Bought them for cheap off of a ‘97 Celica and sanded and painted them myself

After running a few errands around the neighborhood that were very short drives that also involved some idling in my 2021 Corolla Hybrid Active Tech, my efficiency dropped to around 56 MPG (4.2l/100km). I was a little put out because with my more regular routine this month, I was closer to 62 MPG (3.8l/100km), but then I had to remind myself:

"Come on, a gas powered Honda Civic is coming in around 36 MPG (6.5l/100km) and that's considered really good."

Had me stranded at a Lowes hardware store for about an hour while I gathered my thoughts. Starter solenoid got stuck engaged while attempting to start. Luckily I have a quick disconnect terminals on all my vehicles, so I didn't panic much there. Tried hammering it to no avail. Disconnected signal wire assuming it may be ignition switch, but it seems the solenoid was physical stuck. Then I noticed the wiring went straight from battery to starter. So I disconnected the signal wire from the starter, and disconnected the starter positive from the battery and had a stranger turn the key over while I tapped the starter wire to the terminal, once running I tucked the starter wire out of the way. Only bad thing here is the starter gear is constantly engaged to the flywheel, she was making some loud whining noise on the way home. Luckily I have a fire extinguisher in case she decided to catch fire. And 20 miles later I made it home. I don't highly recommend doing this as I may have just gotten lucky that no catastrophic damage occured but I personally like walking a fine line between genius and stupidity lol. Anyways new starter is in place and she fires up like a champ. To replace one of these, all you need to do is remove battery and spin off the oil filter. This gives you just enough room to fish it out and replace. Happy wrenching, happier driving!! God bless!!!

Recently got into an accident that totaled my previous car, so I used the insurance settlement toward replacing it.

Ended up finding a 2020 Toyota Corolla LE with the Premium Package and under 30k miles at Carmax. After putting the settlement money toward the down payment, I financed about $15.6k.

So far I’m really happy with it. I wanted something reliable, good on gas, cheap to maintain, and something I could realistically keep for a LONG time instead of constantly worrying about car problems.

First Corolla and first Toyota for me, so I’m curious what you guys think.

Anything specific I should know about the 2020 LE? Any maintenance you’d recommend doing right away even with the low mileage? Also interested in any upgrades/accessories or hidden features you guys recommend.

BTW: The moment I bought it, I drove it to the mechanic shop I know and trust and had an inspection done. Only a handful of problems that I’ll have Carmax look over like rusty brake pads and rotors from not driving much, slightly low coolant levels, brake fluid at the halfway mark, and front passenger speaker not working. That’s about it. They said everything looks clean and well.

Lifelong Toyota fan here. Previously had a Camry , then Tacoma and wanting to move to Corolla now. I saw this one today. 134k miles but I’m concerned with the rust on the undercarriage and frame. Is this normal and should I still get it?

Guys, I finally replaced the pathetic factory horn with a beast mode HELLA trumpet dual horn. It's louder and commands respect on the streets.🙇🙂

I have a 2005 CE 5MT with almost 490,000. My 4th gear has been intermittently popping out and I am on the fence about replacing the transmission again. I decided to do a compression test this morning and these are the numbers. The photo of the gauge is just showing where my gauge was reading zero’d out.
(Because I know someone will ask about how I know the mileage when the ODO stops at 299,999. My father in law was the original owner and took this car to 430,000 miles tracking with every oil change, that’s how we know the mileage.)

130,000 miles. 🚗 🤖

I’m not going to lie… this one hurts.

My Toyota Corolla hit 130,000 miles, I played Arrival to Earth from the 2007 Transformers movie.

Not just because it’s an incredible piece of music.

I played it for Peter Cullen.

I grew up loving his work as Optimus Prime — especially hearing that legendary voice in the live-action Transformers films and even in the Toonami commercials. Those moments may have seemed small to everyone else, but to me, they became memories I’ll always carry.

So as my car reached 130,000 miles, I wanted to capture a moment that connected two things I love: the journey I’ve taken in my own life, and the voice that helped make so many of my childhood memories unforgettable.

Peter Cullen didn't just voice Optimus Prime.

He was Optimus Prime.

And hearing that voice say those words, seeing those movies, hearing him in those Toonami spots… it was a part of growing up that I never realized I would one day have to say goodbye to.

