2004 Toyota Corolla Transmission Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE INTO THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT STOPPED AND SHIFTED INTO PARK, TO ALLOW THE FRONT PASSENGER TO STEP OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE GEAR LEVER WAS SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE CABLE, CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION, DISCONNECTED. THE CONTACT SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, AND CALLED THE AUTO NATION TOYOTA FORT MYERS SERVICE CENTER DEALER AT (239)344-1900, LOCATED AT 2555 COLONIAL BLVD, #1, FORT MYERS, FL, 33907, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL, AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 76,000.

CAR WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY. VERY SUDDENLY IT STARTED MAKING THIS HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. I WENT TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED. I DID NOT HIT THE BRAKES YET AND WAS GLAD I WAS GOING SLOW. TRANSMISSION IS BLOWN WITH NO WARNING, NO LEAKS, AND NO NOISE EXCEPT AT THE LAST FEW MINUTES. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. MA 10/15/2015

MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED THIS EVENING. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY AN EIGHTH OF A MILE FROM HOME AND WAS ABLE TO USE MY MOMENTUM TO SAFELY GET OFF THE ROAD. I HEARD A LOUD POP, THEN THE CLUTCH BEGAN TO GRIND HORRIFICALLY. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, BUT UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL. THE FRONT AXLE IS COMPLETELY SIEZED, AND THE CAR IS INOPERABLE. I HAD THE CAR FLATBEDED TO MY MECHANIC, THE FLAT BED DRIVER HAD TO WINCH THE VEHICLE ON TO THE TRUCK. MY MECHANIC TOOK ONE LOOK AND INFORMED ME THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH AND MANUEL TRANSMISSION AND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2003 AND 2004 TOYOTA COROLLAS. WHY WAS NO RECALL OR CONSUMER NOTICE ISSUED FOR THIS MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE? I HAD MY COWORKER IN THE CAR AS WELL.

WHEN REVERSING, THE SHIFT CABLE BROKE AND CAR BEGAN ROLLING. EVEN IN PARK, IT WOULD NOT STAY PARKED. HAD TO ENGAGE SECURITY BRAKE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR FROM ROLLING AWAY. *TR

THE CAR WAS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA WITH STANDARD TRANSMISSION THAT HAD ~138,500 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD RATTLING SOUND AS I SWITCHED INTO 4TH GEAR. THE RATTLING SOUND GOT WORSE AS I DROVE HOME FROM WORK, SO I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT MORNING. HE DROVE IT HIMSELF AND SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO A LOOSENED BEARING IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS NOT WORTH REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION ON A CAR THAT OLD SO I HAD TO BUY A NEW ONE. THE CAR WAS 10 YEARS OLD WITH SIGNIFICANT MILEAGE, BUT TOYOTA COROLLAS SHOULD LAST FOR MUCH LONGER THAN THIS. ALSO, I READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY 2004 TOYOTAS WERE HAVING TRANSMISSIONS FAIL PREMATURELY BECAUSE OF BEARINGS COMING LOOSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. *TR

AT 94,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I AM HAVING WHAT COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY ALMOST NEW COROLLA 2004 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 8000 KM. IF I LEAVE THE CAR PARKED FOR SAY MORE THAN A WEEK, I THEN START IT, AND TRY TO GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE THE CAR TAKES (LAGS) LIKE 5 OR 6 SECONDS TO SORT OF ENGAGE THE GEAR. AT FIRST IT SORT OF LIKE STARTS TO GO BUT NOT FULLY (SLIPS) AND AFTER THAT IT GOES SOLID. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND MY EXPLANATION?? DEALER HAS PERFORMED THE HYDRAULIC TEST, RESET THE MEMORY, AND CHANGED THE ATF OIL. IT SEEMS THAT PERHAPS ONE OF THE INTERNAL VALVES TENDS TO LEEK OR IS NOT ABLE TO RETAIN THE PRESSURE OVER TIME. THE CAR HAS NOW 15000 KM. AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. IT TAKES MORE TIME TO FULLY ENGAGE INTO GEAR. I CAN SEE HOW A SERIOUS ACCIDENT CAN HAPPENED IF THE PERSON DRIVING THE CAR IS NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND WILL TRY TO ACCELERATE TO GET THE CAR MOVING AND SUDDENLY LOOSE CONTROL OVER A SUDDEN UNWANTED ACCELERATION. I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BEFORE AND I HOPE SOMEONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT TAKES SERIOUSLY THIS INFORMATION. THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT (ODI NUMBER) WAS 10187863. THANK YOU *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH HE NOTICED A SHARP SOUND COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 90000.

