Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
0090305/19/200310001995Malfunction indicator lamp on condition with diagnostic trouble code p1349 indicating a variable valve timing (vvti) malfunction. *tt *jb07/31/2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
EG0150112/07/2001628673Subject regarding accessory drive belt/belt tensioner assembly noise. *tt03/19/2002

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10/03/20091
 My check engine light stays on in my vehicle inspite of replacing the part/s diagnosed in the diagnostics. *tr
02/11/20101501231
 I was driving down the highway at approximately 55 mph when my car started to accelerate by itself. i stepped on the brakes until they smoked, but the car continued to accelerate. i was so scared i was afraid to try and turn around to get to the nearest mechanic so i continued home which is a straight line and riding the brakes the entire way approximately 3 miles, got into the driveway and put the car into park at which time the car continued to surge. i shut the key off and sat there trying to compose myself. i have had it at my local mechanics and they cannot duplicate the problem. it had never happened before and hasn't since 2/11/10. my car is a 2000 toyota corolla. *tr
06/29/20081
 Bolt broke on the camshaft. *tr
08/07/20051680671
 My dads 2000 toyota corolla was bought new and was driven for fours years without any problems. he took care of the car religiously and has 60 mile commute both ways to get to work and home. everything was fine up to the middle of 2004 when the engine started use oil at an excessive rate and then, out of nowhere, it developed a rod knock. he ended up buying a new car but the corolla still had the rod knock and it was out of warranty. finally, the engine gave out and threw the connecting rod end and cap through the block, disabling the car and blocking traffic in a busy industrial area of kansas city, kansas. the corolla ended up sitting at my uncle's farm for two years until my family and i could do anything about the car. we ended up getting a used 2001 prism motor with 88,000 miles on it and swapping that motor for the blown one. unfortunately, i knew the risk of buying a motor from a junk yard but the risk was also a double risk due to the engine's previous history. after two weeks and the motor was just being run under light load conditions and even with fresh motor oil and filter, the prism motor also developed a rod knock. the problem still exists and i have found other cars with the same motor having the same issues as my family had with our corolla. this engine has shown to be unreliable and a potential accident waiting to happen. *tr
06/27/2006109/15/2000
 2000 toyota corolla - oil consumption. i, like a number of other owners, have experienced what i consider high oil consumption. my mileage is approximately 62,000 miles. carbon buildup occurs on valves resulting in loud rattling (detonation) under acceleration, especially between 2500 and 3500 rpm. dealer said there should be an expected amount of oil consumption between changes but i am adding close to 2 quarts per change. compression test was fine, one cylinder slightly higher in pressure. dealer said this indicated a possible sticking ring. suggested a gm combustion chamber cleaner made by ac delco to blow out the carbon. tried it. it worked great for 3 months. the detonation is back along with the oil consumption. owned a 1995 corolla with ported and polished engine and it never used a drop between changes. *jb
08/27/200562000103/15/2002
 My toyota corolla 2000's timing belt slipped causing the malfunction lights to go on and the engine suddenly died on highway 17 in santa cruz. we managed to pull the car over to the shoulder of the mountainous road just in time to avoid an accident. we had our five year old son in the car! *nm
06/10/200572000105/31/2000
 Sudden increase in the rate of engine oil loss. at 120,000 km (~72,000 miles) the engine started burning oil at a rate in excess of 1 qt. per 2,000 miles. engine and car serviced at toyota dealer per all scheduled service since the car was bought new (all oil changes on time per schedule). the rapid change from burning no oil between changes to burning a 4 quarts between scheduled changes remains unexplained. investigating with dealer/service department for causes and remedies.
12/21/20041
 My corolla started using excessive oil at about 60,000 miles. when i took it to our regular mechanic who see that the oil is changed at recommended times (i have the receipts) he could not determine why the engine was blowing oil out the back tailpipe and suggested that i take it to the local toyota dealership. the toyota dealership inspected the car, made copies of my receipts, took a picture of the oil on the back bumper, and told me it needed a new engine which was not covered under warranty. they said that toyota had agreed to cover $600 of the $5400 new engine. they charged me $90 for the inspection. this is not acceptable, when toyota clearly knows it is their defective engine, that this car should not have to have a new engine at 70,000 miles on a car that has had properly maintained maintenance. i refused to have an engine put in, we are just adding oil every day.*ak
09/15/200360000
 Started burning oil at the rate of about 1 quart every 750 to 1000 miles right around 60k it currently has 68k, and i just realized it was a toyota problem rather than a failure on the part of my mechanics to properly fill my oil level. i have just initiated interface with a toyota dealer and we are monitoring oil usage.
