Will my Corolla last for 15 more years?

[Norm Olt]

The '88 I. 420SEL is 24 years old, has 187K (or so) and lived on the West Coast pretty much all its life, so no salt issues to deal with. I figure it could be good for another 24...

Your car is 8: adding another 15 years would make it 23.

There is no real reason (other than corrosion) you can't achieve your goal. Whether it will be "enough vehicle" for you for the next decade and a half is another question.

I would be very "pro-active" on maintenance: BillinUtah may feel not replacing belt, battery or brakes makes (DOLLARS &)$en$e, but I would feel just great about knowing the OEM stuff had proved "up to snuff" and needed to be gracefully retired (before it left him startless, stopless and/or without accessories)

Cheers!!

 

[javacontour]

Life tends to happen. Will you marry? Have kids? A Corolla may or may not meet your needs for the next 15 years.

No reason not to care for the car. You may even keep it around as a beater or spare car while you buy the minivan or SUV most buy once life begins to happen to them

 

[mechtech2]

Make maintenance a high priority. That is, preventative maintenance .
You car will last 15 years. Well, 10 more, anyway.
But what if you DO need a transmission later? It will be far cheaper than a new car.
You can keep up if you keep at it. One system at a time. Address rust and under body condition every year.

 

[grampi]

My '99 Corolla has 282K and still going strong...I also have no rust issues and the car lives on salted roads all winter long. I would say with reasonable care, you have a good shot of reaching your goal...

 

[ARB1977]

The question should do you think you'll love driving your car for 15 years? My Tacoma is 10 years old and to this day i love it. As long as life allows me to keep it i will.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: Norm Olt

I would be very "pro-active" on maintenance: BillinUtah may feel not replacing belt, battery or brakes makes (DOLLARS &)$en$e, but I would feel just great about knowing the OEM stuff had proved "up to snuff" and needed to be gracefully retired (before it left him startless, stopless and/or without accessories)

Cheers!!



I keep a eye on things and have stated here that the belt and battery while still working fine get close attention.

The brakes are fine when I have to use them. The only thing I have not done in quite a while is look at the rear shoes in 100+k miles. They are still fine in operation. I doubt I'll ever need to replace the front disks/pads as long as I own it.

Take care, Bill

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: MarkM66
It doesn't seem to be "very reliable" so far.

-42 995 miles (Changing water pump + belt)+(Front brake pad and rotor)
-48 061 miles (Changing O2 Sensor Bank1)
-48 849 miles (Tranny problem, replacing Bearing input and output rear)
-55 302 miles (Replacing rear brake pad)+(complete suspension replacement. Tein Coil + Tokico gas Shock)

All minor repairs...


At those miles I'd expect ZERO repairs.

I have a 04 Vibe that just turned 172k miles, that has had zero part failures.

You live a charmed life!

 

[gomes512]

You'll make it alright, that grease undercoating will go a long way in preserving the body.

My '97 Corolla is running great and the grease undercoating I've been using is protecting pretty well.

Same story with my '94 Grand Cherokee, grease undercoating works magic in preserving cars here in the rust belt.

Good luck

 

[artificialist]

In many cases, the car will last 20+ years, if you can tolerate an A/C that isn't cold, an interior that is all cracked and torn, multiple fluid leaks, mysterious bad noises, and doors that don't always open, shut, lock, or unlock properly.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Benoit
Hi everyone!
I'm owner of a 2004 Toyota Corolla CE with 5 speed manual transmission.
The car 86992 miles so far. Body his rust free.


I have a 03 one with similar miles. So far I replaced: brake pads, belt tensioner, battery, SRS sensor, spark plugs, and keyless entry receiver (in addition to the usual oils, filters, and tires). Had to do alignment once. Total repair cost <$300 as I buy used parts and do things myself when I can . Not entirely bulletproof, but not complaining. Since I live in south, the car will survive at least 10 more years if not killed earlier by my kids driving it.

 

[ms21043]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: MarkM66
It doesn't seem to be "very reliable" so far.

