and do some reading and form your own opinions. My beliefs are mine but I will give you a primer on what has happened. USA owns over 50% in what happens to Ford GM and Chevy. They were not even competitive when Toyota took over as number one seller in America. Now you have Congress having safety meeting on Toyota. Ask yourself why and do some digging.

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by beforewisdom

Hi;

I test drove a 2010 Honda Civic and 2010 Corolla yesterday.

I was incredibly impressed by the Corolla. It drove better, felt more comfortable, looked better, cost less and came with more features.

However, like many people I have been spooked by the bad press Toyota has gotten over the last 2 months.

I've seen a few newspaper editorials stating that the number of failed Toyotas has been statistically insignificant .

Does anyone know where I can see reassuring statistics, directly, for myself ( independent of Toyota)?

Also, is there anyway I can verify that any Corolla I buy comes with the new acclerator pedal? Is there a particular name I can ask for and is it something I can see for myself?

Thanks in advance for any info.

I really fell in love with the Corolla.

to TN.

I too drove both & I liked the Corolla more too. I've owned mostly Toyota's over the past 30 years with nearly no issues along with a few Hondas & other cars. I keep coming back to Toyota because they've always been wonderful cars.

I think that the media has done a huge injustice to Toyota owners when they report on SUA that has never been proven. Most of these SUA claims can be attributed to driver error, owner fraud trying to get out of payments with the bad economy & a few that were the fault of the floor mat recall that has been fixed although there was never a problem if you didn't stack more than one set of floor mats.

If you do some reading in the general section under news you can find a lot of information. There is also a lot of statistical information quoted & sourced.

All new Corollas made after 1/31/10 have the new pedal in them & any that were made before have the pedal recall shim fix done. I've had the shim fix on mine & I noticed no difference. I've also had absolutely no problems with my 09 Corolla S in the 12k miles I have on it & I would highly recommend it to any one looking for a great car that will provide years of reliable transportation.

I love my Corolla & this is the 4th Corolla that I've owned. I hope that you enjoy the Corolla as much as I do if you choose to buy it. And if you do this is a great place to enjoy your Corolla even more.

[beforewisdom]

Originally Posted by mmasse

USA owns over 50% in what happens to Ford GM and Chevy. They were not even competitive when Toyota took over as number one seller in America. Now you have Congress having safety meeting on Toyota. Ask yourself why and do some digging.

I don't disagree with you, but in car review articles before and after the start of 2010 Honda's were rated higher than many Corollas. If the government wanted to reduce competition for GM wouldn't they go after Honda instead?

Could it be that Toyota did have *some* problems that the government could exploit by having those problems over-reported?

Thanks for the useful information. I'm going to check out the general section.

[mmasse]

Toyota was still at the top of the pack as far as cars sold.

[sinnaever]

Originally Posted by beforewisdom

I don't disagree with you, but in car review articles before and after the start of 2010 Honda's were rated higher than many Corollas. If the government wanted to reduce competition for GM wouldn't they go after Honda instead?

Toyota's have always scored low when it comes to the "Car Reviews", especially when they are compared to other cars. Each journalist / car reviewer has their favorite car brand and write their reviews accordingly.

Most of these reviews are based on "How the cars perform on the track" when in all reality people aren't buying Corollas and Civics to drag race, but rather to commute to and from work in and get groceries. So a more realistic review would be to drive the car like it was designed for and look at the convenience features, and shoulder room, head room, leg room, seat comfort, trunk space, glove boxes, interior lighting, child seat anchor accessibility etc... and not base the review on how the car accelerates, or how the car does in hard cornering.

I chose the corolla over the civic, mazda 3, golf, jetta, lancer etc... because of the features in the car, and the styling. Oh, and the fact that the engine in the XRS is a tried tested and true engine that has proven to be reliable.

So my point is, don't base your decision on Car Review Articles written by guys who are sports car enthusiasts. They will give the Corolla low marks because it isn't as "Fun" as a Civic or Mazda 3. The corolla is a solid car that was designed for one purpose, get you from point A to B safely, and use as little gas as possible while making the ride comfortable.

just my two cents about Car Review Articles

[eskymi]

I have never driven a Honda, so I dont' know about that.

All I can say about the safety and reliability of a 2010 Corolla is this:

If I didn't think it was safe I would not let my 17 year old son drive it.

[beforewisdom]

Originally Posted by sinnaever

So my point is, don't base your decision on Car Review Articles written by guys who are sports car enthusiasts. They will give the Corolla low marks because it isn't as "Fun" as a Civic or Mazda 3. The corolla is a solid car that was designed for one purpose, get you from point A to B safely, and use as little gas as possible while making the ride comfortable.

just my two cents about Car Review Articles

I have to agree with you about that. I read performance reviews, took the test drive and found the Corolla to be better. I could see why the critics wrote what they wrote. I think you are right, they judge by different standards.

[beforewisdom]

Originally Posted by mmasse

Toyota was still at the top of the pack as far as cars sold.

That is a good point.

[beforewisdom]

People mentioned there is more information in the general section, but I am not interested in other Toyotas, just the 2010 Corolla S. I hope people don't mind that I continue this discussion in the Corolla section. I will read the other section as well.

I'll admit it. I'm a suspicious guy by my nature.

When I started saving for a new car a few years ago I started getting my mind set on a Corolla because of Toyota's reputation. But a reputation is history. Just because they did a good job in the past doesn't mean they have not slipped and cranked out a bad batch. Toyota has admitted to cutting corners on cost.

I am more nervous not just with the SUA issue, but now there are reports about problems steering and engines stalling.

One issue was bad enough for my worry wart mind. Several???

Still, I like to look at facts, not my emotions or other people's emotions.

I would like to find reliability stats comparing late generation Corollas to other cars.

[mmasse]

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/corolla/2010/index.html

Edmunds is a pretty good place to start

[FlawedLegacy]

I have owned 4 Corollas now.. 89, 93, 00 and now 09

After the accident that totaled my 00, I already knew my next car would be a Corolla. 110% trust in them. Good choice if you ask me!