2002 Toyota Corolla Interior & seats Problems

ABOUT A WEEK AGO, DRIVER SEAT COULD NOT RETURN TO UPRIGHT POSITION AFTER ADJUSTING ANGLE. THEN WE NOTICED LARGE PIECE OF SEAT BACK FRAME WAS PROTRUDING ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. UPON REMOVAL OF COVERING AND CUSHION TO UNCOVER THE BACK FRAME, WE DISCOVERED THAT, OF THE TWO SOLID-STEEL ARMS ATTACHING THE BACK FRAME TO THE BOTTOM PART OF THE BUCKET SEAT (THE ADJUSTER MECHANISM), THE ARM ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE HAS BEEN SPLIT INTO TWO SEPARATE PIECES, ALONG A HORIZONTAL BREAK IN THE STEEL ITSELF. IN SHORT, THE LEFT HALF OF THE SEAT BACK FRAME IS NOT ATTACHED ANYMORE. INITIALLY WE SUSPECTED VANDALISM, BUT THE BREAK IS DEFINITELY NOT A SAW CUT (EVEN IF WERE POSSIBLE); AND WE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE STEEL ARM ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE HAS A HALF-INCH LONG CRACK IN ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME SPOT, AND ALSO HORIZONTAL. THIS LED US TO CONCLUDE THAT THE BREAK ON THE LEFT ARM WAS DUE TO A DEVELOPING CRACK IN THE STEEL, AND THE RIGHT ARM IS CLEARLY HEADED TOWARDS AN IDENTICAL FRACTURE -- WHICH WOULD COMPLETELY SEPARATE THE SEAT BACK FRAME FROM THE BUCKET SEAT ALTOGETHER! THE TWO STEEL ARMS ARE CLEARLY MADE OF SUB-STANDARD MATERIAL. WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE SIGNIFICANT COST OF REPLACING THE BUCKET SEAT, THIS IS CLEARLY A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD, SINCE AT ANY MOMENT THE SEAT BACK COULD COLLAPSE COMPLETELY DUE TO SUB-STANDARD STEEL PARTS TEARING APART. IT IS FORTUNATE THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE. WE HAVE SEVERAL PHOTOS OF THESE DEFECTS, INCLUDING CLOSE-UPS, READY TO SEND YOU UPON REQUEST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10442872

Incident

Jan 1, 2012

Mileage

122,500 mi

SOMETIME WITHIN THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF OWNING MY 2002 COROLLA, THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW STARTED TO STOP WORKING. IT WAS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES I WOULD ROLL MY WINDOW DOWN TO ORDER TAKEOUT AND COULDN'T ROLL IT BACK UP AND HAVE TO DRIVE IN COLD THEN AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, IT WOULD ROLL UP AND BE FINE UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.....MAYBE 2 MONTHS WOULD GO BY,,,,SO I DECIDED TO HAVE THE DRIVER SIDE MOTOR REPLACED UNDER MY 6 YEAR, 100,000 MILES WARRANTY. IT HAS BEEN FINE UNTIL THIS YEAR, NOW MY DOOR HANDLE ON THE INSIDE HAS BROKEN, AND SOME HOW THE WINDOW HAS COME OFF THE TRACT AND WHEN I ROLL THE WINDOW UP YOU CAN SEE BY THE TINTING, THAT IT HAS SHIFTED AND NOW THE GAP ON MY WINDOW, NOT AT THE TOP BUT AT THE SIDE TOWARDS THE REAR, THERE IS A 1/4 INCH GAP WHEN WINDOW ROLLS UP. THIS HAPPENED AFTER MY OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE BECAME STUCK WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR, IT STAYED LIFTED UP AND I COULDN'T CLOSE MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. I HAD TO PHYSICALLY PUSH DOWN ON THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE IN ORDER TO GET MY DOOR TO SHUT AND LATCH.....NOW MY WINDOW WON'T ROLL UP ALL THE WAY AND .....ITS A PAIN NOT TO BE ABLE TO GO THRU THE CAR WASH....I HAVE TO HOLD TOWELS IN IT IN ORDER TO NOT GET INTERIOR WET. MY CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT.....ANYONE ELSE HAVING THAT KIND OF PROBLEMS....PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO GET DOOR PANEL OFF AND YOU NEED A SPECIAL TOOL....OF COURSE YOU DO! I DON'T HAVE ANY CASH TO FIX IT SO I JUST LIVE WITH IT.....WHAT A PAIN! THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN SOLD SO, I AM SOL! SORRY THEY SAID.....THAT WAS UNDER THE OLD DEALERSHIP AND WE DON'T HONOR THEIR REPAIRS! WHATEVER........AT LEAST I SHOULD BE THANKFUL MY GAS PEDAL DOESN'T STICK! *TR

NHTSA ID

10334116

Incident

Mar 12, 2010

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FRAME WAS FRACTURED. WHEN ACCELERATING, THE SEAT WOULD SLIDE BACKWARDS AND FORWARD. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BUT THE FRAME WAS BENT WHICH PREVENTED THE SEAT FROM STAYING IN PLACE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10326592

Incident

Sep 6, 2006

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 45 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT FRAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE SEAT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000. UPDATED 05/13/10. *LJ

NHTSA ID

10321712

Incident

May 4, 2009

Mileage

49,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR OF THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PLASTIC DOOR HANDLES WERE BROKEN. THE HANDLES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN A ONE YEAR PERIOD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED REGARDING RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO SAFETY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ADDITIONAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10311353

Incident

Feb 10, 2009

DRIVER'S SEAT DOES NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. WHEN DRIVING ALONG DRIVER'S SEAT WILL SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING SLIDE BACKWARDS TO THE FARTHEST POSITION MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR DRIVER TO REACH THE BREAK AND CLUTCH. A NUMBER OF NEAR ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WHEN THIS HAPPENS MAKING THE CAR DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, CHECKED THE PROBLEM, AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE SEAT BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10161436

Incident

Jan 10, 2003

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN ROLLOVER. FAILURE OF ROOF STRUCTURE, PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, OCCUPANT RESTRAINT, WINDOWS AND SEAT.

NHTSA ID

10158859

Incident

Aug 26, 2003

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE HOOD CAME UNLOCKED AND HIT THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE HOOD, FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELD, ROOF AND TRIM, FENDER PANEL AND HINGES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THE HOOD LATCH WAS WORN AND WAS NOT PROPERLY CATCHING THE STRIKER. UPDATED 03/29/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10151724

Incident

Feb 22, 2006

Mileage

80,075 mi

THE SEAT DID NOT STAY IN PLACE AND THIS HAPPENED ON THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND FIXED THE DRIVERS SEAT BUT THEY DID NOT FIX THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. *PH THERE WERE SEAT RELEASE PROBLEMS. WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST EXPERIENCED, THE DRIVER'S SEAT MADE NOISE AFTER THE SEAT RELEASED. (UPON ACCELERATION, STOPPING GOING UP AN INCLINE) THE NOISE OCCURRED PRIOR TO RELEASE. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO BE THROWN AWAY FROM THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10032385

Mileage

13,262 mi