2003 - 2008 Corolla Experience with high miles?

[RobbS]

Hello,
Anyone with a Corolla from 2003 - 2008, how many miles did you rack up?
I have one with 174k miles and is 100% original, stock parts. Nothing has failed yet
What was your top mileage and what eventually failed on it, when?
Thanks. I love mine, take care of it like it's a Labrikini.
Thanks

 

[JeffKeryk]

Long runners. I service 2 2005s, a CE strippie and a S top of the line. Service them!
Oh yeah, owners love 'em. There's a reason for it; they just go and go.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Lots of Corollas of that vantage with high miles on them with no problems

The odometer will stop at 299999, and there is still no fix 20 years later

 

[bilibako2]

2006 corolla le at 170k still running.

 

[RobbS]

Long runners. I service 2 2005s, a CE strippie and a S top of the line. Service them!
Oh yeah, owners love 'em. There's a reason for it; they just go and go.

I service mine, every single fluid regularly and early. The transmission has been serviced every 30k miles. Coolant is new from Toyota @100k miles, brake fluid has been flushed with new brakes, power steering flushed at 100k miles. Engine has had Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w30 it's whole life until I ran 5 intervals of Valvoline Restore and Protect recently.
Ignition is up to date, tires are new.
I want 500k miles. No problem.

 

[Leo99]

If I can remember correctly, I got my 2003 Corolla up to about 260k and gave it to my son who got it to 290k before he totaled hit. It was a nicer Corolla than my in-laws' 2022 Corolla. Quieter and smoother on the highway.

The struts needs to be replaced, the intake manifold gasket, and O2 sensors. All easy jobs. The battery tie-down bracket is a pain to reattach. The 2022 battery bracket in the Corolla is a piece of cake.

 

[RobbS]

If I can remember correctly, I got my 2003 Corolla up to about 260k and gave it to my son who got it to 290k before he totaled hit. It was a nicer Corolla than my in-laws' 2022 Corolla. Quieter and smoother on the highway.

The struts needs to be replaced, the intake manifold gasket, and O2 sensors. All easy jobs. The battery tie-down bracket is a pain to reattach. The 2022 battery bracket in the Corolla is a piece of cake.

Thanks for the parts list. At 174k miles without a failure of any kind is nice but I'll keep an eye on the intake manifold gasket and O2 sensors, just a waiting game I guess.
Thanks again.

 

[The_Jeff]

My dad had an 05 Matrix AWD. Transmission died. There was an upgrade to the new one that didn't let it engine brake as much. He lived in Vermont. Engine braking is gonna happen!

 

[RobbS]

Long runners. I service 2 2005s, a CE strippie and a S top of the line. Service them!
Oh yeah, owners love 'em. There's a reason for it; they just go and go.

Pictures of my 08 CE.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Pictures of my 08 CE.

Same...

 

[RobbS]

Same...
View attachment 326703

 

[Leo99]

Thanks for the parts list. At 174k miles without a failure of any kind is nice but I'll keep an eye on the intake manifold gasket and O2 sensors, just a waiting game I guess.
Thanks again.

It will throw a CEL code and when you Google, it will point to the intake manifold leaking. I posted a Pic of my valves on here when I did the job.

 

[RobbS]

It will throw a CEL code and when you Google, it will point to the intake manifold leaking. I posted a Pic of my valves on here when I did the job.

Thanks, I'll remember that.

 

[macarose]

Owned over 50. Sold one to my neighbor. Even owned pretty much every derivation of the Corolla chassis and powertrain from that era.

If you go to Mileage Impossible you'll see countless posts from owners with 299999+ miles on them.

Heck, I even got one for free two years ago from a neighbor. Just needed a fuel injector.

 

[Jackson_Slugger]

Some of these vintage of Corollas developed issues with burning oil, because the return ports tended to be less than adequate and could get gummed up if the engine wasn't well maintained (as in frequent oil changes with good quality oils). Using a synthetic in reasonable intervals prevented any issues....

 

[skyactiv]

Owned over 50. Sold one to my neighbor. Even owned pretty much every derivation of the Corolla chassis and powertrain from that era.

If you go to Mileage Impossible you'll see countless posts from owners with 299999+ miles on them.

Heck, I even got one for free two years ago from a neighbor. Just needed a fuel injector.

You ever own a 05'-06' XRS with the peppy engine?

 

[RobbS]

Some of these vintage of Corollas developed issues with burning oil, because the return ports tended to be less than adequate and could get gummed up if the engine wasn't well maintained (as in frequent oil changes with good quality oils). Using a synthetic in reasonable intervals prevented any issues....

It's been maintained with Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w30 it's whole life. Highway miles. Good to go.

 

[charbaby]

Not to be picky, these were actually 2003-2009 and were all good. Any car can develop issues however with a good car that has not given any issues over the past ~20 years, you just fix what breaks and keep going especially in the non salt belt part of the country. I have even seen some remarkable '03-'09 in my salt belt area of Western NYS that are still going strong.

 

[RedSpider]

The only problem I had with any Corolla of that era was alternators.

 

[Astro14]

Had a 2006. It was bought for our teenage boys, who drove it to and from school and sports, and then handed down to our teenage daughter, who used it the same way, then drove it through college and years after. A hard life, by any measure.

She and her husband gave it to a needy couple when it had about 240,000 miles on it.

Paint was peeling on the hood, but it ran perfectly.

The most reliable car we’ve ever owned.