I just recently bought a 2002 Corolla with 165,000 miles on it. I first took it to the local Toyota dealership for a thorough (I thought) pre-purchase inspection. One of the things they said was wrong with it is that the front brakes needed replacing. So, after purchase I got down to my mechanic to have them replaced and it turns out that there was hundreds of dollars of damage to the suspension that those idiots at the dealership didn't even find. Now, since my protection has run out under my state's lemon law, I'm wondering what the hell else they didn't find that might cost me beucoup bucks. I've heard that the Corolla is as tough as nails, but when the engine or transmission finally do go, it's so expensive to fix them that it's usually cheaper to just throw the thing in a ditch and buy a new one than to repair or replace them. Also, there's a vibration in the car while I'm sitting at a light in drive with the brake on. The mechanic said that this may be due to engine mounts. How much is that going to cost to replace? Thanks much for any help one can give me.
How screwed am I?
- Thread starter mczonie
- Start date
For an estimate on the engine mount(s) see here.
You can also search the site to price check the other repair quotes you have been given. In terms of finding other items that could have been missed, I would keep a close eye on whether the engine burns a lot of oil. That generation of Corolla may have issues with burning a lot of engine oil, especially at higher mileage. If you aren't aware of it and the engine ends up running dry, that can be bad news for the engine.
Hopefully the car you bought was well maintained by previous owner(s), because that can make all the difference. Corollas are great cars and very durable, so don't despair yet!
You can also search the site to price check the other repair quotes you have been given. In terms of finding other items that could have been missed, I would keep a close eye on whether the engine burns a lot of oil. That generation of Corolla may have issues with burning a lot of engine oil, especially at higher mileage. If you aren't aware of it and the engine ends up running dry, that can be bad news for the engine.
Hopefully the car you bought was well maintained by previous owner(s), because that can make all the difference. Corollas are great cars and very durable, so don't despair yet!
