Toyota Corolla (2002 – 2007) Review

One report of a mixture of electrical failures from 16 months old. Bits can become detached from inside inlet manifold of 1.6 after 3 - 4 years, requiring a new manifold. If the engine intermittently cuts out and the fault cannot be diagnostically traced it may be due to a faulty safety fuel cut-off solenoid switch. On D-4D cutting out can also be caused by a build of of salts on a hot wire in the airflow sensor. VVT-i engines can start to use up to a litre of oil every 600 miles after 40,000 miles.

May 2006: 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litre VVT-i engines can start to use up to a litre of oil every 600 miles after 40,000 miles due to a bore liner problem. If under 5 years old and Toyota maintained, under TSB EG 6020, Toyota wouldl usually replace FOC.

Multimode automated manual transmissions prone to actuator failure.

One report of failed driveshaft CV joints at 5 years old.

For safety when driving in mainland Europe you might want to add a nearside rear fog lamp to your 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla. It takes about half an hour, depending upon how competent and confident you are. The rear lamp cluster is secured by three 10mm nuts. Two them are accessible after removing the two interior boot blanking pieces. Two of the nuts accessible but to access the (third) top one you need to pull away the top of the interior covering which are held by two push pins. This can be done by hand. After removing the three bolts on each side you will observe that there is a bulb missing on the nearside. Remove the feed plug from the bulb cluster by holding in the small plastic tab with a small screwdriver and pull outwards. The rear fog lamp bulb is the right hand bulb (the one that is missing. You will also observe that there is a corresponding plastic blanking piece on the hole in the back of the cluster into which a bulb would be fitted. It is necessary to remove this blanking piece which is an integral part of the plastic surround. Carefully drill small holes around the circumference of the blanking piece until you can separate it from the housing and then clean the hole up with a round file. You will also observe that the third connection in the plug does not have a wire attached. Obtain a suitable piece of insulated cable and bare the end for about 3cm and put this down into the back of the plug where the wire is missing and carefully replace the plug trapping the wire and making a sound connection. Ensure that there are no loose strands which might make another connection or touch the earth side. Run the cable underneath the black plastic edge protector between the two clusters and repeat the same exercise for the offside except to use a blue snap connector on the red wire leading to the fog lamp bulb. Replace all the parts, making sure that the three nuts are not over tightened and thats it.

Remote keyfob failures seem to be a problem. Spring fails under the door opening button. Toyota replaces under warranty, but after that they are £112.50 and independent specvualists are unable to supply them.

13-11-2012: On a batch of 2006 1.6 engines the valve stems were incorrectly hardened and eventually 'mushroom'. One reader quoted £1,200 to fix at just 49,000 miles. If the car is Toyota serviced then Toyota might be sympathatic and come up with some goodwill.

13-7-2013: On belt-cam 2.0 litre diesel engines the waterpump must be replaced at the same time as the timing belt. They are prone to breaking up and when they do they throw the belt off.

10-8-2013: All Toyota VVT-I 1.4, 1.6 & 1.8L engines (1zz 1.8, 3zz 1.6 & 4zz 1.4) made from 2000 to mid 2005 may suffer from excessive oil consumption of 1L/600miles. The cause was insufficient oil capacity, poor piston and piston ring design. This led to the oil-ways sludging up, eventually causing hardened oil around the rings to misshape the bores. The use of poor quality or overly thick oils (thicker than 5w30) increased the likelihood of the issues above occurring. The fix was re-designed pistons, rings and short block - some were replaced under warranty; after about July 2005 the fix was applied new build Toyotas.

May 2002: 6,600 UK market 3 and 5-door Corollas built at Burnaston recalled for bolts on rear stub axles to be re-torqued.

18-2-2003: on just one car VIN SB164ZEB10E033334 the front passenger airbag inflator module check valve pin is missing. Replace inflator module.

May 2006: Toyota Service Bulletin issued concerning oil consumption problem of 1.8 VVT-I engines built up to July 2005. Affected models are Corolla ZZE111, ZZE112, ZZE120, ZZE121 (TMUK TMMT vuilt Corolla only)

September 2006: Official Safety Recall: Concern : STEERING MAY FAIL It is possible that the connections at the intermediate shaft and sliding yoke of the steering column may become loose and if the symptoms are ignored steering control can be lost. Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the steering intermediate shaft. In addition, inspect the sliding yoke and intermediate shaft extension and replace if necessary. This recall is staggered starting with Prius and Corolla. Avensis customer letters will be sent out over the next three months.

10-10-2012: Notification of RAV-4, Yaris, Auris and Corolla Recall for possible fault in electric window switch affecting 138,000 vehicles build between September 2006 and December 2008. On Wednesday 10 October 2012 Toyota GB registered a recall on RAV4, Yaris, Auris and Corolla models with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). The recall affects 138,000 vehicles in the UK and will be carried out in accordance with the VOSA Code of Practice. The electric window switch, or Power Window Master Switch (“PWMS”), controls the windows for the driver and passengers. It has come to our attention that on certain RAV4, Auris, Yaris and Corolla models built between September 2006 and December 2008 the possibility exists that the PWMS, located in the driver’s door, may over time begin to feel uneven or notchy when it is operated. Continued operation in this condition may cause the switch to stick or become inoperable. The switch is not designed to be lubricated with commercially available lubricants. Application of these lubricants could lead to overheating and/or melting of the switch assembly. There has been one reported case in the UK. There are no reported accidents related to this issue. What will be done? Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to Toyota. Consequently, Toyota has decided to conduct a recall campaign to check the PWMS on the affected cars. All affected owners will be contacted by Toyota GB within the next six weeks and asked to make an appointment to bring their car to their nearest Toyota centre. The dealer will check the operation of the PWMS. If the PWMS is operating properly it will be given a special, non-conducting lubrication; if the PWMS is notchy it will be replaced with a new unit. The work should take no more than one hour and will be carried out free of charge.

14-11-2012: Toyota GB registered recalls for certain Avensis and Corolla models (July 2001 to March 2009) and for Prius (July 2003 to April 2009) with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). All models are previous generation, i.e. not new models currently on sale. What are the issues? On certain Avensis, Corolla and Prius models (July 2001 to April 2009) there is a possibility of an issue with a component in the steering system, prompting a knocking or rattling and possibly a reduction in steering response. In such circumstances, the vehicle will remain safe to drive. There have been nine reported cases of this issue in Europe and no reports of any associated accidents. 1: Due to insufficient hardness treatment of some of the extension shafts, the splines that connect the extension shaft to the steering gearbox may deform if the steering wheel is frequently and forcefully turned to the full left or full right position while driving at slow speeds. This deformation may create increased internal clearance and the splines may eventually, over time, wear out. Toyota dealers will inspect the extension shaft to determine if it needs to be replaced and, if confirmed, will replace it. The inspection and repair will take approximately one hour.

09-01-2017: R/2016/236: Driver’s side airbag inflator may rupture: It has been identified that in the subject vehicles, there is a possibility the container of the inflator of the driver’s side may rupture. Toyota has not been able to establish the cause of the failure and is conducting a safety recall to recover the relevant parts, to enable them to investigate the cause of the failure. Fix: Recall the affected vehicles to replace the driver's side airbag inflator. Build dates: 13-09-2002 to 17-01-2003