2002 Toyota Corolla Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
Low cost : cheap to buy since it's old usually have high mileage. Has good MPG. Reliable in every way. Low problem: only normal maintenance really. Since it's a 98 and it's now 2020 , might be needing more maintenance than others all depending on the state of the car. Reliable. Wont fail you and will stick with you in hard times( like this pandemic right now)
VS
Critical Review
I bought my 2002 Toyota Corolla new off the lot in 2003. For several years I have not had any problems out of this car. I gave it routine maintenance, and that's all it needed. It has only been in the past year that I've had a problem with the engine. This was around 140k miles. The engine consumes a completely abnormal amount of oil, and it's burning off through the tail pipe. You can put your finger in the pipe and it will be pitch black like a diesel engine. Come to find out, this is the only model that has an engine flaw with the pistons and rings causing engine oil consumption and eventual engine failure. Other years of Corollas don't have as bad of an issue as the 2002. The only two solutions is to rebuild the engine with the modified pistons and rings from Toyota, or replace the engine. Both will set you back around $3k, easily. If you're out shopping for a used car, avoid the 2002 Corolla like the plague. Go for a different year. Rust has been a nightmare for this car, too. The clear coat started peeling off years ago, and rust has overtaken the top of the car. The driver's side power window stopped working in 2012. The interior plastic molding has cracked away significantly around the doors. The dash is fine. The cup holders are broken. The trunk lock refuses any key that was cut from the original, which is long gone now. Also, if the key wears down, the ignition will not accept the key. Maybe that's true for all cars, but it has happened more than a few times with this car. With all of the negative stuff being said, I have to be fair and admit that this car had never left me stranded, save for the occasional blown tire, and once when the engine drank all the oil and shut itself down, which is how I found out about the excessive oil consumption issue. I have treated this car very badly, and it has still held up at almost 150k miles. The a/c and heat still work very well. Back in 2003, the same year I bought this car, I almost totaled it on ice on the highway. Everyone walked out unharmed despite rear ending an idling car at 50mph. The front end took the brunt. The accident didn't feel very bad, no injuries whatsoever. The airbags didn't employ, though, but I wonder if it's because the impact wasn't harsh. We fixed the car up and it was back on the road with no problems at all. Well, not until last year now that it's old. It's been a good ride, but it's time to retire.
2002 Corolla Reviews
Showing 8 of 638 reviews.
Reliability
Mechanically the soundest vehicle I've ever owned & I bought my corolla already 23 years old! The bad side would be the size, definitely no extra cabin space, & my model doesn't have an adjustable steering wheel? Because I guess that is a luxury feature? Lol but overall I love my corolla.
Longevity, economy, value, ease of maintenance
Can't blame absence/tardiness on car problems
My wife bought her 2001 Corolla in 2016 with 101,000 miles on it. We've put almost 72,000 on the car over the last 8 years, and this vehicle has never failed us. In those 8 years, I have replaced the battery, tires, windshield, struts, brake pads, lower ball joints, muffler, inside driver's door handle, wiper blades, spark plugs, air filter, and changed the oil and filter regularly. 3 weeks ago, this car started without problem when the temperature was -25 degrees F. There was 6 inches of snow on the ground and the roads were icy. I drove 18 miles to report to work with no problem. The tires are 4 years old but still in decent shape. The only work done to the car that I didn't do myself was replacing the windshield. The car is very easy to work on and parts are inexpensive. It gets great mileage and is cheap to insure. This car has the 1.8 liter, 4 cylinder engine which is notorious for oil consumption. Ours is no exception. I'm not going to go into detail because it's a very thoroughly documented issue. Google it. Despite this issue, there are no emissions problems and there's no visible smoke. We live in the Denver area and our vehicles are subject to some of the highest emissions standards in the country. The oil consumption is of little concern. It is necessary to add a little oil monthly if the car is used on a daily basis. My wife used to drive this car 15 miles, (one way), to work every day. I take care of the cars in the family but she typically put gas in her car and I asked her to check the oil from time to time since she was driving it every day. More than once, (probably 5 or 6 times), I heard some extra noise coming from the top end of the motor when she pulled into the driveway, (with the radio blaring.) The oil barely showed up on the dipstick and turned out to be a little over 2 quarts low! I added oil and the top end racket ceased. This is blatant abuse! The only thing you could do that's worse is drive with no coolant. Despite the neglect, the car is no worse for wear. The only things I can think of that offer a comparable level of dependability and durability are a cast iron frying pan, and a really good shovel; maybe a scrappy old tree.
Parts are cheap and easy to get.
Cant find another one.
If this car dont get any rust, you can use it for 35 years or more ? My car has 334.000 km. after 25 years, and it looks like there is going to be another 300.000 km.
it go vrr
no flappy bird
it goes vrr and will never break. overall it is a very car car that cars all over the place nyoooooooooooooooom
she's reliable. shes sturdy. she's cheap. What else could you want out of a car? I've never been disappointed, or thrilled, but i've been constant in my appreciation for reliability.
Fast
Nothing
Best care to own honestly I have a Mercedes it's not running no more lol BuT overall car is very dependable
It would be perfect for school. Name a price! It looks tiny but I’m tiny so it’s fine. Asap or as soon as possible
Fun to drive on 0 oil
nun
I have driven this tank with the passenger front coil spring fractured for over a year, it's sucked up water into the engine during horrible storms, all you gotta do is downshift, send it and she will be fine. Drained all coolant and oil and she still ran like a champ. 3rd Best car to do cartel work second to the Hilux and Land Cruiser.
