Would anyone know in what year the Toyota Corollas switched from timing belts to timing chains please. Since we are thinking of buying a used one, and would need to know if it ( a belt) has been renewed. Thanks.
97-02 - depends on engines size; 1.3 and all diesels are belt, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol are chain. 02-07 - all petrol are chain, all diesel are belt.
Source: Autodata.
Note that it's not unknown for the chaincam ones to shatter the plastic sprockets, leading to the same damage as a broken belt. This has happened on some cars under three years old.
Variable valve timing engines can apparently suffer from high oil consumption after 40K - up to 1 litre every 600 miles.
Chris
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Well after hearing about that oil consumption , I have to tell you I'm looking for a cheapish six or seven year old medium sized car, with the emphasis on *reliability*.
Is it now down to a 1.3 or 1.6 ford focus, or something else that you would you recommend ? Thanks.
We have two cars: An 8 year old toyota with a VVT-i engine (my wife's for the last 5 years) and a 5 year old, 1.6, Focus :-)
The toyota, although it's only just reached 40k (lots of town driving), never goes wrong and never uses a drop of oil.
The 1.6 Focus we've only had for a few weeks but so far I'm pleased with it. The only real weakness I've found out about so far is that the HT leads only last about 40k miles. Mine is at that mileage now and running OK so far. I've replaced the plugs but not the leads yet - I'll probably do them before the weather turns cold.
Oh, and the early models (like ours) had washer jets with no weather seal fittted, so they let rainwater through the bonnet, where it collects in the spark plug wells. Took lots of plus-gas, patience and prayers to get the plugs out without knackering the head!
Stu
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and did you know that mice like to eat the plug leads? I have seen it twice now (on different cars)
------------------------------------------------------------------------- ell after hearing about that oil consumption , I have to tell you I'm
ITYM 1.4 Focus?
In the main, Corollas are reliable, but dull. Allegedly, some UK built ones are not so reliable.
I need to declare an interest; I've owned two Focuses over the last 11 years, and would buy another tomorrow, so my comments need to be seen in that light.
The Focus has an excellent reliability record; Google will tell you more. I had my first one from new, a 1.8, for 10 years. I did 100,000 miles in it. Apart from routine servicing and consumables, it cost less than
100UKP in parts.It never failed to start, and never broke down. The only thing that stopped it unintentionally was driving it into the back of a Discovery, or I would still have it!
I replaced it last year with an '03 1.6. The 1.6 engine is slightly smoother, slightly more economical, but I sometimes miss the extra performance.
The 1.6 has a tall top gear. 5th is almost a "motorway only" one. I don't find it a problem, but if you regularly travel with the car fully loaded, and mostly on hilly main roads, the 1.8 would be a better bet.
Forget the 1,4; you will have a job finding one, and they are just too slow.
Lots of these cars have been sold, so you should have lots of choice; find a good '04 one in a spec you like, service it properly, and I doubt you will be disappointed.
Chris
No, I didn't! Best not to throw the old ones on the garage floor, then? ;-)
Stu
No such issue with mine. It will happily cruise in 5th at 45 and at 70 it's doing about 3250rpm. Maybe they changed the gearboxes on the new shape?
Stu
These were eaten on the car !!!
Yes, but the plugs last 40K as well, so the cost over the life of the car isn't so bad.
BTW, leaving the leads until it misfires can cause the ignition coil to fail, and they are over 100UKP, so it might be best to do them sooner rather than later.
Chris
Things that I see often faulty on Focus: clutch master cylinder, tailgate struts, water pumps, window regulators, vehicle speed sensors, dashboards, clutches. Thermostat housings.
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So the Top Man is saying to go for the Corolla? (or something else)
The OP is asking about six or seven year old cars, so this will be the Mk1 and Mk1.5 shape. IOW, pre-2005.
70 = 3,000rpm, and at 6,500rpm it's geared for 152mph!Chris
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To be fair, the Focus is 11 years old now and a lot have been sold. It would be surprising to not find some older ones with faults.
Of those listed, they are either things that are expected on any car, and are mostly cheap fixes. A lot also depends on usage.
For example, tailgate struts will fail much sooner on a car where the tailgate gets very frequent use. They were still perfect on my 10 year- old car. A replacement pattern pair are only around 35UKP.
