Problems with 2003 Toyota Corolla ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Rotten egg smell when idling.*ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning. there was loud knocking noise coming from underneath the vehicle.*ak

Consumer states while driving at any speed smelled strong chemical fumes in the passenger compartment. dealer has been notified.*ak

While driving the vehicle the driver would smell a rotten egg smell. the dealership has been contacted. *nlm both of the consumer toyota corollas exhibited a rotten egg/fuel smell. the smell caused the consumer to feel nauseated while driving. the consumer believes the problem is with the catalytic converter. the consumer went through arbitration but was denied her request for the manufacturer to replace or repurchase the vehicle. (second vehicle's vin- [xxx] - purchased 5-27-03). *nlm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Strong sulfur smell while driving car. has been present since i bought the car almost one year ago this august. dealer said had to do with additives in gasoline and should stop, but hasn't stopped. especially strong in the mornings after car has sat over night. *nlm

No incident, just defects. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated in her vehicle. the dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. a few hours later, the light illuminated again. the vehicle was returned to the dealer and they stated that the sensor was bad and made the replacement. on the third occasion, they repaired a component related to the exhaust system because of the check engine light. after the most recent failure, the dealer stated that the charcoal canister failed. the failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 36,100.

Twice while driving the car has suddenly dropped out of overdrive while coasting on flat road or going down a slight hill. in addition, the engine makes an unusual and very loud 'tingy' or high pitched reving noise when accelerating, which disappears when at cruising speed. the first incident occured about 2 weeks ago and was followed by the inability to go above 15 mph. this persisted despite pressing the accelerator fully to the floor. the only way to stop this was to pull over and restart the car. the most recent incitent only involved dropping out of overdrive. dealership has been contacted and has tried to find problem with no success. manufacturer will be contacted.

Strong sulfur odor enters vehicle, presumably exhaust gases.

Since leasing my 2003 toyota corolla in march of 2003, i have experienced a rotten egg smell whenever the car is used. i brought it to the dealer (plaza auto mall) where i leased it from to have it checked out on 4/26/03. technician found "no problems, everything operating normally at this time". on 6/2/04 i called toyota customer assistance and explained the foul odor smell. i was told the problem stems from a gasoline issue and that new toyotas are so efficenient at burning fuel that they also burn up contaminants in the fuel that were normally released into the atmosphere. they in turn forwarded my complaint to corporate customer relations.(complaint #200306020751) on 6/3/03 my dealership called to explain again what i had been told by customer relations and that there was nothing they could do at this time. he suggested trying a different brand of gas which i have done several times with no success with the foul odor smell.*ak

My wife purchased a 2003 toyota corolla. she purchased it because of its implied economy. but despite the owner's manual claims that the car can use 1987 octane or higher, such is not the case. in two words, rotten eggs. in two other words, hydrogen sulfide.as we decelerate for any reason, if the windows are open, or if the ventilation system is set to intake outside air, the odor of rotten eggs is overpowering. (note that if the airflow pattern control is turned to either partial or total windshield defrost, the control will automatically enforce fresh, outside air intake.) when i took it to the dealer, the service manager didn't bat an eyelash. just opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper which states that tmc assumes no responsibility for the problem, and will do nothing to remedy it. the paper further suggests that i should change brands of gasoline (we had already tried that) or change to a higher grade of gasoline. the dealer refused to write up the problem on a report. searching the web, i tripped into an edmunds.com web site. specifically - http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/[email protected]@.ef0a161!make=toyota&model=all&ed_makeindex=.ef0a161 - which will get you into a discussion. (to follow the path from their home page, choose the car discussions tab, then toyota > corolla > corolla & matrix problems.) y' gotta read the moaning on this very subject. search this discussion (bottom of the page) for rotten egg or hydrogen to bring them up. please help!! this should not be happening. my '88 corolla uses the same 87 octane fuels, from the same brands (that we've tried on the '03 corolla) and does not have this problem. consumers deserve a better product than this. my son's '02 honda civic doesn't seem to have this problem. why should we - and our fellow road users behind us and to the sides of us - be forced to tolerate this deplorable stench?*ak

There is a very foul sulfur smell that regularly enters the inside of my vehicle. *jb