05/15/200353000
 It has been "pure hell". yes, they pulled a fast one on me, and i'm not happy right now. when i lost oil completely out of my engine the first time, i was told that they would repair the engine by rebuilding because of the oil sludge problem, and besides that, i was under the 60,000 miles warranty. the second time it was the rear end seal in the engine that they say was causing further oil leaks, that i paid for because i was over the 60,000 on the second return to toyota. they originally charged me $850, but then said they would give me a break because they believe in customer satisfaction, they charged me $336. when they gave me the loaner, i thought it was covered too, but for 9 days i end up paying $330 for the rental. i sent a certified letter to the owner, but yet no response.
05/15/2002600
 The car was great until 01/22/03 when out of the blue it decided choking down, white and black smoke coming from the tailpipe. toyota of hollywod (fl) the dealership swears it is from my failure to perform regular oil changes. i provided them with oil receipts from my licensed mechanic of 30+ years. they accused me of dummying up the receipts, in essence calling myself and my mechanic a liar. we met with factory reps on 01/29/03. they \raided\ my mechanics garage armed with cameras, demanding to see invoices -- old, new, numbered and numbered. of course, my mechanic refused. they continue to refuse to put a new motor in my car even though they have determined the reason my motor blew is from \sludge\.
03/05/200460135110/12/2001
 Oil sludge in my 2000 corolla at 60,135 miles on it. i have had regular oil changes with receipts to prove it. i took the vehicle to dealership the day after the oil pressure and check engine light came on at the same time. the dealership advised that nothing they can do but replace my engine but said it would not be covered under my warranty with almost 40,000 miles left on it. they also said there was nothing they can do for me to cover it since i didn't have my oil changed at their dealership and wanted to charge me $8,000 for a new engine. i had to have my engine replaced elsewhere for $2,500. there are many complaints on this problem and toyota is refusing responsibility!*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
03/13/20102045001
 My car used excessive oil, and the check engine light was on after a while that i bought it, and on friday, march 12, 2010, i parked my car at 4:00 pm and did not use it anymore and then on saturday, march 13, 2010 at 5:00 am the engine caught on fire by itself, the fire department came and put out the fire and they said that probably the fire started on the fuse system on the drivers side maybe because of a relay that may have had a short circuit. *tr
01/15/20101050001
 We own a 2000 toyota corolla ce. the car was functioning fine most of the time however it sometimes shuts down its engine immediately with or without much notice. sometimes the engine appears to be jerking off before it starts to die down, but it's not always the case. we have asked several mechanics about the problem (and have replaced many parts) but no one can give a definite answer for the problems. one mechanic suggested that the problem is with the computer, and there is nothing he can do about it but to replace the whole computer. we have not yet involved in any crashes or accidents (yet) because we only use the car locally since we found out about the problem. usually we stay at the slower lane and immediately pull over when the engine dies down. it happens like once a month or so. any idea how to get toyota responsible for this? *tr
03/26/20091
 The check engine light on my toyota corolla le was on before i purchased it on march 26, 2009. the dealer guaranteed that once it went through the inspection, they would resolve any issue regarding any problems with the vehicle. once they said the car passed the inspection, i picked up the car with the check engine light off and that same night while i was driving, it went back on. since that day, the vehicle has had problems such as turning off completely several times, a shaking engine which causes a rattling noise, and the check engine light is on till this day. also, i missed several days of work on account of the car not starting-i even had to boost the car for the battery to turn on. for three months now, i have spent countless of hours at their mechanics trying to fix these issues. they have only just changed the oil two times on the car, drove it around the block and -to them- found nothing. first they said it was the routers that needed to be replace. after i replaced them, the problem was still on going and they have yet to fix the check engine light or the problems the vehicle has given me. not only do they inspect the car at their own dealer but also continue to name things that could be wrong with the car that aren't the problem. for the price of the car, it is not worth it at all. i have a 2 month old daughter in a vehicle i do not feel safe driving. i am sending a complaint so i can either get the car traded in for another one, or get my money back. *tr
04/15/2006667501
 66,760 miles on the engine #3 rod bearing completely wiped out. i bought the car used 8512 miles for 5 years i managed a repair facility then owned my own so i performed the oil changes never over 3000 miles between. toyota acknowledges a sludge problem however my car was assembled in california plant (not included in recall) and 6000 miles over powertrain warranty. two years have passed since the engine was rebuilt (crank kit, bearings, rings, oil pump, etc.) now have 76000 miles and starting to show symptoms of failure, slight noise in engine mainly at higher rpms and more after long trips when engine is good and warm. *tr
