Toyota Corolla Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls — NHTSA Data

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Seatbelt sensor system and cruise control system. The seatbelt sensor prevents cruise control activation unless the belt is fastened. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A driver who cannot wear a seatbelt for a valid medical reason (recognized by state law) is forced to drive without cruise control. Manually maintaining speed over long distances increases driver fatigue and distraction, raising the risk of error. The dealer also disabled the factory seatbelt chime without consent, removing an audible safety warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Peppers Toyota ([XXX]) confirmed on March 17, 2026 that cruise control will not activate without a fastened seatbelt. They attempted no fix for cruise control. Instead, they disabled the seatbelt chime without my request or consent. I asked them to restore the chime. They refused. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. Peppers Toyota inspected the vehicle on March 17, 2026. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The factory seatbelt chime operated normally until March 17, 2026. On that date, Peppers Toyota intentionally disabled the chime without my consent. The chime no longer functions. The vehicle will not activate cruise control without a fastened seatbelt. If you are uncertain, simply state UNKNOWN and provide your best assessment of the incident and cause in your description. UNKNOWN why Peppers Toyota disabled the seatbelt chime without my consent or authorization. UNKNOWN why they refuse to restore it to factory settings. UNKNOWN why the cruise control cannot be modified to work independently of the seatbelt sensor, given that service staff stated this modification had been done on older Toyota models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I traded in my 2022 Corolla LE for a 2026 Corolla SE and I got my car on December 19th, 2025 and ever since I got it, the wireless charger hasn’t been working not once. I turn it on, it charges and the light is green and after a few seconds, it stops charging and flashes orange repeatedly. I tried it with different phones, without a case, and brought it to the dealership where they replaced the wireless charger but the issue continued with the new charger, so they put back the original one. The dealership told me it’s a defect issue and that other people had similar issues.

#### The ABS Defect 12. Within seven (7) days of purchase, and with fewer than [NUMBER] miles driven, the subject vehicle experienced a catastrophic failure of the ABS pump containing the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) [citation:1 from previous analysis]. 13. This failure caused the ABS warning light to illuminate and completely disabled the ABS functionality, reducing the braking system to non-power-assisted, pre-ABS technology. 14. The failure occurred with no warning and despite the vehicle being operated under normal driving conditions. 15. Upon information and belief, the ABS pump/ECU unit contained manufacturing and/or design defects that existed at the time the vehicle left Defendants' control. #### The Airbag System Defect 16. On or about [DATE OF CRASH], Plaintiffs were involved in a motor vehicle collision while operating the subject 2026 Toyota Corolla. 17. Upon information and belief, the crash forces were of sufficient magnitude that the vehicle's Airbag Control Unit (ACU) should have deployed the front airbags. 18. The airbags failed to deploy, causing Plaintiffs to sustain enhanced injuries that would have been prevented or mitigated had the airbags functioned properly. 19. Upon information and belief, the Airbag Control Unit in the subject vehicle is of the same type or design as those implicated in prior class action litigation against Toyota involving defective ACUs manufactured by ZF-TRW Automotive . 20. Defendants have previously settled claims regarding ACUs that were vulnerable to "electrical overstress," which could disable the airbag system entirely during a crash, for 78.5 million . 21. Defendants failed to warn Plaintiffs that the 2026 Toyota Corolla might contain an ACU with these same vulnerabilities.

The contact rented a 2026 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, she heard a loud pop and the vehicle forcibly swerved to the right. The vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact stated that the front driver's side tire was 90 degrees outward. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. The police were called, but they did not arrive on the scene. A police report was submitted online. The vehicle rental company towed the vehicle to a tow yard. The contact was unaware whether the vehicle had been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact related the failure to the suspension. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 766. The VIN was not available.

On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.

