(more anecdote) I've known a few people with corollas and drove them for a long time. All of them have been in pretty bad shape after a while. Engines running rough, lots of physical damage, struts and springs busted, little bits and pieces missing / not working etc. In fact all of them were pretty scary to drive and ride in.

In general they were all beaters that barely ran, but they ran. One corolla went for 2 or 3 years without an oil change and had 2 cylinders with low compression. Friend never got it fixed, but the car was still running (although with very low power). I actually think the general reliability of these cars leads to them being in worse shape. They're running so why bother to fix it. The owners also had a drive it until it dies approach, just generally took a long time to die.