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA S 5-SPEED WITH 91,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING THE OTHER DAY, THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP ON THE INTERSTATE. I HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND HAVE MAINTAINED IT WELL SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE CLUTCH WAS BAD AND THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $1,036 TO REPAIR IT. AFTER SPEAKING TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND FINDING OUT THAT THE DEALERSHIP WANTED $400 MORE THAN AVERAGE TO DO THE SERVICE I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. AFTER REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE CAR HE INFORMED ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS FINE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD. I BOUGHT A TOYOTA FOR ITS SUPPOSED RELIABILITY......WHAT A JOKE. THIS IS GOING TO COST THOUSANDS TO REPAIR AND HAS EFFECTIVELY RUINED MY SUMMER VACATION PLANS. I KNOW THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS TRANSMISSION.....I HOPE SOMETHING GETS DONE ABOUT IT. *TR -BRYAN SHEPLER

SUMMER 2007, WITH ABOUT 65,000 MILES ON MY 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA S (BOUGHT NEW), I STARTED TO NOTICE AN UNUSUAL SOUND WHEN I SHIFTED GEARS--SOUNDED A LITTLE LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE SOUND BUT VERY FAINT. SOUND SLOWLY BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED, UNTIL IT BECAME A WORRY. IT HAPPENED WHEN I USED THE CLUTCH (IT'S A MANUAL). I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM LISTEN TO IT. THEY DIDN'T HEAR IT, BUT RECOMMENDED THAT I LEAVE IT FOR SERVICE. I DID. DEALER SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. ALSO SAID THEY RARELY WORK ON MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS ANY MORE. CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES, I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC PERSONALLY KNOWN TO ME. HE IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED IT AS A TRANSMISSION BEARING PROBLEM. THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLY THE PILOT BEARING. HE RECOMMEND I TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE FOR A LISTEN. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AS THE LOCAL MECHANIC. I REPORTED BACK TO MY MECHANIC WHO CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK WHETHER THERE WERE ANY SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT TRANSMISSION BEARING PROBLEMS AND THEY SAID THERE WEREN'T. I CONTACTED THE DEALER TO REPORT THE FINDINGS OF THE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I RETURNED TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION WORK DONE AND HE REPLACED THE BEARINGS. NO MORE UNUSUAL SOUND WHEN I SHIFT. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART, WHICH SHOWS WEAR ON ONE OF THE BEARINGS. THE DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS EVEN LESS HELPFUL. THE REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, ABOUT ~1600 (I ALSO DECIDED TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH WHILE WE WERE IN THERE). *TR

I AM HAVING WHAT COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY ALMOST NEW COROLLA 2004 WITH ONLY 8000 MILES. IF I LEAVE THE CAR PARKED FOR SAY MORE THAN A WEEK, I THEN START IT, AND TRY TO GO INTO REVERSE THE CAR TAKES (LAGS) LIKE 5 OR 6 SECONDS TO SORT OF ENGAGE THE GEAR. AT FIRST IT SORT OF LIKE STARTS TO GO BUT NOT FULLY (SLIPS) AND AFTER THAT IT GOES SOLID IN TO REVERSE. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND MY EXPLANATION?? DEALER HAS PERFORMED THE HYDRAULIC TEST, RESET THE MEMORY, AND CHANGED THE OIL. *AK

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA FROM SAN DIEGO TO DALLAS. ABOUT 60 MILES EAST OF YUMA, AZ THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN THIS CAR. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO YUMA AND A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION REPLACED BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION HAD GROUND ITSELF TO PIECES AND THERE WERE PIECES OF THIS IN THE TRANSMISSION PAN. WE HAD TO PAY $3000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE DO NOT BELIEVE A 3 YEAR OLD TOYOTA WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHOULD GO OUT AT 75,000 MILES. *NM