2003 Toyota Corolla complaints

STRONG SULFUR ODOR FROM EXHAST. SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS SAID IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED, AND BLAMES BAD GAS. DID SAY TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TESTED SEVERAL BRANDS AND GRADES OF GAS WITH NO IMPROVEMENTS. DIRECTLY CONTACTED TOYOTA, WHO REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO SAID IT CANNOT BE FIXED. SAID CAR COMPUTER IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY.

PURCHASED 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002. CAR IS EMITTING A VERY NOTICEABLE SULFUR ODOR ESPECIALLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM IS THE GASOLINE I PURCHASE. I POINTED OUT THAT I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT I PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2002, THAT I FILL BOTH CARS WITH THE SAME GASOLINE, AND THAT I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY SUCH PROBLEM WITH THE CAMRY. AGAIN I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE GASOLINE. THE INTERNET ABOUNDS WITH DISCUSSION GROUPS WHERE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ARE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM AS I AM EXPERIENCING.

ENGINE - SULFUR SMELL CONTINUOUS SINCE PURCHASE OF '03 TOYOTA, COROLLA. MOSTLY WHEN STOPPED AND ENGINE COOL, BUT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN WARM. HAVE GONE 17,000 SINCE PURCHASE IN JULY, 2002 AND SMELL HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE. DEALER HAS SO FAR NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE EMMISSIONS PROBLEM.

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE PEDAL WILL STICK IN THE IDLE POSITION CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 25 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO STATED THAT DEALER WERE CONTACTED AND HAS DECLINED TO GIVE ANY SERVICE TO THE CONSUMER BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. ALSO STATED THAT HAS SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURE AND THEY ARE GIVING HIM THE RUN AROUND. TS

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT WARNING THE INTERIOR LIGHTS INCLUDING THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS GOES OUT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS SERVICED THE VEHCILE BUT THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

CONSUMER STATED HAD PROBLEM WITH DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR. DUE TO ITS LOCATION AND/OR DESIGN THE VISOR MOVED THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FROM THE ADJUSTED POSITION WHENEVER MOVED. CONSUMER CAN NOT PROPERLY ADJUST REAR VIEW MIRROR WHEN VISOR IS DOWN. TS CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS CANNOT BE TURNED OFF WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW WHEN BOARDING OR DEBARKING THE WASHINGTON STATE FERRY. ALSO WHEN DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT IS REMOVED FROM THE MOVABLE HOOKS, DIRT AND DEBRIS IS SPILLED ONTO THE CARPET. *TT

CONSUMER STATED THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS COULD NOT BE DISENGAGED, WHICH POSED A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN UTILIZING THE WASHINGTON STATE FERRY. FERRY REGULATIONS REQUIRED HEAD LIGHTS TO BE DISENGAGED WHILE RIDING. TS THE VEHICLE HAD NO OFF SWITCH TO DISENGAGE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. *TT *JB

WHILE AT A STOP, WITH THE ENGINE IDLING,THE VEHICLE WILL MOMENTARILY SURGE FORWARD. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER SENT A RECALL LETTER FOR THE FIRESTONE TIRES FR690. CONSUMER WAS TOLD TIRES ARE NOT AVAILABLE. TS

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WHEN DEPLOYED FORWARD COLLIDES WITH REAR VIEW MIRROR. THIS CAUSES REAR VIEW MIRROR TO CHANGE POSITION RENDERING AN IMPROPER REAR VIEW. MIRROR CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED BACK TO PROPER POSITION DUE TO LEVERAGE APPLIED BY THIS VISOR POSITION. VISOR THEN HAS TO BE CHANGED TO TILT BACK TOWARD DRIVER LEAVING A VISOR EDGE TO CONTACT THE DRIVER'S FOREHEAD IN THE EVENT OF RAPID DECELERATION, NOT TO MENTION HAVING OFFENDING GLARE RETURN MOMENTARILY WHILE VISOR IS SHIFTED FROM FRONT TILT TO REAR TILT POSITION. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH HAVING TO READJUST THE REAR VIEW MIRROR CAUSES UNNECESSARY AND DANGEROUS DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. THIS HAS HIGH POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT DURING "COMBAT" DRIVING SITUATIONS, AND EAST COAST HIGHWAYS ARE REPLETE WITH THAT! THE VISOR NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED TO CLEAR THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN ALL POSITIONS. PREVIOUS COROLLA MODELS HAVE A PORTION OF THE VISOR CORNER REMOVED TO DO JUST THAT. THIS MODEL YEAR DOES NOT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! THIS EXISTING SITUATION IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR YOUNG DRIVERS WITH LIMITED ROAD EXPERIENCE! DT

WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, OUR 2003 COROLLA WAS INVOLVED IN TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE BRAKES FAILED, BOTH OF WHICH RESULTED IN COLLISIONS. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE (JUNE 12, 2002), WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE (OVER WHICH THE DRIVER NO LONGER HAD CONTROL) COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE IN FRONT. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. THIS COLLISION RESULTED IN INJURIES TO THE DRIVER OF THE COROLLA, AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE COROLLA. IN THE SECOND INCIDENT (AUGUST 29, 2002), THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH A PARKED CAR. THIS COLLISION ALSO RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE COROLLA.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THEY DIDN'T HOLD,RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. HAD VEHICLE SERVICED, BUT PROBLEM REOCCURRED.CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

MFR CASE #200209030112; DRIVER'S SIDE SUNVISOR WILL STRIKE REARVIEW MIRROR, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW. THIS IS A DESIGN FEATURE THAT NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED. *AK *YH

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH REAR BRAKES FAILED CAUSING ACCIDENT AND INJURIES.*JB

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED HEADLIGHTS CAME ON AND OFF WHICH WAS A RESULT OF A DEAD BATTERY. REPLACED BATTERY, AND BATTERY WENT DEAD AGAIN, REPLACED A RELAY SWITCH. PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. SOMETHING WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. DEALER CONTACTED. CANNOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM.*AK

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR, AND UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T RETURN IT. THE REAR HEADRESTS ARE HUGE, BLOCKING ABOUT 1/3 OF THE VIEW OUT THE REAR WINDOW AND MAKING BACKING UP AND LANE-CHANGING RISKY. SIMILAR COMMENTS ARE FOUND BY OTHERS ON INTERNET CAR REVIEW SITES. RELYING EXCLUSIVELY ON MIRRORS SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED. CAN THEY ISSUE SMALLER REAR HEADRESTS? I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HITTING SOMEONE. IF I HAD A BIG BOX IN MY REAR VIEW AREA, BLOCKING A SIMILAR SPACE, I PROBABLY WOULD GET TICKETED BY THE COPS FOR A SAFETY VIOLATION. WHY IS THIS NO DIFFERENT? I ALSO WONDER IF, BECAUSE OF THIS VISIBILITY PROBLEM, I WILL BE ABLE TO UNLOAD THIS CAR ON ANYONE BUT A TOYOTA DEALER WHEN I SELL IT . (ANOTHER PROBLEM: THE "A" PILLAR (BETWEEN WINDSHIELD AND LEFT WINDOW) IS HUGE, BUT I MAY GET USED TO IT, AS I SUSPECT MY PROBLEM IS DUE TO HAVING DRIVEN AN OLDER CAR FOR MANY YEARS. SOME LEFT-SIDE TRAFFIC (E.G., CYCLISTS, CHILDREN) THAT MIGHT FALL INTO THIS "BLIND SPOT" AND THE VIEW WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS TYPICALLY ARE OBSCURED BY THE THICKNESS OF THIS AREA. IF I WERE TALLER, PUTTING THE SEAT BACK WOULD HELP, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT PUTS ME TOO FAR FROM THE PEDALS. THOUGHT I'D MENTION THIS, IN CASE OTHERS HAVE TROUBLE WITH IT.*AK

THE PROBLEM IS . WHEN I START MY CAR I "MUST" PRESS ON THE CLUTCH VERY HARD ( ALL THE WAY INWARDS ) IN ORDER TO START THE CAR. I NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH MY PREVIOUS MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS.*AK

SUNVISOR MOVES DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR WHILE TRAVELING. CONSUMER WILL FILL IN FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

BRAKES FAILED-BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME IN BUSY FREEWAY CONDITIONS. I FEARED FOR MY LIFE AS I STRUGGLED TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY. THANK GOD I DID. THAT 2003 COROLLA ALMOST KILLED ME. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND EXCHANGED ME INTO ANOTHER COROLLA.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING DURING THE DAY, HE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE DASH INDICATOR DUE TO SUN LIGHT. *AK DUE TO EXTREME GLARE, IT REDUCED THE CONSUMERS VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. INSTRUMENT PANEL BECOMES UNREADABLE. *PH *JB