Hey Scotty!
I inherited my late Dad's 2000 Toyota Corolla VE with a 1ZZ-FE 1.8L 4cyl engine, 137,000 miles. I don't think the transmission fluid has ever been drained and replaced. Should I change it or leave it as is? If you recommend leaving it as is, what are the prospects typically of the life of this transmission before it starts to cause problems? Currently no problems, by the way.
Thanks!
The transmission is a good one, nothing to worry about as far as that goes, but nearly impossible to tell how long it will last without changing, just so many things factor into it. I bought a 99 about 3 years ago with 107k, and did 2 drain and fills with no issues. As yours is a bit higher mileage, you have to make the call, I wouldn't think it would be an issue, but you never can tell.
I would ask myself, how much is this going to be driven, if only a few thousand miles a year, it may fall apart from age before the transmission goes out. If you plan to drive it a good bit, might be worth trying, it could last a good while longer, and there is an abundance of parts still available for it.
