Toyota Corolla Problems

I would go back to the dealer he bought the car from and park it in his front yard until he restores it to the condition in which it was when your grandson bought it. If the dealer has changed the tyres as you allege he has acted fraudulently. The car as delivered was not in the condition it was when your grandson agreed to buy it. If the dealer doesn't come to the party take your case directly to Toyota.

Most glass outlets should be able to replace the glass in your mirrors with flat glass reflectors, which will fix your problem.

The timing belt is usually changed at 150,000 km on that model and most dealers are happy to do it on the basis of distance done rather than a time limit. Regular unleaded is being phased out in NSW only in 2011. Your car should be fine on E10, BP guarantees its E10 is suitable for all vehicles regardless of the age of the vehicle, the other oil companies don’t make that guarantee at the moment, but probably will. With that in mind use BP E10 if you have any doubts.

While it took too long to resolve your complaint you should be congratulated for maintaining the pressure on Toyota until they did resolve the problem. Other owners frustrated by problems with their cars, whatever the make, should take note.

So how does filling out the 'questionnaire' fix the rotten-egg smell? Perhaps the person who had you fill out the form should try driving around with the smell for a while!

Your mechanic is correct, but so are you. The mechanic's suggestion of a Corolla is a safe bet, one that won't come back to bite him in the long run, but the other cars you mention are also worth considering. All are solid, generally reliable cars, although I would be cautious about recommending the Astra to you. Stick to the well-known Japanese brands and she won't go too far wrong.

The rotten egg smell was once a sign of a problem with the catalytic converter, but it's hard to believe that two cars would suffer the same problem at the same time. I assume you have tried different brands of fuel, as well as Premium unleaded, and even high-octane fuel. If not I would try all those things to see what affect they might have, and ask the dealer to check the cat converters.

I haven’t heard of any such policy and I haven’t seen anything written in warranties specifically about rattles and squeaks. My enquiries at Toyota have failed to get any answer that might help you. I doubt that there is such a policy; I reckon the dealer is trying to get rid of you because they don’t want to spend the time to fix your complaint. In Toyota’s defence, however, I would say that squeaks and rattles could, after a period of time, be regarded as the result of wear and tear rather than a design deficiency and hence not covered by the warranty.

No, we haven't had any other reports. We have asked Toyota to look into the issue, but we're still waiting for their response.  What he has been told doesn't make much sense, swelling brake hoses just doesn't cut it, if that's the cause then Toyota has a broader issue and needs to act to replace them; it doesn't seem like a characteristic of the car, and the last dealer's response is also unbelievable. Has anyone from the dealers or Toyota driven the car to check the problem he is complaining about? If not have someone drive the vehicle with you to experience what you are experiencing. You've then got a common understanding from which you can discuss your issue. Then have the dealer check the brake system; the pedal is going down too far if indeed it is getting to within 25 mm of the floor.

Toyotas generally have a belt change interval of 150,000 km, but to be sure check the service booklet, which will show the correct interval.