NHTSA Complaint #10544492 — 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA

THE C-59 FIVE SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2003 COROLLA MODEL YEAR, BOTH COROLLA AND MATRIX, ARE KNOWN TO BE PRONE TO EARLY BEARING FAILURE, DUE APPARENTLY TO A FAULTY BATCH OF BEARINGS. I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY WHEN I FIRST HEARD BEARING NOISE FROM MY TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT CONFIRMED THE NOISE WAS FROM ONE OR MORE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND OFFERED ME A CHOICE OF REPLACING JUST THE BEARINGS, A FULL TRANSMISSION REBUILD, OR A NEW TRANSMISSION. SHOULD THE BEARING HAVE FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY AND BLOWN UP MY TRANSMISSION, I COULD EASILY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN A NASTY ACCIDENT. TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO A RECALL, BUT THERE ARE DOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF THIS EXACT SCENARIO SCATTERED ONLINE. THE EARLIEST SYMPTOMS ARE A GRINDING OR WHIRRING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION (OR MORE GENERALLY, FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT). IF THE FAULTY BEARINGS ARE NOT REPLACED, THEY WILL EVENTUALLY GRENADE (SHATTER AND ACT AS SHRAPNEL, DESTROYING YOUR TRANSMISSION) AND YOU'LL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA DEALERS FOR ITS ENTIRE LIFE, SAVE A SINGLE OIL CHANGE WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP. THERE IS NO REASON A MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL THIS EARLY IN ITS LIFE. I'VE NEVER RACED IT OR ABUSED IT ANY WAY. *TR