The one issue I hate with these cars is the front end steering feels really sloppy due to the EPS design. When going down the highway the car never tracks straight. I've read on these forums that this is a very prevalent problem with these Corollas due to the EPS. I must say I REALLY HATE the way the Toyota engineers designed the steering on the 2010. My 2006 Corolla was 100x better in that regards.
Some roads are worse than others but it is felt during 50MPH+ highways speeds. At 70MPH, it is scary because the car feels like it keeps drifting back and forth, especially in moderate winds.
Can anything be done to this stupid EPS design? Is there a way the dealer can tune it differently? Everyone who drove my 2010 Corolla verifies the EPS problem.
Get the TSB done. I never noticed it much on my 09 S but improving the tires & going to a 225/45R17 tire was also a big improvement.
__________________ 89 Supercharged White MR2 5-speed / 09 Corolla S CSM 5-speed
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but according to the TSB, if the car is out of warranty Toyota WILL NOT fix it. My car is out of warranty due to mileage. That stinks that Toyota refuses to fix a known problem even though it is out of warranty due to mileage. I asked the dealer PRIOR to my 2010 going out of warranty if there was any recalls or TSB's, he said no, now it appears that there was a TSB that could have been fixed prior to my warranty expiring.
After the gas pedal recall and this stupid EPS problem, I am really getting sick of Toyota and might never buy another Toyota again in my life.
but according to the TSB, if the car is out of warranty Toyota WILL NOT fix it. My car is out of warranty due to mileage. That stinks that Toyota refuses to fix a known problem even though it is out of warranty due to mileage. I asked the dealer PRIOR to my 2010 going out of warranty if there was any recalls or TSB's, he said no, now it appears that there was a TSB that could have been fixed prior to my warranty expiring.
After the gas pedal recall and this stupid EPS problem, I am really getting sick of Toyota and might never buy another Toyota again in my life.
Wonder if anyone has this TSB done ?
If yes, does this fix the problem?
i understand your frustration. that doesn't sound fair....
but IMO i actually like the feel. feels more sensitive to the feedback of the road. not the same numbing feel of the many hydraulic systems im used to. but i can totally see why some would hate it.
as said by others, going with a wider wheel/tire combo reduces the drift.
__________________ 2011 - Super white S(MT)
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First, have you had the alignment checked? The right rear has a problem on many of these cars. Search the threads a bit and they average between -1.0 and -2.0 degrees out. That will correct some of the problems right there. MAKE SURE you have them print out the alignment sheet when you get the alignment done. If they cannot adjust the rear, tell them thank you and leave. There are shims that can be added to correct the problem.
Second, get the TSB taken care of.
The steering is not sloppy. It is actually just the opposite. It is very touchy and has no play whatsoever. On a normal car, you have about 1/4" of play in the wheel to make minute corrections when driving down the road. On the Corolla, any small change will actually make the car move.
Learn to live with it when you get the TSB and alignment fixed.
First, have you had the alignment checked? The right rear has a problem on many of these cars. Search the threads a bit and they average between -1.0 and -2.0 degrees out. That will correct some of the problems right there. MAKE SURE you have them print out the alignment sheet when you get the alignment done. If they cannot adjust the rear, tell them thank you and leave. There are shims that can be added to correct the problem.
Second, get the TSB taken care of.
The steering is not sloppy. It is actually just the opposite. It is very touchy and has no play whatsoever. On a normal car, you have about 1/4" of play in the wheel to make minute corrections when driving down the road. On the Corolla, any small change will actually make the car move.
Learn to live with it when you get the TSB and alignment fixed.
The only thing I would add to this is:
Third, make sure you have decent tires with the correct sizing. Tires can make a big difference to response and ride quality.