04/01/200452000103/01/2000
 The 2000 corolla is burning oil at a high rate. it started at approximately the 50,000 mile mark and has been getting progressively worse. *jb
09/26/200658000109/14/2006
 2000 toyota corolla with approximately 62,000 miles is burning 1 quart of oil every 300 miles. compression test shows no problem. toyota claims rings are bad but independent garage said no way. source of leak or consumption cannot be determined. *nm
01/01/2006109/03/2005
 The consumer's 2000 toyota corolla began to exhibit engine problems four months after the vehicle was purchased. *nm the consumer was told the vehicle had internal engine damage and it would require rebuilding the engine. the rear brakes were replaced. *jb
05/04/200551800104/06/2005
 I purchased a 2000 toyota corolla from dry ridge toyota on april 6, 2005. the salesman said the car had been through the dealer's usual process to ready the car for sale and ensure everything was in safe working order. the car had just under 51,000 miles on it. three weeks later my daughter noticed it was running rough and she began to hear noise from the engine. today, may 4, we took it to our local mechanic, less than 30 days from the date of purchase. the mechanic told us we were very lucky the engine hadn't seized or blown up--the oil was almost completely gone. there is no puddle on the driveway and no tell-tale smoke as if it were burning oil, but still the oil was gone. i have seen several similar complaints on this site for this model year and am frustrated and angry. trusting toyota's reputation, i bought this car for my 17-year-old daughter to drive. now i am not confident she is safe in this car, but i can't in good conscience sell it to someone else, either. i will contact the dealership, though judging from the posts here i also have no confidence that anything will come of that. we will monitor the oil level.
10/26/200449000106/27/2000
 1) earlier in the year, i took car for its on-time oil change. mechanic said the car had no oil in it. did not give much thought until it happened again on the next oil change. after this oil change, i decided to take it to another mechanic. the also told me the car was out of oil & probably just leaking. they changed the oil & told me bring it in another day for them to look at it. several hundred miles before the next oil change was due, i noticed a clicking noise. i checked the oil ( the dip stick was dry) i put a quart of oil in it & drove it to this second mechanic. they told me the car had no oil leak, but the car had no oil in it. icalled the deealership & will be taking the car in this week!*ak
06/03/200469500109/11/2001
 I bought a 2000 toyota corolla ve in sept. 2001 with 28,000 miles on it. the car has been serviced regularly, . the engine has been consuming excessive oil. my friend has 1999 toyota corolla. her car had the same problem. about one year ago, she went to a toyota dealer. the dealer told her that some toyota corolla cars around 1998-2001 have the gasket problem inside engine. after she told me, i got my car checked and the document said that oil leaks at head gasket on the back side of engine. i dealt with toyota company and they denied. i have seen some complaints about this issue at your website. i file this complain and hope that a recall can be ordered. *jb
05/30/200396000104/01/2000
 The engine was sludged with engine oil gel. the vehicle burned 2-3 quarts of oil every 400 miles, was about 4-5 days for the repair. toyota offered an engine oil gel program for many of their other vehicles that had been changing the oil every 3-5000 miles and the engine gelled up. *ak *scc *jb
06/01/200240000011/18/1999
 I also called toyota about a recall. i have 72,000 miles on the car and i have already replaced the tires 4 times the first set (originals) after only 12,000 miles i have had it alignments front and back twice. i continue to have tire wear and the car is all over the road after hitting 55mph i should be on my second set of tires there is also no shock absorbant on this car even going slow you just hit hard reguardless. i can not keep the alignment right or the tires from wearing quick. the paint is already peeling and fading with rust coming up in some spots i have a six year paint protection but the dearler says its my fault the way i washed it or rocks in the road alot of excuses. my # 1 complaint with toyota though has been burning oil i can not keep oil in the engine i am replacing a quart too two quarts a week i have reguarly serviced the car and after a oil change and about 400 miles i am bone dry of oil my car has developed a knock from this when i called toyota due to my service mans advice they said well some cars are recalled with this (burning oil)but not yours and gave me a case number. there are no leaks i park the same place each day, nothing on the engine the oil is just burning up and from what my service guy says there are several doing this and he told all to call toyota but toyota does not want to do anything about it or recall anymore engines for this problem, although they have admited several of their models burn oil and have been recalled. i bought the car new with 5 miles on it, in my opinon this car should not be burning oil after 2 years not to the point you have no oil in your engine 2 weeks after an oil change. the car is 3 1/2 years old now but this problem started when the car had about 40,000 miles on it. i would simply just like to stop changing tires so often, keep an alignment (which of course my warranty on tires is void since the problem is alignment wear) and stop putting so much oil in my engine, or have it blow up soon.
