In 1st place and the car we feel will be the best bang for your ringgit for a newbie driver is the evergreen looking Toyota Corolla 1.6 SEG which will sell for between RM8,000 to RM10,000 for a tidy well looked after unit. Check for rough edges on inner guard edges which can cut your hand and look for poor alignment of shut lines. Poor imitation lights can melt and fade; even catch fire. Look for water leaks and corrosion then allow for cost of genuine replacement.
Hardy trim and carpet can be worn through but new seat panels are easily stitched in providing padding is not ruined. Some dash parts lift with sun and high-mileage steering wheel rims pull away from internal frame. Spongy brake pedal usually means a master cylinder overhaul and worn clutch and throttle cables are common which makes them heavy and jerky. Odometers can stop for false reading so check other wear indicators. Air-conditioning may need costly updating if not working.
Split driveshaft boots and clicking CV joints while steering must not be ignored. High mileage cars often have a deep rumble coming from driveline which can be gearbox, diff or hub bearings, all of which can cost big money. Local strut inserts help you save on worn front shockers but worn rears require complete and expensive rear strut replacement which is why most used Corollas will have sagging or bouncy rear ends. Regular four wheel alignment is essential for even tyre wear. This Corolla is sensitive to tyre choice as some generate more noise than others. Front tyres will wear out three times as quickly unless constantly rotated front to rear. Rear brake drums often conceal weeping wheel cylinders, soaked brake linings and dirty wheel bearings for major cost. Check front brake discs for minimum thickness.
Corolla engines seem to generate fewer problems than the larger Camry. Alternators can fail on average every five years. When the seals in the mechanical fuel pump on carburettor engines fail, oil drips on coolant hoses then dissolves them which will cause them to fail and cook the engine. Replace the fuel pump and affected hoses immediately it starts leaking. Welch plugs, oil seals around distributor, engine sump, rocker cover and rear main then fail in rapid succession as under bonnet heat destroys everything perishable. Check for water pump leaks around the lower cam belt area as it can be fiddly to replace.
Cooling hoses, ignition coil, plug leads and distributor cap and fuel lines must be monitored as they are now old enough to fail. Difficult starting is often caused by the coil. Some are showing up with hardened valve-stem seals which generate high oil consumption but usually because they are not replaced after a blown head gasket
A blown head gasket, common if the coolant has been neglected, requires more labour than most with the twin camshafts. Cam belt replacement must be recorded otherwise allow for its immediate replacement.
Fuel injected models need to be carefully checked for leaky injectors, cold starting problems, black smoke under acceleration and rough running when hot.
Noisy or worn manual gearboxes are now showing up usually because of poor driving. Check the 1-2, 3-2, 4-3 changes for crunching. A clutch that doesn’t engage until the last bite of travel is on its last legs. A worn auto will display delayed changes and shift shock but is not the most expensive to fix. Broken engine mounts are now showing up with age and quickly generate costly exhaust fractures.
Make sure the bootlid shuts and seals properly to avoid killer exhaust leaks. Check inside rear load area and side panels for tell tale creases from hefty rear impact. Now you have a good little sedan that should be trouble free and depreciation free for at least the next 3 years.