Make: Toyota Model: Corolla (likely hatchback/sedan) Year: 2026 VIN: [XXX] Mileage at Incident: 80 Date of Purchase: February 17, 2026 Date of Incident: February 19, 2026 Description of Defect: While moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement (no throttle, no sharp steering, no brake misuse), the vehicle suddenly spun out of control—yaw/skid like rear wheels lost grip or stability control malfunctioned and steering wheel locked. No prior warning. The spin caused a collision with another vehicle and nearly resulted in serious injury/death to the driver/owner (myself, [XXX] ). Suspected Causes (based on symptoms and similar reports): •  Possible ESC (electronic stability control) or yaw sensor failure. •  ABS/traction control pulsing/locking wheels unexpectedly in reverse. •  Electronic power steering (EPS) glitch—wheel felt “fighting” or unresponsive during the event. •  No fault codes pulled by dealer yet, but similar low-speed reverse spin-outs reported in 2025-2026 Corollas (e.g., NHTSA complaints on “ABS ghosting” or “rear-end slide”). Additional Info: •  Dealer (Toyota of Hollywood, 6920 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA) has the vehicle awaiting inspector. •  Demand letter sent/hand-delivered today (February 21, 2026) under Song-Beverly Act—safety defect, one occurrence. •  No insurance claim filed—this is manufacturer liability, not driver error. •  Photos of skid marks/collision available if requested. What I Want NHTSA to Do: Investigate for potential recall—safety risk is high (uncontrolled spin in reverse at low speed). This is the second such incident in recent Corollas I’ve seen reported; could affect others. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to avoid striking a deer the vehicle crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the SOS system detected the impact to the vehicle and alerted First Responders. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard and later towed to a Collision Center. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been accessed by the adjuster. The contact stated that there were damages to the front of the vehicle, the windshield was shattered, and damages to the hood of the vehicle and the front passenger's door failed to open. No Police report was filed because the crash occurred on private property. The contact later sustained chest pains, however no medical attention was received. In addition, the contact stated that the chest pain was continuous. The contact was advised by the insurance company to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle event data recorder (EDR) was retrieved; however, the contact was not provided any additional information regarding the data. The failure mileage was approximately 883.

I was driving west bound on I40 with the adaptive cruise control, and lane assist on at 75 MPH. It was around 8:30 PM when I seen the instrument panel flash, just drop for less than half a second, and then come back up but dimmer, like when the headlights come on, except they already were on. At that point all engine noises stopped and the car felt like it was actively braking. I literally lurched forward in my seat. I noticed that the RPM's had dropped to zero and I didn't see anything on the dash that indicated any warning. All green icons and nothing red. Stepped on the gas pedal, nothing. Tried hitting the cancel on the adaptive controls, nothing. I started turning the car from the inside lane to get to the outside shoulder while shifting the car into neutral to get more drift and tried toggling the key from off to start position and the engine. No rev, no RPM's. Car stalls in the outside lane. I turned on the flashers and then put the vehicle in park, removed the key and then re-entered the key and tried to start. Nothing. Attempted to push the car out of the lane in neutral but I wasn't able to get it to move. A couple semi's go by and I about pooped my pants. Waited for highway patrol to come by and get the car towed. Very fortunate no one was hurt or killed. I believe the automatic emergency braking activated or the electronic parking brake activated? All of the interior systems still had power.

The contact owned a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The front end of the vehicle lowered down while the rear-end rose and made an abnormal squealing sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband assisted the contact in driving, and the vehicle was able to respond after several attempts; however, the contact's husband stated that the vehicle felt like the parking brake was engaged unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, an unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle slammed on the brakes. The contact then depressed the brake pedal, but the pedal travelled down and rested on the floorboard. Additionally, the front end of the vehicle lowered while the rear end of the vehicle rose, and the vehicle crashed underneath the rear-end of the truck. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. Toyoya Safety Connect system automatically connected the contact to a representative. The contact was transported to the hospital by emergency units. The contact sustained a fractured sternum, three fractures on the back, and the contact was hospitalized for 3 days. The contact's husband later arrived at the hospital and received medical assistance. The contact's husband sustained headaches, neck pain, bruised stomach as the seat belt fractured. The other driver did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 65 MPH, and applying the brake pedal to exit off a ramp, the vehicle failed to decelerate. The contact continued to press the brake pedal; however, the vehicle did not stop, causing them to rear-end another vehicle, which caused their vehicle to come to an abrupt stop. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not receive any injuries, and no medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by Georgia Carolina Recovery Services. The contact was informed by the adjuster that the vehicle may be totaled; however, the decision had not been finalized. The dealer was contacted and informed about the incident. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,500.

