1998 Toyota Corolla

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PROMPTING ME TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED. THE INDICATION WAS AN ERROR MESSAGE PO441: PURGE FLOW FAULT. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSED A CHARCOAL CANISTER FAILURE WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT AND CONSISTENT COMPLAINTS BY TOYOTA OWNERS REGARDING EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEMS FAILURES IN THE 1998 COROLLA IN ADDITION TO A LAWSUIT IN WHICH TMC SETTLED WITH THE EPA COVERING ONLY CERTAIN MODELS. IT SEEMS THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON ALL 1998 MODELS AS THIS PROBLEM IS VERY PREVALENT.*AK

CAR IN FOR BRAKE WORK AT LOCAL DEALER RECENTLY. (HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD 90,000 MILE SERVICE THERE IN DEC 2003, NOTHING NOTED.) AT TIME OF BRAKE WORK, TOLD THAT TOP ENGINE NOISE (TICKING/RATTLE) NEEDED TO BE CHECKED, $600 JUST TO LOOK INSIDE AND SEE WHAT PROBLEM WAS. TOOK TO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION. THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. I'M ONLY AT 98,000 MILES, AND HAVE FOLLOWED MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS/CHANGED OIL REGULARLY ON SCHEDULE. I SHOULDN'T NEED A NEW ENGINE, THIS IS CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. DEALER SUGGESTED THAT I HADN'T CHANGED THE OIL ON TIME. ROD OR PISTON THAT WAS ABOUT TO GO IS THOUGHT TO BE THE PROBLEM. MY BROTHER IS STILL DRIVING A 1985 CAMRY! MOM HAS A 91 CAMRY STILL IN GOOD CONDITION, HIGH MILEAGE. DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE A TOYOTA GIVE OUT SO EARLY. WILL BE ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM TOYOTA. REPLACEMENT ENGINE TOTALED $2736.88 INCLUDING LABOR, FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 36,000 MILES. NO DOCUMENTATION VERIFYING ENGINE MILEAGE EXCEPT ON BILL, SO ODOMETER STILL SAYS 98,000 MILES.

THE ENGINE OF A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE GERMAIN TOYOTA OF COLUMBUS EXAMINED THE CAR AND IDENTIFIED THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE AS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE DAMAGE. REPLACEMENT ENGINE IS NEEDED. TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER THIS WEAR AN TEAR AND ALSO BECAUSE THE FAILURE HAPPENED AFTER WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS TYPE OF WEAR AN TEAR IS NOT COMMON ON A 1998 TOYOTA WITH 82000 MILES. FURTHERMORE, TOYOTA'S OWNER'S MANUAL SUPPLEMENT DOES NOT MENTION ANY MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENT ON TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. THE ONLY REFERENCE IS IN PAGE 45, 90,000 MILES MAINTENANCE LOG UNDER "ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS FOR SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS", WHICH INDICATES 'REPLACING TIMING BELT EXCEPT FOR COROLLA'. THE MANUAL SPECIFIES MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR UP TO 120,000 MILES. A CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WEAR & TEAR OF A COMPONENT WHEN THE MANUFACTURER DOES NOT SPECIFY THE NEED FOR MAINTENANCE. I BELIEVE THIS FAILURE IS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR A DESIGN DEFICIENCY. PAID 2375 FOR A USED REPLACEMENT ENGINE. *LA

MY CAR '98 COROLLA THAT HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AS PER MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS BLEW ITS ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS IN THE FAST LANE AND HAD TO DANGEROUSLY VEER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR HAD DONE ONLY 50,000 MILES. THE ENGINE BREAKDOWN WAS CAUSED BY SLUDGING AND EXCESSIVE ENGINE WEAR AND TEAR THAT DEVELOPED IN THE CAR WHEN IT HAD DONE JUST 36,000 MILES. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY SUBURBAN TOYOTA OF TROY, MI. I HAVE BEEN REGULAR WITH OIL CHANGE AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND HAVE RECEIPTS TO PROVE THAT AND THIS IS A CLEARY A CASE OF MANUFACTURING FAULT OF THE CAR. I FINALLY PAID $4500 FOR FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND SENT THE RECEIPTS AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO TOYOTA. TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THIS AMOUNT.

OF THE ELEVEN (11) VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED THUS FAR, AT LEAST EIGHT (8) HAS BEEN TOYOTA, ONE A FORD, AND TWO WERE NISSAN'S. ALL THE TOYOTA'S GAVE ME EXCELLENT SERVICE, EXCEPT THE LAST. THIS WAS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA CE THAT WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF. SO MUCH SO, THAT WE PURCHASED A SMART CHOICE WARRANTY FOR TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1200) TO GIVE US AN ADDED PIECE OF MIND. THIS VEHICLE WAS PUIRCHASED FOR MY COLLEGE GOING DAUGHTER, BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THIS BRAND IS BASED ON RELIABILTY, ECONOMY AND DURABILITY. THESE ARE WELL KNOWN TOYOTRA ATTRIBUTES.ON 11/28/2003 THE OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AT INTERVALS. I DID MY OWN DIAGONISTICS AS A RESPONSIBLE TOYOTA OWNER AND FOUND THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I THEN LEFT WORK TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD AFTER HOURS OF EXAMINATION THAT THE OIL PUMP NEEDED REPLACING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS AS THE VEHICLE HAD REGULAR SERVICES. AT THIS I CONTACTED SMART CHOICE, ONLY TO LEARN THAT THEY HAD FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. THIS WAS A MAJOR SETBACK FOR ME. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS AT THIS STAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY $530.00. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION BY MY MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ENGINE HAD LARGE DEPOSITS OF SLUDGE AND THAT IT HAD A SHORT LIFESPAN. BASED ON THIS I WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT I LODGE THIS LEGITIMATE COMPLAINT AND REQUEST AN OFFICIAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO CONTACT ME AT THE SOONEST.*AK

VEHICLE'S INNER ROD BROKE CAUSING ENGINE MOTOR TO BLOW.*MR WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER NOTICED A TICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER WHEN THE CONSUMER NOTICE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INNER ROD BROKE AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. *NLM