text: Hi Janine, I am sorry to hear of your dilemma..Yes I would suggest a second opinion either at Toyota or another reliable mechanic.
  It is rare to have a CVT failure at such low mileage but it can happen.
  As you said it had not had a good service history it could be that the transmission had a tough life either towing or driven hard.
  Please update us on what the outcome of the second opinion turns out too be, if it requires a replacement transmission someone may have a source or advise where to locate one for a good quality replacement unit.
  Not sure if anyone still looks at this thread... i have a 1991 2.8 diesel Hilux with mint running gear but the body is rusted up. I was was wondering what the possibility is of taking the engine and gearbox from my Hilux and putting it into a 1996 Toyota Hilux surf body. The main problem i think will be the fact that my Hilux has no electronics and the surf does...
  i own an official TRD Supercharger that's OEM for your Corolla if you're interested as I'm selling it. It's bolt on, average 5 hours but if you take your time possibly take a day. If you want to stay naturally aspirated, then do the engine swap. If you're looking for forced induction, this an official TRD supercharger can be considered.