There was a sulfur smell inside the vehicle. *jb

Strong sulfur smell while sitting in traffic.*jb

Sulfur like smell enters the car while running, especially evident in wet weather. garage says toyota has sent out a technical advisory stating the gasoline is the problem. have not had a problem with any of the other vehicles i drive. i believe the issue may well be the placement of the fresh air intake in relation to the exhaust system (?). it tends to make one have headaches while driving. this has been ongoing for at least 4-5 months. 2003 toyota corolla, new. *jb

The vehicle caught fire, after it was started.*jb

After i had begun driving my 2003 corolla i smelled a terrible odor in the car. this continued (and still does) but, i was able to identify the odor...eggs/sulfur. it only begins to fade after a few miles. it occurs every time i drive. i notified toyota who referred me to the dealership. koons said it's a known issue, but nothing can be done. something to do with emissions. i drove a 2003 highlander and did not experience this. also, an awful draft comes through the driver's side control (power windows/locks) panel. i've also noticed a sudden surge when stopped at a light. thanks

Strong sulfur odor from exhast. service department has said it cannot be repaired, and blames bad gas. did say toyota has acknowledged the problem. i have tested several brands and grades of gas with no improvements. directly contacted toyota, who referred me back to the dealer, who said it cannot be fixed. said car computer is functioning normally.

2003 toyota corolla surged, hitting brand new washer in garage, surged again, running up planter curb hitting tree. taken to toyota dealer both times without success. dealer said they could not duplicate scenario. why so many people having same problem yet toyota saying there is nothing they can do? also, have problem with vehicle dropping out of overdrive, rearview mirror problem with visor. so much for the saying; "you won't get a lemon at toyota of orange". i'm happy to say i haven't had the sulfur smell.*ak

My wife purchased a 2003 toyota corolla. she purchased it because of its implied economy. but despite the owner's manual claims that the car can use 87 octane or higher, such is not the case. in two words, rotten eggs. in two other words, hydrogen sulfide. as we decelerate to a stop light or sign, if the windows are open, or the ventilation system is set to intake outside air, the odor of rotten eggs is overpowering. (note that if the airflow pattern control is turned to either partial or total windshield defrost, the control will automatically enforce fresh, outside air intake.) when i took it to the dealer, the service manager didn't bat an eyelash. just opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper which states that tmc assumes no responsibility for the problem, and will do nothing to remedy it. the paper further suggests that i should change brands of gasoline (we had already tried that) or change to a higher grade of gasoline. the dealer refused to write up the problem on a report. i can attest, the rotten egg odor doesn't abate if 87 octane fuel is used - even amoco which purports to be better than the rest. searching these topics via google, i found a discussion suggesting that the cause was/is a catalytic converter running too hot - probably due to its proximity to the exhaust manifold. sure enough, this vehicle has the first catalytic converter (there are two, in tandem) is coupled directly to the exhaust manifold. further, there is no room to move the unit back, and, since the entire exhaust system is welded, any modifications to it would probably negate my warranty. my '88 corolla uses the same 87 octane fuels, from the same brands (that we've tried on the '03 corolla) and does not have this problem. consumers deserve a better product than this. my son's '02 honda civic doesn't seem to have this problem. why should we - and our fellow road users behind us and to the sides of us - be forced to tolerate this deplorable stench?

Purchased 2003 toyota corolla in september of 2002. car is emitting a very noticeable sulfur odor especially when coming to a stop at traffic lights after driving at highway speeds. contacted dealer and was told the problem is the gasoline i purchase. i pointed out that i have a 2002 toyota camry that i purchased in april of 2002, that i fill both cars with the same gasoline, and that i have never experienced any such problem with the camry. again i was told the problem is with the gasoline. the internet abounds with discussion groups where people all over the country are reporting the same problem as i am experiencing.

Purchased 2003 toyota corolla in october 2002. car is emitting a very noticeable sulfur odor especially when coming to a stop at traffic lights particularly when the engine is cold. i have taken it to the dealer twice and was told the problem is the gasoline i purchase. according to my dealer, some gas stations put an additive in the gas that creates this smell. i have never had this problem with any other car.

Fumes entering the inside of the vehicle through air vents. this problem is with the vehicle from the beginning when it was bought new and until now. the manufacturers instructions were to bring vehicle to dealers. vehicle was brought to dealers for repair but dealers could not fix the defect. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota corolla. while driving 45 or 65 mph, the vehicle makes a squealing noise. the serpentine belt was replaced five times, but the noise persists. the vehicle is currently at the dealer who stated that the tension pulley was causing the belt to detach. the manufacturer stated that there is no recall due to the small number of complaints. the current mileage is 93,620 and failure mileage was 1,000.

