Toyota Corolla 2012

Toyota Corolla 2012 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Toyota Corolla 2012 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• I am thinking of getting a 2012/2013 Toyota Corolla but it has done close to 400,000km mileage. What are the things or replacement costs I need to consider?

  That’s an awful lot of kilometres for a 2012 model car. Do you know the history of it? Was it a sales rep’s car? Those are really the first questions you need to answer as the car’s background might give you a good idea of how it’s been looked after.

  Put your detective’s hat on and take a close look at the car. Does the rear seat look pristine or is it about as worn as the rest of the interior? If it’s the latter, you could be looking at an ex-Uber taxi. Does the car have a permanent smell of pizza? Guess what? Basically, if the car is simply a high-miler with a good service record, then maybe it’s worth a punt. But if its history suggests a raft of different (but all underpaid) drivers and lots of stop-start city driving, then it could well be a liability in the short term.

  To be honest, the fact that it’s already done almost 400,000km and is still going suggests that the previous owner has, in fact, cared for it and serviced it properly. But even so, if the car is an ex-rental car or delivery vehicle it’s probably not a great car to own as it heads into its sunset years. And if it’s an ex-car-share vehicle, run in the other direction as fast as you can.

  The other documentation you’d really want to be able to examine would be the service history. Any skipped services over that period are bad news and will lead to problems down the track.

  As for what might need replacing; at that mileage the short answer is just about everything. It’s not just engines that wear out with kilometres, transmissions, suspension, brakes, bushes, bearings and everything else that can wear, will have begun that process. Again, how close it is to the car’s use-by-date being up will be down to how well it’s been maintained till now. At least parts for a Toyota Corolla will be relatively affordable compared with some of the competition.

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• How to replace the key battery for a 2012 Toyota Corolla?

  You should be able to prise open the key’s plastic body and then gain access to the battery-case within. But be careful, as older plastics become brittle with age and you don’t want to snap any of the locking tabs or the body itself (if you do, replacement keys are available online). If that all sounds a bit difficult, you could take the key to a shop or kiosk that cuts keys (and sells watch-bands and batteries) and they should be able to supply and fit the new battery for you. If you do it at home, make sure you dispose of the old button-battery safely as these pose a real threat to babies and toddlers.

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• Best first car options?

  Do not buy a Cruze, or buy a European brand. They will prove costly. It's best to go for the cars that are well proven over many years. The Lancer is a good one, but so too is the Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 or 3, or Mitsubishi Colt.

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• Toyota Corolla 2012: Replacing seatbelt

  There are cheaper alternatives, including from the internet. But if you go outside the Toyota network, make sure it's a genuine part because you cannot afford to compromise on safety.

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