12/20/2001
 Vehicle has been leaking oil, leaked a very large amount of oil. in a few months engine was dry. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
09/30/200658000109/15/2006
 We bought a 2000 toyota corolla ve in september. it has the base 1.8l engine and automatic transmission, and about 63,000 miles. one thing the seller didn't tell us was the car was an oil burner. now here's the kicker. on hot or cold, as in 10 f cold, starts, there is no smoke or odor. there are no drips, puddles, or splashes in the engine compartment or on the ground. i had a service garage look at it and they said the compression was equal across all four cylinders and well within manufacturer
07/12/200590000106/01/2000
 I purchased my 2000 toyota corolla in may of 2000. other than poor finish trimparts which are cracking and falling off, it has been a good car until now! t the current mileage is 102000 and the car is blowing oil out the tailpipe in quantities of one(1) quart per 100-150 miles. i was told by the service manager at my dealer( ralph hayes toyota of anderson), that there was not any recalls of this vehicle, although there is a recall on camery, seinna and another one. after viewing the number of posts of this same problem on your site, i see that my problem is not the only one. i kept the oil changed every 3500 to 5000 miles(filter included), as i have with all my vehicles and have never had a problem as this( my 1986 nissan pu has 296000 miles on it with no problems. what can be done to correct this problem? it is not an isolated problem.
05/27/200360000108/20/2001
 I bought a 2000 toyota corolla ve in august 2001 with 33,000 miles on it. the car has been serviced regularly, oil changes etc. on may 27, 2003, the vehicle stopped on the interstate after making a terrible noise in the engin. the toyota dealer now says the engine needs to be replaced because of lack of lubrication. the vehicle had an oil change two weeks before and there was no oil in the car two weeks later. the engine has been using excessive oil. we have had to add oil regularly. the dealer now wants $2500 to replace the engine in a car that is three years old. this is ridiculous. i found one other complaint on your website of excessive oil consumption in a 2000 corolla, but i am sure there are many more toyota engines out there waiting to blow up.
06/15/2002
 Engine check light came on. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer reset engine check light, when they should have done a dianostic test. dealer stated oil was not getting into engine. engine was replaced. please provide any further information.*ak
03/20/2000101/01/2000
 The assistant service manager told me that this is not the first time this has happened to this model. no safety defec tlisted. *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
01/15/2004200001
 Dt: the contact stated there has been a tapping noise in the engine for nearly two years. when the vehicle was cold the noise was loud. but, as the engine warmed up the noise became softer. however, the tapping noise became louder. the contact took the vehicle to the dealership, and they could not find a the cause of the problem. he took the vehicle to a local mechanic, and he suggested he look up technical service bulletin (tsb) 628673 concerning the belts and associated pulleys. the vehicle has not been back to the mechanic for repairs at this time. *ak
09/10/200312/19/1999
 Serpentine drive belt along with its hydraulic tensioner gives clattering noise on cold start and low speed acceleration. there has been a tsb eg01501 about this issue. toyota certified mechanic told me it is very dangerous driving with this noise. the belt tensioner may break, which can cause severe crash.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
07/01/201156000
 I own a 2000 toyota corolla with a 1.8l engine that is full of sludge and now visibly burns 1 quart of oil every 200-300 miles and will not pass inspection due to the oil being burned in the exhaust. i have had to replace several catalytic converters due to becoming clogged from the amount of oil burning through the engine. this problem has existed since the car had about 55,000 miles on it and local toyota garage has either denied there being a problem or they have tried to sell me on numerous other expensive repairs such as front and rear main bearings and seals, allegedly warped head, etc. vehicle now has close to 100k miles. the vehicle will not now pass state emissions inspection and is essentially worthless. there are thousands of like reports in researching but never seems to have been addressed. other models and years have been included in a class action suits that was successful for the exact same issue, but i can't find that this vehicle has been successfully addressed.
09/15/2006138000
 At 70,000 miles on my 2000 toyota corola the check engin light comes on, when revewing the current problems with my certified mechanic, i mentioned that i was using a quart of oil about every 600 miles. he said that it it would cost between $3,000-6,000 to fix the problem. in under 2,000 more miles it becam add a quart of oil each tank. at 84,000 miles the head went out on this motor, three differnt mechanics from differnt shops couldnot belive a toyota motor would need a new head at this distance. i replaced the head. the knocking sound disappered for a while, the oil consumption went down for a while. again with the check engin light. and back to a quart per tank. after a while the car started to shut off by its self. no steering, scared the heck out of me. i live in a region with enbankments which reach over 200' with trees. i had to stop driving the car because it was no longer safe to drive. i cannot belive that the corola motors have such a bad reputation. the toyota truck i owned ran like a champ at 200,000 when i sold it, it still runs today. while the corolla needs a new motor. there must be a design flaw to create so many similar oil problems.
