Just Bought A Used 2004 Le - What Issues Should I Be On The Watch For? - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

Hello all,

I just bought a used 2004 Corolla LE with 136K miles from the original owner. Outside of some cosmetic issues (I live in a desert - meaning clearcoat on the roof, trunk, and hood of an 8 year old car here is nearly impossible to find.) it seems to be a solid car that I am very pleased with. Headroom and legroom are awesome, and I am tall.

What kind of issues or concerns have you run into with this car?

Do you recommend running synthetic oil? If so, why or why not?

Thank you for your feedback! default_smile

Congratulations. How much did you pay for it?

Did the owner provide you with detailed maintenance records. If a periodic maintenance wasn't done in recent months, I would be inclined to do a full fluid replacement/replishment on the vehicle. This includes oil change, coolant flush, transmission drain and refill, bleed brakes and top off with fresh fluid, steering fluid etc. I will also check spark plugs and serpentine belt.

Congratulations. How much did you pay for it?

Did the owner provide you with detailed maintenance records. If a periodic maintenance wasn't done in recent months, I would be inclined to do a full fluid replacement/replishment on the vehicle. This includes oil change, coolant flush, transmission drain and refill, bleed brakes and top off with fresh fluid, steering fluid etc. I will also check spark plugs and serpentine belt.

Thank you for the congrats. I owned a 1992 Corolla, and outside of the rediculous front seat belts, I loved the car. It is the only car I have ever sold that I truly regret selling to this day.

Let's just say I did my research, paid less than KBB private party. I had some records, but not complete, but I have reason to trust the owner (long story). I had a pre-purchase inspection, and outside of recommending replacement of the valve cover gasket for a minor leak, they said it looked great under the hood. They said the lowest compression was 125 PSI for cylinder 1, 140-145 for the others. They said the belt, fluids all were good. Rear brakes should be done likely this fall, fronts are very good. Hoses are good, though if I plan to drive to Phoenix, they would recommend replacement and coolant replacement.

I will of course keep up on recommended maintenance to the best of my ability.

What are your thoughts on synthetic oil? I am considering upgrading to it for the protective properties. I am hoping to get 10 years/100,000 more miles from this car if possible (yeah, I know that's not likely, but with a Corolla, more likely than with many other cars out there).

A lot of people use synthetic oil these days. I tried using it once, but as my car burns some oil, especially with highway driving, I found it be very expensive to use synthetic. I know that Fish uses synthetic exclusively in his corolla and matrix and he will have better information for you.

What explanation did the shop give you for low compression on one of the cylinders? Did they do a wet test?

In any case enjoy your new corolla.

A lot of people use synthetic oil these days. I tried using it once, but as my car burns some oil, especially with highway driving, I found it be very expensive to use synthetic. I know that Fish uses synthetic exclusively in his corolla and matrix and he will have better information for you.

What explanation did the shop give you for low compression on one of the cylinders? Did they do a wet test?
In any case enjoy your new corolla.

Interesting feedback on the synthetic issue. I am hoping this car doesn't use much oil. I haven't seen reason to think it will yet, but I just bought it Friday of last week.

The shops here in Las Cruces, well, I have yet to find one I am overly impressed with. Not quite sure what kind of compression test they did, surely it was the cheaper shortcut kind. Seems to be the norm at most shops in this town. We take the Honda to a dealer in El Paso - 50 miles away - if that says anything.

Their explanation was that they weren't sure, maybe it was just a little dirt on a valve so it wasn't sealing quite as it should, and recommended I consider synthetic to see if it would clean the valve, thereby resolving the issue. They said 125 was still good compression, nothing to worry about. My old 1993 Escort had 110 on it's higher compression readings, and ran fine for 5 years bruning no oil, just leaking a good amount. The Escort still runs, just am upgrading to the Corolla.

Thank you for your feedback!

friendly_jacek

If I were you, I would check for valve clearance. If valves are worn, clearance is too tight and they may not close completely. Synthetic is usually better, but depending on circumstances, you may or may not get any benefits. BTW, 2004 is one of the most reliable years with no major problems I'm aware of. You may consider adding some more protection for AC condenser from road debris.

As for motor oils - modern formulations make it less of an issue. If you plan on running an extended oil change interval or experience severe operating conditions - best interest to run synthetic fluids. My preference for running synthetic was more for extended oil changes (OCI right now is between 7500-8500 miles conservatively, tested it out to 10K-12K, still have protection). We occasionally see subzero temps to triple digits - lots of idling at times (DC Metro traffic) and I don't baby the car at all. For my driving style, synthetic fits the best.

Don't automatically assume that synthetic will protect the engine better or make it run longer. The key is not the oil type, but the oil change interval and right viscosity for the conditions. Indeed, the current API spec for conventional oil puts it on par with some synthetics - in terms of viscosity index, high temperature shear, additive pack, etc. Use oil analysis will give you a much clearer picture of what runs best in your application.

Thank you Friendly and Fish. Your tips and feedback are appreciated.

I saw the reviews through Edmunds and others, which made me feel good about the 2004. If I am going through any oil, I may have a mechanic check the valve clearances. Unfortunately, I pay for the work I get done (no shop or time myself) so I have to choose carefully - it adds up!

Outside of living in a desert, and the harshness that entails, I am pretty kind to my cars in my driving habits. Fortunatley for now, I do not live in a big town, and ugly commutes are few and far between - mostly when I go visit relatives in Phoenix (traffic there is a nightmare, but I try to avoid rush hours).