Toyota Problems

The Brumby would have been a good choice 10 years ago, but finding one now that hasn’t been driven into the ground, beaten to death, or rusted away is nigh on impossible. Instead of buying a dodgy old your son a favour and buy him a decent car, one that doesn’t belong in a scrap yard, and will serve him well for some time into the future. I would go for a Hilux, Triton, or Bravo 2600.

Locking your keys in a car, or just flat-out losing them altogether, is a horrible experience. While the movies make it look easy to break into a car, the reality is quite different. Even a humble Toyota Corolla is difficult to break into without smashing the door glass with a hammer. If you have locked your keys in the car, the first port of call should be a locksmith, who can come unlock it for you for a fee. If it is an emergency, you can normally access the hatch or boot (otherwise known as the trunk in the USA) by punching the lock out using a large flat-headed screwdriver and a hammer. You will have to get a new lock fitted, though this is often cheaper and less hazardous than breaking a window and replacing that glass. Vehicles built in the last 30 years are next to impossible to hotwire in the conventional sense, so don't even fantasise about that - call a towtruck and get it taken to your local mechanic!

Though they were originally rear-drive, Aussie Corollas have been driven by the front-wheels since the era of stonewash and perms (that is the 1980s, kids). We also had a Corolla-based four-wheel drive in the early '90s badged Tercel, though it didn't last long. Overseas, the Corolla has had all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants, some even featuring turbochargers. For Australia, the last rear-drive Corolla was the KE70-series, though the early 1980s rear-drive Sprinter was also based off a Corolla platform.

Toyota's Corolla has built its giant-killing reputation on the fact that, while they might not be the flashiest or most dynamically appealing, they have always been rock-solid reliable. What the Corolla may lack in tar-shredding performance it makes up for with dependable reliability and cheap running costs. As with any car, regular servicing and care will be key to maintaining that reliability in the long term.

Ford updated the Ranger with an update for the 2018 model year, and this isn't just because the current-generation PX model (otherwise known as the "T6") has been around for seven years. The Ranger nameplate is heading back to the US after a seven year hiatus, with American-built examples to roll out of Michigan from mid-2018 as a 2019 model year. Aussie customers will be able to get their hands on the updated 2018 model from mid-year, including the all-new Ranger Raptor! The 2018 changes will be key in tackling fresh rivals like the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, plus existing foes like the Toyota HiLux and the Mazda BT-50.  

First introduced in 1966 as a sub-compact model, Toyota’s Corolla has become the worldwide standard-bearer for compact cars, selling over 40,000,000 examples up to July 2013. Japanese-market E160-series Corollas are produced by Toyota subsidiary company Central Motors, in the Japanese Miyagi prefecture. The E170 models are built in plants around the world, including: Indaiatuba, Brazil; Ontario, Canada; Guanzhou, China; Cumana, Venezuela; Bidadi, India; Shizuoka, Japan; Karachi, Pakistan; Durban, South Africa; Zhongli, Taiwan; Chachoengsao, Thailand; Adapazari, Turkey; and Mississippi, USA.

Currently made in sedan and hatch, there are two basic versions of the Corolla: the Japanese-only E160 model, and the export market E170. Australia sources its Corolla sedans from Thailand, while the hatches come from the export-only production facility in Shizuoka, Japan.

It would only be replaced/repaired at Toyota’s expense if it were a problem of design or production. Until you have it assessed by a Toyota dealer who should be able to establish the cause of the problem you won’t know if it’s something Toyota will pay for or one you’ll have to spring for.

 I would expect that you would feel the brakes were spongy if a caliper was leaking significant amounts of fluid. I doubt it was leaking when you bought the car, as I’m sure the brakes would have been affected.

As a car, yes. While the humble Corolla might not be a Ferrari, they are solid, dependable transport that has served the world brilliantly for half a century. Cheap to buy and run, they are a bastion of reliability, they have good safety and equipment levels, and aren't bad on the eye, too. Classic Corollas are an excellent introduction to historic vehicles, while new vehicles are possibly the safest purchase in the new car market today.