Purchasing a Certified 2011 Corolla LE

[smc733]

Hi everyone,

After hearing about some issues with the 2007-2009 Camrys, I've landed myself a good deal on a 2011 Certified Corolla with a clean Carfax and only 10k miles.

I have some questions about maintaining this car, since it is practically new, my goal is to keep it as nice as possible and lasting me as long as possible.

For oil and filter, should I stick with the Toyota branded, or should I go Mobil 1 synthetic. If I do go mobil 1, I would still retain my 5k OCI.

Air filter would be changed every 15k, coolant and ATF at 30k. (Toyota branded for these).

I do mostly highway driving, around 100-250 miles per week. I was going to try to keep top tier gas in there (Shell then Mobil in this area), but some long trips I make from MA to NJ, I'll just use whatever name brand I can find.

I was thinking of getting fog lights installed, would dealers be able to do this? (Its an LE model).

Also, is there any type of tote that is smaller than the toyota one for the trunk? I want to keep trunk space as available as possible, while keeping my 4 essentials from rattling around
-One quart of oil for emergencies
-One bottle of Heet for start troubles (just to be safe)
-Some washer fluid
-My ice scraper

Any other input of any kind is always appreciated! Thanks!

EDIT: What about mud flaps? Are they of any use?

[MAToyotaSales]

Hi there!

Did you buy it from me?

Your car should still have the remainder of "Toyota Care" which is good for 2 years/25k from the date the car was new. That means free oil changes/tire rotations at any toyota dealer, as well as roadside assistance.

Mud flaps are nice, dealer install is $119...but we don't modify exterior lighting so you'd be on your own for the Fog lights.

Sounds like you are off to a good start!

[c_huynh32]

Toyota Branded oil = Mobil 1 so which ever one you use is the same.

For oil Filter use the toyota OEM filter or even any good name brand filter would do.

For fog lights, the dealers is able to install it for you but going to cost you and arm and leg so find a good well known mechanic to do it for you for cheaper price.

For the tote bag, go to any home stores like home sense, sears or home outfitters or something and buy it from there, cheaper than toyota branded.

[smc733]

Hi all!

I ended up going with the same car, but brand spanking new, for only $1,500 more!

So I will keep up the ToyotaCare service on it.

Does anyone know what washer fluid the dealerships use? I would like to get some of that and keep it spare in the trunk in case I run out.

I will stick OEM Toyota as much as possible for things, and keep going to the same dealership if possible. I will consider the mud flaps at some point.

As for gas, I was thinking of going Top Tier only (primarily Mobil or Shell).

[c_huynh32]

Originally Posted by smc733

Hi all!

I ended up going with the same car, but brand spanking new, for only $1,500 more!

So I will keep up the ToyotaCare service on it.

Does anyone know what washer fluid the dealerships use? I would like to get some of that and keep it spare in the trunk in case I run out.

I will stick OEM Toyota as much as possible for things, and keep going to the same dealership if possible. I will consider the mud flaps at some point.

As for gas, I was thinking of going Top Tier only (primarily Mobil or Shell).

For windshield fluid .... don't mix different names and try to use 1 name brand.

Me personally, I find Rain-X worked pretty good compare to the oem fluids

[smc733]

Originally Posted by c_huynh32

For windshield fluid .... don't mix different names and try to use 1 name brand.

Me personally, I find Rain-X worked pretty good compare to the oem fluids

Interesting, after bad, bad experiences with the Orange Rain-X fluid, I've usually just stuck to the basic blue -20F from Walmart (usually SuperTech).

[Zembonez]

Buy it!

I do believe you are seriously over-thinking the maintenance though. Just make sure it's done on a schedule and use quality products. No reason to take it to a Toyota dealer for the same services / products you can get done elsewhere for a lot less $$$... unless you just like donating money to the dealership.

No car is THAT sensitive and the dealer doesn't have any magic potions.

[yetta56]

DO NOT BUY THE 2011 TOYOTA COROLLA LE!! I bought one last week and am very unhappy with it. There is a serious torque lock problem...while driving at speeds 40mph plus...the power will be cut and feel like the car is stopping..the tachometer goes crazy..and Toyota says this is a feature that they put in in the late 2011's to prevent acceleration.....I was ripped off and will never recommend this car to anyone. Imagine driving along and your car just decided to downshift as you're driving on the freeway!

[yetta56]

Re: the 2011 Toyota Corolla LE...read this..complaint after complaint regarding the stop and start problems on the torque lock..this is serious and Toyota needs to fix this!
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/ar.../t-377441.html

[SuperchargedMR2]

Originally Posted by yetta56

Re: the 2011 Toyota Corolla LE...read this..complaint after complaint regarding the stop and start problems on the torque lock..this is serious and Toyota needs to fix this!
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/ar.../t-377441.html

The problem you are describing is different than the one in the thread. The firmware flash solved the issue & new Corollas from the factory have this firmware flash already done. Since this issue would have popped up I'm thinking that it may be unique to your car at this point.

