2013 toyota corolla transmission fluid is dirty @ 30,000 miles

Check out this thread. It seems that Toyota has a problem with the Corollas --- http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion- t43271_ds697375

Just about all transmissions have an aluminum case but none that I have seen cause the fluid to turn brown. Changing the engine oil and filter does not help things. I would go ahead and change the transmission fluid and filter and keep a close eye on it afterwards.

He is right. The "master tech: is just a service writer and either does not know what he is talking about or flat lying to you. The aluminum case will NOT do that. My 2006 never has.

I have a 2012 Toyota Corolla LE with 39,270 miles, with the same problem: The dealer won't drain the oil or replace the transmission filter as they said nothing wrong with the tranny. I was expecting at least for the dealer to drain the oil as a prevention measure and monitor tool. They also give me copies of all paperwork entered into system, and test drove the car, no failure no red flags. I also have a friend, she owned a 2012 Corolla LE same tranny fluid color. I think this is the automaker, liability and they won’t acknowledge that there is problem with the 2012-2013 Corolla's transmission. Recall…Recall….Recall. I think Toyota Customer Service is a joke, they told me to go to another dealership….

We ( Toyota owners) must keep calling Toyota Customer Service with complaints @ 1 (800) 331-4331. They should do something about the 2012-2013 Corolla's problem. I'm really concerned about the transmission fluid color.

I would try and get Toyota to issue a case number on your cars so that all your issues are documented. I would not accept "go to another dealer". Be firm and tell them that you are documenting the problem and that you don't want to involve lawyers.................but.

Called the Toyota Corp 800 # - they agree with the dealer's service dept's explanation. I did get a case #. Here is the official documentation from dealer: Road tested vehicle. Transmission has good shift quality & is operating as designed. No diagnostic trouble codes are stored. Transmission fluid color is not the sole indicator of transmission fluid condition. Color is normal for a vehicle with current mileage, and smells normal. Any fluid that has been over heated, will have a burnt odor, which this vehicle's transmission fluid does not exhibit. Transmission case is made of aluminum & aluminum normally will darken the color of transmission fluid due to normal oxidation. This is totally normal condition. There is no indication whatsoever that any transmission wear has occurred. World standard long life fluid is not recommended to be changed until 60K miles. While a fluid flush will improve the color of the transmission fluid, it is not necessary.

Since Toyota is giving you the brush off I would change the fluid and keep an eye on it. Changing the fluid every 20-30k miles is CHEAP compared to replacing the transmission.

Thanks FoR ... As soon as I can afford to pay $350 to the Toy dealer I'll get that done for peace of mind. BTW I had to insist that I wanted the drain n fill bc they were hard selling the "flush" and had to order the filter. Just like to thank all of you for your honest tech answers, encouragement & suggestions ... I have my dignity intact.

same issue with 13 Camry and dealership has lied to me all the way - MIracle Toyota Albany GA

I purchased my 2013 Corolla 6 months ago with 51k miles. Dont drive much, currently at 53k, drove 2k in 6 months. After reading the above issues...wow. As a female, I can only do so much myself, such as change fluid but not the filter..? Have to check on location. I happened upon this site due to my 3 passenger wdws will not go down, drivers wdw fine. Will check my Trans Fluid tomorrow for the color. Thank you all for being open and honest so owners can be proactive and aware of these issues. : )

You can easily do a transmission fluid “ drain and fill “ ...easier then changing oil and filter on engine ... you need to replace the aluminum crush washer on drain plug each time . I just “ drain and fill “ every other oil change ( 5000k , I use ONLY WS Toyota transmission fluid... amazon sells cheaper vs dealer . My 2010 Corolla just hit 130000, and I dropped the pan and replaced filter in tranny ... did the oil while I was at it ....fairly easy job , but you have to have a little more knowledge . After examining filters , I went with the WIX ... it looks and fits identical to Toyota , and 50 less ... and comes with a good gasket . Lots of videos on google show how to do this .... but a drain and fill every other oil change is cheap vs a new transmission ... and at 130k Corolla runs new !

Surprise, Surprise. The WS Fluid gets dirty quickly, and even quicker if you drive your car hard. Yeah, I'd change it every 30k miles or so. There are threads on other sites of people complaining about the WS Fluid, so I'd look for a better fluid to use. This issue isn't limited to just the Corolla but everything that uses the WS Fluid. Toyota created the WS Fluid to avoid Environmental fees from the Government by claiming it's a lifetime fluid. Also, the WS Fluid isn't 100% Synthetic.

SayNO2Politics: Would you please recommend a worthy tranny fluid and I'll flush the Toyota WS Fluid out ... thank you so much for your help.

Transmission fluid will change color over time and miles. So, it will not be cherry red. My 2013 Toyota Corolla is supposed to get the transmission fluid, filter and pan gasket replaced at 50,000 miles. I personally changed mine at 46,000 miles. The fluid had clutch material in it. The fluid was dark red and dirty because of oxidation and clutch material in it. This is normal. It was ready to be changed. This transmission holds 6.9 quarts. I replaced 3 quarts of fluid because I only dropped the pan. It made a huge difference in the color of the fluid. I have driven 20,000 miles on it, since the fluid was changed. It is starting to look a little dirty. It should be changed more often if you drain out 3 quarts of fluid. It should be changed about every 25,000 miles because only about half the fluid got replaced. I do it myself, so it costs me less than $60.00 to do it. Buy the fluid at Toyota only. Buy the filter and pan gasket at the auto parts store to save a lot of money. I do not have to change the filter, next time because it is good for 50,000 miles.