Driving on the interstate. Did not see or feel anything in the road. Airbags deployed and wrecked.

On February 14th, my 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (approx. 17,000 miles) experienced a catastrophic failure. Without warning, the steering wheel completely locked, preventing any control. Simultaneously, the automatic emergency collision braking system malfunctioned, locked the brakes, and would not disengage. This total loss of control forced the vehicle to crash into a median. Toyota Corporate has ignored my case for 30 days. This is a severe, life-threatening manufacturing defect that caused a crash and destroyed my sole source of income.

Two incidents of rodent eating the wires of the car in a span of two weeks that cause a lot of money to repair. Dealership did mention that wires have soy based insulation which was the cause. Newer Toyota Cars have the same problem which a coworker of mine had last year and my brother as of this date have the same problem.

The contact rented a 2025 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds and entering into a parking space, the contact applied the brake pedal; however, the adaptive cruise control system engaged unexpectedly, causing the vehicle to accelerate and crash into a building. The driver was unable to turn off the adaptive cruise control system. There were no reported injuries, fire, or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle remained drivable after the incident. The contact also stated that the vehicle continued to surge forward at intersections following the crash. An unknown local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed and determined that reprogramming was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

I was driving at 2pm after an Ice Storm had hit texas and a majority of ice was missing but there was a small patch under a bridge. There were two stoplights once which was not under a bridge and one about 50-100 in front which was. I had accelerated to about 20 before the other light changed to red and I attempted to stop but due to ice I kept sliding forward adn the ABS was going wild and while I had the brake held down the pedal was going wild from the ice and after the car has stopped the brake pedal arm had bent so drasticly my brake lights wouldn't turn off due to the pedal arm being bent into the sensor below the dash. Toyota then refused to cover any part of the repair cost under the warrenty due to outside influence. I did not and could not have expected that using the brake pedal in an emergency situation would brake the brake pedal and they refuse to cover it under manufacturer warranty.

exactly one year after purchase and with approximately 18,000 miles on the vehicle — the original factory-installed front right tire catastrophically failed while I was driving under normal conditions. The tire blew out suddenly with complete sidewall separation, causing loss of vehicle control. There was no prior tire pressure warning before the failure occurred. Tire size: 225 /40R18 88V

Driving on highway around 65mph, car shut down internally completely blacking out inside. Turned back on a few seconds later while still driving all lights were blinking. Pushed the SOS no-one answered pushed again then someone came on. Matches the same description on the other 2025-26 hybrids in the corolla cross and camry hybrid.

I am writing to inform you of some recurring issues with my vehicle. The car has been displaying several (5) alerts, including those related to the parking brake system, drive-start control system, check engine light, vehicle stability control system, and secondary collision brake system. I took the car to a dealer for repairs, and they assured me that the issues were resolved. However, the following day, the problems reappeared. Additionally, when I start the car, it emits an unusual sound and begins to shake. Unfortunately, The dealer had 5 days my car to repair and denied to provide a rental car. I don't understand the reason if my car is new and the problem is manufacturing I would appreciate your assistance in addressing these ongoing concerns.

My back seats indicate that there is someone seating in them. The alarm for the seatbelt will go off. I have to buckle all the seats to prevent this.

Today while merging into the high way the car suddenly slowed down to 40 miles per hour and would not accelerate . We took the car to Toyota however they said they could not find any thing or replicate the problem