-42 995 miles (Changing water pump + belt)+(Front brake pad and rotor)
-48 061 miles (Changing O2 Sensor Bank1)
-48 849 miles (Tranny problem, replacing Bearing input and output rear)
-55 302 miles (Replacing rear brake pad)+(complete suspension replacement. Tein Coil + Tokico gas Shock)

All minor repairs...


I don't think I'd call transmission bearing replacement a minor repair. Also that's a lot of stuff to be done at such low mileage. And Tein springs? are they those green lowering springs? If you want 15 years out of the car, they won't help.

 

[Benoit]

Originally Posted By: ms21043
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: MarkM66
It doesn't seem to be "very reliable" so far.

-42 995 miles (Changing water pump + belt)+(Front brake pad and rotor)
-48 061 miles (Changing O2 Sensor Bank1)
-48 849 miles (Tranny problem, replacing Bearing input and output rear)
-55 302 miles (Replacing rear brake pad)+(complete suspension replacement. Tein Coil + Tokico gas Shock)

All minor repairs...


I don't think I'd call transmission bearing replacement a minor repair. Also that's a lot of stuff to be done at such low mileage. And Tein springs? are they those green lowering springs? If you want 15 years out of the car, they won't help.
Yes those are the green one. But I don't see why it would shorten the life of my car?

 

[morris]

if your engine oil has NO zinc, get red line engine oil break-in- additive, a 16 oz bottle each oil change, engine oil should be changed at 3k miles. use any Purolator filter. and marvel mystery oil in the fuel, 4 oz in 10 gal of gas. and above all keep track of fuel fill ups, after you know how how much it uses, then when it starts running bad youll know soon.

 

[SteveHarper]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Interesting that I have the same car (2005 Corolla) and so far in 237,000 miles .....

I do have some rust coming through the rear wheel wells and suspension parts. Its minor but will be the thing that kills the vehicle


Isn't that still claimable under warranty? I thought rust is usually covered for ~10 years?

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: SteveHarper
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Interesting that I have the same car (2005 Corolla) and so far in 237,000 miles .....

I do have some rust coming through the rear wheel wells and suspension parts. Its minor but will be the thing that kills the vehicle


Isn't that still claimable under warranty? I thought rust is usually covered for ~10 years?


The problem is its in the rear wheel wells where the seams meet in the front of the tire. The paint has been worn off due to the gravel and such from the tires through out the years. So since I did not allow it to rust through the metal. (I caught it and just painted it with undercoating before it became a major problem).

Here is a photo. Much easier to show than describe...

The warranty covers rust through caused by design or poor materials. Not damage which would be claimed since it came from the tires... (I've gone through rust warranties with another manufacture who played that card)

Most warranties are a joke except the power-train ones from the manufacture (if you follow their recommendations to the letter) IMO.

Take care, Bill

 

[KrisZ]

My Mazda has exact same design for the rear wheel well, it sucks. I spary it with rubber undercoating yearly and that seems to work.
I like German solution for this problem, like on a Jetta. It has a plastick cover that is flush with the lip so that there are no metal horizontal surfaces that are subjected to water and rocks.

 

[Mustang_Cougar]

There is a member on the GenVibe web forum that has over 400,000 miles on his '04 Vibe, the mechanical twin/cousin of the Matrix/Corolla. Over the years I've read his maintenance posts and they're pretty much just 5K OCI's (Valvoline products and FRAM!!! filters) and basic maintenance things that aren't unexpected (tires, brake pads, batteries, etc.).

Anyway, if you're bored and want to know more about his run of good luck (inspires confidence, if anything), head over to GenVibe and read his 400K mile summary post (he's well beyond that now): JoeJoeV's Vibe

 

[D189379]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
It doesn't seem to be "very reliable" so far.

-42 995 miles (Changing water pump + belt)+(Front brake pad and rotor)
-48 061 miles (Changing O2 Sensor Bank1)
-48 849 miles (Tranny problem, replacing Bearing input and output rear)
-55 302 miles (Replacing rear brake pad)+(complete suspension replacement. Tein Coil + Tokico gas Shock)

+1. Sounds like it's been a piece of junk for you so far.