To the OP, do you notice this drastic effect he is referring to at 40+ mph?

[pmesfun]

Orange Rain-X is crap, my friend tried it once and all the fluid sticks to the roof. Any blue fluid will do.

[smc733]

Hi everyone,

I don't have the car yet (title issues, I'm a student in a different state, so I keep the car registered to my father for insurance purposes (yes, you can do that if you're a student), but I will have it in a week).

I took the test drive up to 70 on the highway, and noticed nothing unusual, I have a feeling the cars on the lot are probably fixed at this point...

[Zembonez]

Originally Posted by pmesfun

Orange Rain-X is crap, my friend tried it once and all the fluid sticks to the roof. Any blue fluid will do.

I normally don't believe anything that says "my friend tried it once" but I also found the RainX washer fluid to be unsatisfactory. Good old blue stuff for me.

[emptyminded42]

Originally Posted by smc733

Hi everyone,

After hearing about some issues with the 2007-2009 Camrys, I've landed myself a good deal on a 2011 Certified Corolla with a clean Carfax and only 10k miles.

I have some questions about maintaining this car, since it is practically new, my goal is to keep it as nice as possible and lasting me as long as possible.

For oil and filter, should I stick with the Toyota branded, or should I go Mobil 1 synthetic. If I do go mobil 1, I would still retain my 5k OCI.

Air filter would be changed every 15k, coolant and ATF at 30k. (Toyota branded for these).

I do mostly highway driving, around 100-250 miles per week. I was going to try to keep top tier gas in there (Shell then Mobil in this area), but some long trips I make from MA to NJ, I'll just use whatever name brand I can find.

I was thinking of getting fog lights installed, would dealers be able to do this? (Its an LE model).

Also, is there any type of tote that is smaller than the toyota one for the trunk? I want to keep trunk space as available as possible, while keeping my 4 essentials from rattling around
-One quart of oil for emergencies
-One bottle of Heet for start troubles (just to be safe)
-Some washer fluid
-My ice scraper

Any other input of any kind is always appreciated! Thanks!

EDIT: What about mud flaps? Are they of any use?

I use Mobil-1 full snyth 5W-20 (you may require 0W-20 since you're a 2011 but that's not a big deal). I change my oil every 6 months or every 3-5k. It's probably overkill and I know that, but I do it for peace of mind (having fresh oil for winter and summer just seems to make sense to me) and I like doing it. It's less than $30 between oil & filter so it's cheap and easy.

Toyota brand air filter is a ripoff. Buy any generic filter from any auto parts store and save a few bucks. They're all cardboard and I can't imagine any of them having any significant performance advantage over any other, but that's just me.

Toyota ATF is a good idea. As for the interval, there's a lot of debate on that topic, but make sure you absolutely use Toyota ATF - the coefficient of friction is crucial and the transmission has been design to Toyota specs. Don't mess around with cheaper/different brands. Not worth the gamble.

"Top Tier" gas being necessary is also debatable. I've read a lot of online sites claiming it does and doesn't matter as well as talked to a buddy of mine who works for BP. Basically, the additives are important, but so is the refinery they buy the gas from. My $0.02 on this issue is not to worry so much as to what brand you buy, but be consistent. Buy Company A for 500-1000 or however miles consistently so their detergents will break down any residue from the other brand gasolines. Then, switch to Company B for a similar interval to break down any deposits from Company A. Repeat.

Or, just don't worry about it and buy the cheapest 87 you can find.

I kinda do a combo of both - try to buy the same brand (Shell & BP are my main ones) but not worry about it too much. I buy cheapo gas when I don't feel like searching for a specific brand on the highway.

As for fog lights, I have them but mostly for cosmetic reasons. I like 'em. Some do, some don't. I think they're dealer installable but I guess some don't. Search for a DIY or a thread about getting them installed. I know that you want to try to get OEM ones because the aftermarket lenses tend to crack and/or leak.

I use whatever blue washer fluid that I or my family find cheapest. They all seem to work about the same (which is good enough for Midwest snow & ice).

I would highly recommend finding some windshield/window de-ice spray. It's saved me lots of time scraping off lays of ice and frost from my windows (I've had to park outside at school and when I've been on internships). Another snow-fighting suggestion is maybe a small folding shovel to dig out snow behind your tires so you can get out of a parking spot if a plow piles it up behind you (that's happened to me several times). You may also want to throw in an emergency blanket in case you break down or get stuck and a flashlight and pocketknife. I've got a lot of stuff in my trunk but I feel pretty safe driving across the frozen Indiana/Ohio tundra on my way home for Christmas break.

