# 2003 toyota carolla manual transmission issues **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [March 2, 2023, 12:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400 "2023-03-02T12:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/21 "2023-03-02T23:11:31Z")
Another Toyota… lol Toyota has one of the lowest maintenance and break downs then most other vehicles on the road… I very rarely see a Toyota on the back of a record or on the side of the road… I’m an old school hardcore Mopar guy, but For the newer stuff, I went Toyota cause I asked a whole lot of my coworkers and friends (people only in the automotive field) what was the vehicle they worked on the least, not what they liked, big difference and they all said Toyota… Honda is another good vehicle… I used to say all vehicles are junk, just some are better junks then others, cause they all have their problems… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/22 "2023-03-02T23:16:51Z")
> [@brianjoejohnson\_184322](#): > > I went ahead and sold the car today. 50 years ago I had a 62 Ford Galaxy, developed serious rear wheel lock-up symptoms, caused apparently by problem in differential third member. Sold car for $100 to mechanic who replaced that part, fairly easy job for mechanic. That car was used as around-town grocery-runner by his family members for many years, saw it around town often. I in turn purchased my truck. Win- win. Hopefully your car will be a win-win for all concerned too. ---
**Author:** ![brianjoejohnson\_184322](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@brianjoejohnson\_184322](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brianjoejohnson_184322)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/23 "2023-03-03T19:53:25Z")
I think it could be a win win. He got a good price. I might’ve been able to get a couple hundred more, but I’m happy to move on. The buyer is shipping it to Africa, where’s he from and said it’s cheap to fix them over there. I’m pretty convinced those 03 corolla transmissions are defective. I’m steering clear of those specific transmission going forward. Otherwise, still a fan of toyotas. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/24 "2023-03-03T20:09:25Z")
Surprisingly, the 2003 Corolla was rated a ‘clunker’ on CarComplaints because of transmission failure. Doesn’t specify manual transmission, but still… [2003 Toyota Corolla Transmission Failure: 44 Complaints (carcomplaints.com)](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Corolla/2003/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/25 "2023-03-03T21:06:00Z")
> [@texases](#): > > the 2003 Corolla was rated a ‘clunker’ on CarComplaints because of transmission failure Yes, but the OP apparently owns a “carolla”, which–I suppose–is a different model. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![brianjoejohnson\_184322](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@brianjoejohnson\_184322](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brianjoejohnson_184322)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/26 "2023-03-03T21:12:26Z")
yeah it’s worse 😐 ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/27 "2023-03-03T22:38:09Z")
I was thinking the “Carolla” was just a Corolla with a karaoke machine option instead of a stereo 😉 ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2023, 12:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400/28 "2023-03-04T00:20:23Z")
> [@brianjoejohnson\_184322](#): > > "The Manual Transmission in that car is going to be a C56 or C59 5 speed manual transmission A weak design aggravated by lax maintenance. Years ago I posted about the problematic C59 transmission: > [@Transmission Fluid Change - 2006 Toyota Camry](https://community.cartalk.com/t/transmission-fluid-change-2006-toyota-camry/92865/7): > > “No need to ever change the gear oil or ATF in a manual transmission.” Maybe this applied to older American cars. Lots of Corolla/Matrix owners who have had their transmission fail prematurely due to oil contaminated with metal particles would disagree. I changed the oil in my Matrix at 22k miles after reading that its C59 transmission was problematic; and the oil looked pretty “dirty” and felt gritty. My older Hondas ('75 Civic, '81, '85, '88 Accords) all recommended 30k oil changes. Oil i… > [@Manual Transmission Fluid - Ford Focus '02](https://community.cartalk.com/t/manual-transmission-fluid-ford-focus-02/82292/9): > > My Hondas ('75, '81, '88) called for fluid changes every 30k miles. My '06 Matrix doesn’t call for fluid changes, but the C59 5-speed has a history of early bearing failures, so I changed it at 21k just to see what’s what and the oil was dark with a metallic sheen. So I feel better about it at least. 2000 miles later I went to a dealer for a recall and the service writer told me the trans fluid was dirty and I should get a flush(!). [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-toyota-carolla-manual-transmission-issues/189400.md?page=1)