I purchased my Corolla T Spirit 1.6 VVTi in April 2002 and have had all the above faults. A replacement is coming soon, will it have the same problems? Let's hope not. A friend of mine purchased the same car in June and apart from the leaking sunroof has all the other problems. This is not what we should expect from Toyota GB. I must state that I have found Toyota Customer Relations to be very helpful in dealing with the vehicle's problems; this has been the main reason for remaining with the brand. The dealer (one of the largest car retail chains) has been less than helpful.

I enjoy driving the vehicle and road noise is exceptionally quiet. Engine noise does increase significantly on the motorway at about 80 mph. You feel very secure being surrounded by what appears to be high quality trim, but it does scratch very easily compared to the VW Golf and Ford Focus. Parking can be difficult, rear vision is obscured by the three head restraints and the high side windows don't allow you to easily see what is at the side of the vehicle. The large door and window pillars also cause vision difficulty although I believe they offer good crash protection. The soft front and rear bumpers are a good idea, my wife reversed into a parking meter post on the first week of ownership and the only mark on the rear bumper was a slight bruise. However, stones easily mark the front bumper, possibly because it is so soft.

Overall the car is enjoyable to drive but the faults listed above need to be addressed if Toyota are to rival or exceed VW quality. I feel that rattles should not be evident on a new vehicle given the price paid and Toyota's previous reputation for building high quality, reliable cars. Let's hope that the fact that they are built in the UK instead of Japan has not tarnished their reputation.