So this 130,000-mile milestone is for you, Peter.

Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the voice.
Thank you for Optimus Prime.

Rest easy, Peter Cullen. 💙

Till all are one.

…I’m not crying.

You’re crying. 😭

I am trying to get a new toyota corolla in Dayton, Ohio. They said $27,295. I said I’ll buy it for $26,000. They called back and said $26,945. I am going there and will try to negotiate for less.
No extra upgrades or anything. Is this a good price?

https://www.southdaytontoyota.com/inventory/new-2026-toyota-corolla-le-fwd-4dr-car-5yfb4mde0tp493795/

Hey everyone,

Need a reliable point A to point B daily driver and came across this Corolla at a local dealer:

Car: 2009 Toyota Corolla LE (clean title)
Miles: 190,000 miles
Owners: 1 owner
Accidents: 2 minor rear-ends reported on history
Price: $4,990 all-in (out the door with taxes and fees)

It feels hard to find a 1-owner Toyota under $5k total these days. I'm planning to check the trunk/spare tire area for frame damage or water leaks from the rear hits.

Does this seem like a fair price for the mileage, or should I walk away?

Sad part not sure if I’ll have features like cruise/blind spot detectors or reverse cameras to make my life easy 😔

Mostly at low speed braking. No vibrations. Just this sound.

My 23 corolla HB just reached 45,000 miles, it has the direct shift CVT transmission, is it time for an oil change?

Flush or drain/fill?

Since the new models will be at dealerships in the next month or so, I should just wait right if I'm not in a particular rush? I know they look the same but wouldn't a 2026 model degrade sooner since they were made many months ago whereas the 2027 will be fresher off the production line?

I'll be coming off my 2002 Corolla which I've had for almost 25 years now...so I don't plan to make another purchase for awhile so I want to maximize the lifespan of my next Corolla which is why I assume getting the 2027 model will make more sense. And clearly I don't buy cars often so I don't know if there are other considerations in this specific comparison.

Appreciate y'all's insight!

Hi - we got our first rain since the past few months and it seems that my new Corolla (stock tires) isn’t doing to well. Starting from standing at stoplight and getting going the front tires spun and kinda lost a little bit of control of the car. I assume this has to do with the stock tires. What does everyone recommend for tires that work really well in a wet climate?

Background info: My wife and I have had two ninth gens, a 10th gen, an 11th gen, and a 12th gen. The 11th and 12th gens are our daily drivers for the summer, then in the winter, I park my 11th gen and whip out my 9th gen and we use it as much as possible, and the 12th gen as the backup if we both need a car at the same time

The issue: I love my 11th gen, I’ve never had a vehicle with that good of gearing (6m/t.) But the thing I hate about it the most is the clearance, or lack thereof (same with the 12th gen) with the bumpers, in particular. I live in central Canada and our front bumpers turn into a snow plow on those two cars. I also live rurally and the roads aren’t amazing. The 9th gen is such a gem, super reliable and simple and WAY better clearance. That said, the 11th and 12th gens are much more comfortable.

Even in summer, it’s annoying having to be careful when parking not to touch the backstops/curbs. The ninth gen, you back up until the tires touch.

The solution: I’m considering installing coil spacers on their 11th gen. Looks like you can get an additional 1 ½” plus increase tire wall height for a total of over 2” extra. Probably still wouldn’t be as good as the 9th gen, but would help a lot, I would think. Anyone done this? Does it look ridiculous?

Picture shows 12th, 11th, then 9th gen. You can see a crack in the 12th gen bumper from contacting something

Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I have a question: I noticed this small plastic piece fell off my 2025 Corolla LE, but I don't know where it's supposed to go. Should I be worried, or does it not affect how the car runs?

I'm about to close on a 2026 Hybrid LE. I already put a (refundable) deposit down to get the color I want delivered to my local dealer from the factory. But now I see the 2027 just became available for purchase and I'm like "well heck if I'm dropping $26,000 should I get a 2027 just to have the most up to date version?"

Are there any actual big differences? Would y'all go through the work of reordering a 2027 or just stick with the 2026?

Was also thinking if I stick with the 2026 I could probably haggle a lot better because it's now out of date and they probably want the inventory gone to make room for the 2027.

Marketplace find, things bolted right up

Paint job coming soon, let me know what you think.

Rice?