EDIT: I don't have mudflaps as I don't like how they look but other members seem to like them.

[smc733]

Originally Posted by emptyminded42

I use Mobil-1 full snyth 5W-20 (you may require 0W-20 since you're a 2011 but that's not a big deal). I change my oil every 6 months or every 3-5k. It's probably overkill and I know that, but I do it for peace of mind (having fresh oil for winter and summer just seems to make sense to me) and I like doing it. It's less than $30 between oil & filter so it's cheap and easy.

Toyota brand air filter is a ripoff. Buy any generic filter from any auto parts store and save a few bucks. They're all cardboard and I can't imagine any of them having any significant performance advantage over any other, but that's just me.

Toyota ATF is a good idea. As for the interval, there's a lot of debate on that topic, but make sure you absolutely use Toyota ATF - the coefficient of friction is crucial and the transmission has been design to Toyota specs. Don't mess around with cheaper/different brands. Not worth the gamble.

"Top Tier" gas being necessary is also debatable. I've read a lot of online sites claiming it does and doesn't matter as well as talked to a buddy of mine who works for BP. Basically, the additives are important, but so is the refinery they buy the gas from. My $0.02 on this issue is not to worry so much as to what brand you buy, but be consistent. Buy Company A for 500-1000 or however miles consistently so their detergents will break down any residue from the other brand gasolines. Then, switch to Company B for a similar interval to break down any deposits from Company A. Repeat.

Or, just don't worry about it and buy the cheapest 87 you can find.

I kinda do a combo of both - try to buy the same brand (Shell & BP are my main ones) but not worry about it too much. I buy cheapo gas when I don't feel like searching for a specific brand on the highway.

As for fog lights, I have them but mostly for cosmetic reasons. I like 'em. Some do, some don't. I think they're dealer installable but I guess some don't. Search for a DIY or a thread about getting them installed. I know that you want to try to get OEM ones because the aftermarket lenses tend to crack and/or leak.

I use whatever blue washer fluid that I or my family find cheapest. They all seem to work about the same (which is good enough for Midwest snow & ice).

I would highly recommend finding some windshield/window de-ice spray. It's saved me lots of time scraping off lays of ice and frost from my windows (I've had to park outside at school and when I've been on internships). Another snow-fighting suggestion is maybe a small folding shovel to dig out snow behind your tires so you can get out of a parking spot if a plow piles it up behind you (that's happened to me several times). You may also want to throw in an emergency blanket in case you break down or get stuck and a flashlight and pocketknife. I've got a lot of stuff in my trunk but I feel pretty safe driving across the frozen Indiana/Ohio tundra on my way home for Christmas break.

EDIT: I don't have mudflaps as I don't like how they look but other members seem to like them.

Wow, thanks for that response! A ton of great information for me to consider there!

I have been using Mobil 1 in my Acura RSX (what I traded in, getting old, can't take the stick in the city anymore). It's been great for me, and my dealer (Boch Toyota in Norwood, MA) uses that in lieu of Toyota.

As for air filters, they're really all the same (Fram (never use their oil filters, I know), and STP)? In that case I'll visit Autozone when I do that every 15,000 miles.

ATF I will always stick to the Toyota as you suggest, what do you think is a good interval? I tend to be on the more frequent side of maintenance, since my driving in city traffic could be considered "severe", I think that 100,000 miles or whatever is insanity, would every 30k do any harm to the transmission, or will it be fine? This is my baby and the nicest car I've ever had, so I want to make sure its treated as well as possible.

Interesting... I generally use just Mobil stations, since there are plenty in my area. They are top tier, so I could just stick to that, and occasionally go to a Shell, which has PEAs. Or, since near where I normally drive, there are plenty of Shells, but not a ton around, so I could go to Shell primarily, and hit Mobil stations when there are no Shells around.

Also, is it bad for me to fill up when my tank gets to 1/2? I hate riding around with the tank low... I will stay away from ANY additives, including Seafoam, etc... Perhaps I would consider Techron once in a while.

I want to keep things as OEM as possible, so if I can find a dealer that WOULD do fog lights, I would go OEM, that's all I would consider for any modifications.

I guess I'll just keep using my blue SuperTech fluid, or use just whatever generic blue the dealer uses/sells, since they always top it off when I go in, I like to stay with 1 fluid. But the orange RainX left a horrible white streak on my windshield at night, even though it was pretty nice the way it made the rain bead up. Nevertheless, it got so bad it almost became dangerous.

As for the rest, I will get a nice small fold-up shovel, and some chemicals like the deicer, and stick them in the tote along with my washer fluid, Heet, and quart of my oil.

Thanks again for the detailed response!