Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–129 of 129

1996 Toyota Corolla complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1996 record →

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Apr 10, 1997CA

ENGINE NOISE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Apr 9, 1997FL

BRAKES FAILED.

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Apr 8, 1997VT

PASSENGER'S POWER WINDOW ROLLS DOWN FROM PASSENGER'S SWITCH, HOWEVER MUST BE PUT BACK UP USING DRIVER'S SWITCH.

Power Train › Clutch Assembly
Filed Apr 1, 1997MD

CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FAILED, CLUTCH PAD IN FOR REPAIR, REPLACED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Head Restraint
Filed Mar 25, 1997FL

DUE TO DESIGN OF THE HEAD RESTRAINT, WHEN DRIVING IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE IN EITHER DIRECTIONS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE HEAD REST IS TOO WIDE. *AK

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System
Filed Mar 21, 1997NY

THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO MANEUVER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO MOVE SLOWLY, MAKING WIDER TURNS WHEN TURNING. *AK

Structure › Body › Trunk Lid1 injured
Filed Mar 18, 1997MO

WHILE PUTTING HAND UNDERNEATH TRUNK LID OF RENTAL VEHICLE INDEX FINGER WAS TORN OPEN. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Feb 21, 1997CA

GAS LEAK.

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Feb 20, 1997MA

DRIVING ON HWY, THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON, VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING, OBSTRUCTED DRIVER'S VISION, VEHICLE AT DEALER'S BEING REPAIRED. *AK

Seat BeltsCrash
Filed Feb 19, 1997CO

SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP WHILE IN CRASH. *AK

Equipment › Electrical › Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.
Filed Feb 12, 1997CA

RADIO FAILED 3 TIMES.

Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle BarCrash
Filed Jan 31, 1997DE

DRIVING VEHICLE AT SPEED OF 5MPH, WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL AND STEERING LOCKED UP, COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT THE CURB. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 29, 1997CA

VEHICLE CRASHED INTO SIX INCH CENTER DIVIDE, IMPACT CAUSED AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY, PASSENGER INJURED BY AIRBAG; RENTAL VEHICLE/ENTERPRISE, CONSUMER WILL INCLUDE VIN. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jan 13, 1997CT

WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND BOTH AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY . *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Jan 7, 1997CA

CONSUMER STATES THAT IT TAKES ABOUT (10) MINUTES BEFORE SHE CAN BUCKLE THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BECAUSE OF MECHANISM IN THE RETRACTOR AND SOMETIMES WHEN THE BELT IS BUCKLED IT BECOMES VERY TIGHT. VEHICLE WILL TO TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THIS WEEKEND. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jan 6, 1997VA

DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH WHEN A DEER HIT VEHICLE, SEAT BELT LOCKED DRIVER VERY TIGHTLY ON STOMACH, TOP OF BELT WAS VERY LOOSE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE TO ORDER A WHOLE NEW SEAT BELT, BUCKLE WOULD NOT LOCK. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Dec 4, 1996FL

DASHBOARD FIRE.

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash
Filed Nov 20, 1996VA

THE VEHICLE WAS REARENDED AT 45 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT RAIL BENT, CAUSING THE SEAT LATCH TO BREAK AND THE SEAT TO GO BACK. *AK *JB

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Nov 6, 1996IL

REAR DOOR LOCK WOULD NOT OPEN FROM OUTSIDE/INSIDE; ALSO, CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ON BOTH DOORS BROKE AND WERE REPLACED. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Oct 31, 1996FL

WHILE DRIVING NOTICED SPARKS ON FLOORBOARD, PULLED TO SIDE, ENTIRE DASHBOARD WENT UP IN FLAMES, NO WARNING, SPEED 10 MPH, VEHICLE TOTALED; MANUFACTURER CLAIMED VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTENING. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 28, 1996FL

DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER'S AIRBAG WAS VIOLENT, CAUSING BURNS TO DRIVER'S FACE/ NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG, CAUSING INJURY TO CHEST.

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Oct 25, 1996NY

POWER WINDOW INOPERATIVE.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash3 injured
Filed Oct 11, 1996MA

NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DURING FRONT AND REAR COLLISIONS, ALSO SEAR BELTS DID NOT LOCK, RESULTING IN INJURIES. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash
Filed Jun 25, 1996VT

IN A FRONT-END ACCIDENT AT 40MPH AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Visibility › Windshield1 injured
Filed Jun 21, 1996PA

DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW IMPLODED ONTO DRIVER, CAUSING INJURY. *SD

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsCrash2 injured
Filed Jun 17, 1996OR

BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *DH

Engine and Engine Cooling › EngineFire
Filed Apr 9, 1996MA

A CONTACTED ROD BLEW OFF THE VEHICLE, CAUSNG OIL TO SPILL ON THE ENIGNE COMPARMENT, RESULTING IN VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE.

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Rear Window
Filed Feb 6, 1996SC

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A REAR WINDOW DEFORSTER. TT

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Sep 15, 1995MD

UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. TT

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 1996 Toyota Corolla → · Every Corolla year → · How the figures are calculated →