In november 2002, i purchased a toyota corolla 2003. when the heat is on, the car emits a nauseating rotten egg smell through the vents. i brought the corolla into a toyota dealer to have this problem fixed. immediately, the toyota representative handed me a memo explaining that this "rotten egg" smell (as they also referred to it) can occur from low-octane brands and that it had nothing to do with the car itself. this advice contradicted what the salesman told me when i purchased the car -- that i could use 87 octane gasoline. i assume that this is a common problem since they had a memo ready for corolla owners with this specific complaint. however, for several months i have been pumping 89-93 octane gasoline into my car with no luck -- the smell still exists. *ak

I also have noticed an intermitent odor of sulfur in my 2003 corolla. *ak

Purchased car new on 10/4/02. within a month noticed a very significant sulfar odor expecially when coming to a stop at traffic lights particularly when the engine is cold. i have taken it to the dealer twice and they tell me that nothing is wrong. their explanation is that some gas stations put additives in their gas that create this odor.. they have done nothing further to solve this problem.

I had a 2003 toyota corolla that stalled repeatedly while the car was at high speeds. hamer toyota never said anything was wrong with this car. this was just one major problem with that car. this was the most dangerous incidents. i no longer own the car for the reason it kept breaking down, and i felt unsafe and feared for my daughter at the time who drove when this was happening. *tr

The vehicle became hesitant and did hold in idle, the manufacturer was aware that a problem existed with the new model engines.*jb

While at a stop, with the engine idling,the vehicle will momentarily surge forward. dt

Bad rotten egg smell ever since i purchased my 2003 toyota corolla. i have contacted toyota and they say it's my gas, but i've had two other toyota's that have never done this and i've used the same gas in them. this is getting on my nerves that i purchased a new car and have to continually smell this odor and they won't do anything about it. *jb

(1) rotten-egg smell from day 1 (purchased 9/2002) w/ cooling or heating system function. dealer told me to switch octane and do not use recirculation - no improvement. (2) in 11/2003, daytime running lights came on in middle of night, drained battery. dealer said tsb had been released - part ordered & installed to correct problem. (3) in 1/2004, leaking oil from under car, right front passenger's side - dealer said right front strut leaking & "completely blown." had to be replaced & car required subsequent alignment. *jb

My 2003 corolla has a rotten egg smell, especially when i am stopped, and it has been going on since i got the car. the dealer said to change gas and it would probably wear off, but it hasn't and i have been reading on the internet that other people are complaining about this, so i'm not the only one. also, when i am stopped, sometimes the corolla will surge forward. i read where someone else is having the same problem about this, too. i am ready to trade this car because i didn't buy a brand new car to smell this continually. it is very disturbing and may be unsafe smelling the emissions from this. *jb

Rotten egg smell- poor gas mileage (29 mpg- mostly highway/interstate) we have a problem with a rotten egg smell. we have complained and were told the following: 1) there's nothing wrong- it operating correctly. 2) you're running the wrong type of gas (we've tried all types) 3) you need to run the car on recirculation all the time so that you won't smell it.

Bad smell inside and outside of car when running engine

Engine - sulfur smell continuous since purchase of '03 toyota, corolla. mostly when stopped and engine cool, but also happens when warm. have gone 17,000 since purchase in july, 2002 and smell has always been there. dealer has so far not been able to solve emmissions problem.

In our 2003 toyota corolla, exhast fumes with a sulfurous smell often vent into the passenger compartment. toyota claims that this is a problem with the gasoline, not the exhaust system. in other words, when the car is functioning properly, it is supposed to draw exhaust into the interior of the car, it is just not supposed to be noticeable. the national center for dispute settlement agrees.*ak

This model is a 2003 bought in march 2002. there a strong smell of sulphur/rotten egg when engine cold or car climbs a hill. duration about 5 minutes. toyota's explanation: it is caused by the sulphur in gas , problem will vanish over time, no remedy exists, catalytic converter build as per specs and standards. the smell persists today a year and a half later. any technical reasons you know , anything that toyota could do and is not doing ? thanks