The vehicle speed sensor problem mainly affected early cars; later ones used a modified connector, and so would any replacements. It's a 40 minute job if you are handy, and the sensor is 25UKP
Ford responded to complaints of dashboard failures on cars from around '02 by dropping the price to cost.
Clutch failure is pretty much dependent on the driver. I've been on the road since 1962; I've had the complete range of cars, from new to sheds. I've never needed to replace the clutch on any of them. Some drivers appear to treat them as a consumable however! AFAIK, the Focus doesn't have a problem in this respect.
Apart from my two cars, there are another three Focuses in the family, all over 5 years old, and all trouble-free. Of course, that's a *very* small sample size in the greater scheme of things!
Other makes and models owned by friends and family have been much less reliable, mainly French ones!
Chris
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Whatever one person recommends there will be someone else says nay. I like driving Focuses, but I hate the high expense of their running costs. I would not buy a modern Ford or Vauxhall(full stop). I would buy almost any Japanese built car, their quality is so much higher. My neighbours Avensis is 12 years old and the only 'fault' was when the battery died at ten years old. It drives like new, the bonnet is only opened once a year and it uses no oil in that time. My Lexus is 14 years old, runs like a watch, no oil consumption, no rust, still original exhaust (as is the neighbours avensis)!!! but did need a radiator (leaf trap design) Another neighbour has a CRV: only fault after 10 years was the back box pipe rotted through, but it was easily welded back together. Customers Nissan Primera, only ever needed oil and filters over a 6 year period and was like new despite being 15 years old (she has now stopped driving) I do not find recurring faults on Japanese cars, but I do on 'English' ones like Ford and Vauxhall, and don't get me started on Mondeo faults. I dislike newer French cars intensely mainly due to difficulty and expense of servicing. Modern Volvos seem to have lots of faults, likewise modern Mercedes. I don't see any BMW nowadays but have found them to be well built in the past. VAG stuff used to be OK but now seems to be going downhill.
Top marque for me is Toyota group followed by Honda.
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I'm on my third toyota and have been pleased with all of them, which is why my original post was enquiring about the chain belt on a corolla.
But I am now alarmed with what is being said by Chris Whelan about this known fault with these newer vv engines burning 1 litre of oil every
600miles.What would be the best way to get further information about this fault and how expensive it would be to fix it?
Another car we were considering is the BMW 3 series, would that prove a reliable and relatively cheap car to run at about six or seven years old? Or am I safer sticking to a Toyota? Thanks for any further advice.
I hear you. Cashflow is rather poor until I next get paid, what with the purchase of the car, the service items and then the new discs & pads. I'll get them changed soon, I promise! :-)
Stu
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The last post on this thread in Toyota Club Australia seems to havepinpointed the problem with the toyota vvti engines. It shows picture ofpistons.http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11848Essentiallyit says:Only having four small holes in the piston oil ring gab did not allowenoughof the oil to be scraped off. Ending in sticky oil rings and highoilconsumption in engines 2000 to 2005. Concerns Engine nos 3zz-fe and 1zz-fe.In2005 it was changed to eight larger holes. It is especially troublesomewith carswith poor oil changes or used in cold conditions or makingfrequent shortjourneys.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------The last post on this thread in Toyota Club Australia seems to havepinpointed the problem with the toyota vvti engines. It shows picture ofpistons.http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11848Essentiallyit says:Only having four small holes in the piston oil ring gab did not allowenoughof the oil to be scraped off. Ending in sticky oil rings and highoilconsumption in engines 2000 to 2005. Concerns Engine nos 3zz-fe and 1zz-fe.In2005 it was changed to eight larger holes. It is especially troublesomewith carswith poor oil changes or used in cold conditions or makingfrequent shortjourneys.
3ZZ-FE is the 1.6 Corolla engine 1ZZ-FE is the 1.8 Corolla engineSo based on what you've found, it might be wise to avoid a 1.8, and only consider a 1.6 if there's evidence of an engine replacement having been carried out by Toyota. They did this FOC on all the affected cars, so long as they had a FTSH, but they never recalled them, so it depends on whether a previous owner has suffered with the problem and approached Toyota or not.
Glad to hear that SWMBO's car isn't affected by this issue - she has a VVT-i engine, but it's the 1.5 engine code 1NZ-FE (fitted in a Yaris).
Why not consider a Honda Civic? Their reputation for quality & reliability is very similar to that of Toyota.
Stu
Surely door locks (having a mind of their own) as well? :-)
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