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Maximum: 5.082L/100km(46.287mpgUS)
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i understand your frustration. that doesn't sound fair....
but IMO i actually like the feel. feels more sensitive to the feedback of the road. not the same numbing feel of the many hydraulic systems im used to. but i can totally see why some would hate it.
as said by others, going with a wider wheel/tire combo reduces the drift.
I think that the feeling of the EPS is very different from the hydraulic-assisted power steering (HPS). The HPS has an in-born damping effect on the steering and would give a firm feeling to most of us. The EPS does not have the in-born damping. So most of us will find EPS less "firm" and this kind of feeling has been reported several time in car consumer reports when new cars are converted from HPS to EPS.
However HPS robs more power from the engine and EPS will be the future trench for cars in terms of green.
IMO. The EPS should be designed to have an better damping effect. This could be achieved in two ways:
1) using external damper like some motor cycles.
2) using an electric circuit with an high damping factor to control the motor of the EPS.
Besides better damping, the amount of power assistance should be optimally adaptive to the speed of the car.
I had the TSB done and it made about a 20% improvement. Still the car really is a PIA to drive at highway speeds. I've driven dozens of cars in my lifetime and this 2010 Corolla has by-far the worst steering out there.
Even the Toyota service manager said that they get TONS of complaints about the steering on these cars. He admitted that Toyota screwed up on the design.
For now I am stuck with this car and the bad steering design. I'm sorry but I will probably never buy another Toyota ever again. With all the recalls and issues these cars have, I am not a happy customer.
I personally never had a problem with mine o.O and it drove perfectly straight before and after my accident. I sometimes dont need to move at all b/c it goes so straight. I never had an alignment before the accident but now of course I do. All stock tires and everything with the lowering springs. I drove my friends 9th gen and it seems like mine for the most part, a little better but nothing than my moms 4runner...the best steering feel I've ever experienced
oh and the all new camry has EPS and dude its NICE! I could not tell the difference and I drove a 2011 Camry for my rental for about 2 months.
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Last edited by msncorolla422; 10-29-2011 at 04:10 AM.
To each their own, and maybe your car is worst than mine. My wife has never complained about driving my car on the highway at 60-80MPH for hours at a time, and I've never noticed a problem either. Her new vehicle also has EPS (not toyota) and feels about the same as my 09 corolla.
I agree. I drive on the highway all the time and this car is a nightmare compared to my RAV4..or any other car I've owned for that matter. You get within 1/8 mile of a semi-truck and it starts throwing you around. You constantly have to fight to keep it in your lane unless the road is perfect. I live in Ohio. There isn't a perfect road here.
I'm not saying I wouldn't buy another Corolla, but I will definitely check out the competition first. Way too many problems for a Toyota..even a cheap one.
I agree. I drive on the highway all the time and this car is a nightmare compared to my RAV4..or any other car I've owned for that matter. You get within 1/8 mile of a semi-truck and it starts throwing you around. You constantly have to fight to keep it in your lane unless the road is perfect. I live in Ohio. There isn't a perfect road here.
I'm not saying I wouldn't buy another Corolla, but I will definitely check out the competition first. Way too many problems for a Toyota..even a cheap one.
Well said.
The problem with the Corolla EPS is not even up to debate. It is 100% factual. Thousands of owners complained, even the NHTSA opened a case on it and found the steering issue exists but it did not qualify to fit the recall stage. Even Toyota Corporate admits there is an issue and released a TSB in an attempt to help band-aid the problem.
This problem is 100% factual, it is no anecdotal.
I also have a Mazda3 with EPS and it is 1,000x better than the Corolla EPS.
What to do? I did the TSB already but the problem is still there. The 2009-2010 Corolla EPS is an engineering flaw, Toyota screwed up. Trade-in value on these cars is atrocious because of the gas pedal recall and the other problems associated with it. KBB values it at $11k-$12k.
I guess I am stuck with this thing. Toyota is dead in my book. The Toyota of today is not the Toyota of yesteryear, they are worse. When it comes to buy again, I will find another manufacturer.
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