01/20/200798800201/01/2000
 Year 2004: engine light came on. $1,500 for repair. year 2007: engine stopped. power steering pump make noise. $2,000 for replacement of the both parts. *nm
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
05/01/20072
 The 2000 toyota corolla i own has evaporator codes going off in the engine. after reading up on the situation found that toyota makde faulty charcoal canisters for models in 1998 to 2002. *ak
04/26/200767000105/30/2000
 Me 2000 toyota corolla has a leak in the pipe containing the cat converter and resonator. when my car was manufactured, the exhaust system contained these parts in one long piece. being that the leak is in this pipe, near the resonator, i brought it to the dealer to be replaced under warranty. my car is well within the years and mileage for warranty replacement. the dealer says that toyota now makes the replacement part only in 2 pieces, not in one piece as was installed in my car. they tell me that because of this, i must pay to have the pipe replaced. i feel that because toyota made this pipe in one piece on my car, that the replacement of the piece, weather by original manufactured method or by the now two piece method, should be covered under the federal emission warranty and be repaired at no cost to me. please respond as to weather toyota can do this or if they are trying to get the consumer to pay for something that should be covered. thank you *tr
08/17/200670000104/04/2000
 Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined the charcoal canister needed to be replaced.
01/20/20052
 I have noticed my right rear window is not sliding down or up. when i took for 60k miles service dealer told me motor failed and it cost me $500. and it is very common in toyota corolla. at 66k check engine light started glowing. dealer said i need to replace charcoal evaporator canister which is part of emission system and it is going to cost me $400. i will never buy toyota again. *nm
08/21/200537000106/10/2000
 (1) my check engine light came on unexpectedly while i was driving under 35 mph. i took the car (a toyota corolla ce) to the dealership where i bought it, new, in the summer of 2000. (2) the dealer stated that the charcoal canister needed to be replaced. (3) the dealer replaced the charcoal canister at a cost of $460.20, parts and labor. i'm reporting this because i know that lots of other corolla owners have had the same problem. the canister is part of the emissions system but is not covered under the emissions warranty. it seems as though way too many toyota's are affected for this to be passed off as a coincidence. i called toyota to complain but they weren't able to help. *jb
10/20/20041
 I purchased a 2000 corolla i had to have the charcoal cannister replaced and the purge valve emission unit replaced at great expense...the check engine light comes on regularly and i am told it is the purge valve or the gas cap...i have always had toyotas and i have spent more on this vehicle in one year of driving than any other. *ak
06/03/2003110/13/2001
 In feb 2002 my car engine siezed up 58 miles over the warranty. i had to replace the engine but still had a problem with my car. as a matter of fact, since i purchased the car, the engine light was lite up and it was explained to me that it was because of the gas cap not working properly. since this is the 1st car i had purchased, now being seperated, i accepted it. anyways, after i replaced the engine, the car still had a problem of burning oil. i keep oil in the car because i couldnt take it back to a shop since i just paid $3000 for an engine. since feb, i had to have my emissions test done in may, i failed, explaining my catalit converter or something within there was causing problems. since then, my car runs good but still has the oil problem and taps which no one could tell me the problem. now today, my car breaks down again, engine seized and no warranty or nothing and i still owe on this car. is there any help i can get on this situation? *ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
04/10/200789678104/03/2007
 Motor defect - the millions of toyota vehicles with this motor defect destroying our air... exceeding known pollution limits. you must recall these motors, and have toyota fix them. they refuse to fix mine... how many millions of vehicles will you allow to destroy the air we breathe? this motor burns and dumps out the exhaust 3 quarts of oil every 200 miles. it has coated the o2 sensor... it has destroyed the catalytic converter... how much oil needs to be dumped into the catalytic converter before a fire starts? it is a known motor defect. why have you not recalled. they will not fix this motor... how many vehicles will you allow to do this? please save our cities!*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
06/11/20041
 While driving consumer smelled gasoline fumes from the vents. consumer took the vehicle for state inspection of emission control, and vehicle failed due to high octane. consumer drove the vehicle to dealer, and mechanic determined that the filter needed to be replaced. *ak