Page 7 of 7 · complaints 301–311 of 311

2020 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 2020 record →

Engine
Filed Dec 2, 201910,000 milesNJ

ENGINE ABNORMAL SHIFT DOWNWARD WHILE DRIVING REGULARLY. I FEEL THE SHIFT IS NOT SMOOTH EVEN FEELS LIKE A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE SHIFT SYSTEM 17,000 MILES MOSTLY HAPPENS REGULARLY DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND A BIT LESS HAPPENS ON THE PARKWAY BUT DOES HAPPEN. THE SHIFTS ARE HARD TO IGNORE I REMEMBER THE VERY TIME I FELT IT ON 10,000 MILES AND IT WOULD ABLE OCCASIONALLY AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY THAN I CAN POSSIBLY SAY THIS IS AN ONGOING DEFECT AND GROWING TO BE A PROBLEM EVEN MORE SO.

Power Train
Filed Oct 29, 2019500 milesOH

BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH OCCASIONALLY, NOT ALWAYS, THERE IS A HARD SHIFT THAT DOESN'T FEEL NORMAL. IT IS USUALLY UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION AND CONDITIONS. EVEN TRYING TO MIMIC IT UNDER THE SAME EXACT CONDITIONS, SOMETIMES IT WILL SIMPLY NOT DO IT.. SOMETIMES IT WILL BE A HARD THUMP. OTHER TIMES IT WILL FEEL PREMATURE. (SHIFTING BEFORE IT SHOULD) I WANTED TO BELIEVE IT IS THE TRANSITION FROM THE LAUNCH GEAR TO THE CVT BUT THE TIMING OF THE TRANSITION AND THE DEGREE OF THE HARD SHIFT EVEN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS TENDS TO VARY CONSIDERABLY.

Power Train
Filed Oct 23, 20191,500 milesVA

VEHICLE HAS A VERY HARD SHIFT OUT OF LAUNCH "FIRST GEAR" WHEN LOW ON FUEL OR THE ENGINE IS COLD. DEALERSHIP (SHEEHY TOYOTA IN FREDERICKSBURG VA) AND COULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME FEELING ON LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCELERATION. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE FEELING THEY WERE EXPERIENCING IS MINOR COMPARED TO WHAT IT USUALLY FEELS LIKE WHEN DRIVING. THEY EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING WHEN DRIVING ANOTHER 2020 COROLLA OFF THE LOT WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCELERATION. THEN A DAY LATER THEY DROVE ANOTHER 20202 COROLLA SUPPOSEDLY FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE HARD SHIFT AND NOTED THAT WHEN DRIVING BOTH THE CUSTOMERS CAR AND A NEW CAR THE SHIFT FEELING VARIED FROM TIME TO TIME SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WOULD DO. THEY ALSO SAID THEY CONTACTED THE ENGINEERS AT TOYOTA WHO SAID THAT THIS HARD SHIFT FEELING WAS NORMAL. LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA IS BACK AT IT WITH JUST DENY EVERYTHING AND HOPE THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. VERY UNHAPPY WITH MY EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY WITH HOW TOYOTA HAS HANDLED THIS SO FAR. I WILL NOT GO AWAY UNTIL THEY FIX THIS PROBLEM.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Oct 20, 2019FL

2020 TOYOTA COROLLA SE -(VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW) (CVT TRANSMISSION) UPON MINIMAL TO NORMAL ACCELERATION VEHICLE MAKES A HARD SHIFT FEEL LIKE A BUMP KICK IN ACCELERATION OF SPEED BETWEEN 8-9 MPH. WILL FEEL MORE OF A HARD SHIFT AT TIMES IF COASTING WITH MINIMAL SPEED THEN TO THE NORMAL ACCELERATION (START AND STOP TRAFFIC TYPE OF CONDITIONS). PERIODICALLY ONCE REACHING TO SPEED OF 36 MPH SEEMS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SLIP THEN CONTINUES WITH NORMAL OPERATION. WHILE SEDENTARY AT STOP LIGHT VEHICLE HAS HAD LOSS OF POWER IN AND OUT NEAR STALLING OUT. SEPARATE OCCASION WITHOUT THE AIR CONDITIONER BEING ON, A ROUGH IDOL TOOK PLACE. AT TIMES IF PUT IN SPORTS MODE SHIFTING IS SMOOTH WITHOUT TOO MUCH TROUBLE; WITH EXCEPTION OF AT HIGHER SPEED OPEN ROAD REMOVING OFF THE GAS PEDAL WILL MAKE A WHINING HIGH REV NOISE LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND DID NOT DOWN SHIFT EVEN WITH PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE. WILL THEN DOWN SHIFT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15-20 SECONDS. LANE DEPARTURE INDICATORS HAVE GONE OFF WITHOUT THERE BEING A CORRECT RESPONSE FOR THAT ACTION TAKING PLACE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN OWNED FOR LESS THAN NINETY DAYS AND APPEARS TO CONTINUALLY FURTHER IN ITS DEFECTS.

Seat BeltsCrash1 injured1 killed
Filed Oct 10, 2019OH

THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING EASTBOUND ON US 20 IN WOOD COUNTY OHIO WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A WESTBOUND VEHICLE. THE WEBBING WHICH ATTACHES THE SEATBELT BUCKLE TO THE VEHICLE FAILED AND TORN CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO COME FREE, UNABLE TO RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER ULTIMATELY SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES IN THE COLLISION. THIS IS BEING SUBMITTED BY OHIO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL CRASH RECONSTRUCTION.

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Oct 8, 20192,093 milesCA

EXITING FREEWAY. MADE A LEFT. SLOWED DOWN AT RED LIGHT. REALIZED THE CAR WASN'T STOPPING. SLAMMED BRAKE PEDAL TO FLOOR. CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. POLICE REPORT MADE. COLLISION LOCATION AT 3520 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, LEMON GROVE, CA 91945. THIS IS A NEW CAR AND NO REASON FOR BRAKES TO NOT BE WORKING.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Oct 2, 2019291 milesFL

WAVY WINDSHIELD.DISORIENTING WHEN IN MOTION. DEALER SAID ALL VEHICLES HAVE THIS. I HAVE CHECK AND ALL DO NOT. THEY SAID IT IS KNOWN BUT NOT A DEFECT. I BELIEVE IT IS POOR LAMINATION AND ALONG WITH A BAD VIEW MAY NOT PROTECT IN AN ACCIDENT. I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS 'NORMAL"

Power Train
Filed Aug 31, 2019199 milesTX

07/09/19 - THREE DAYS AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW 2020 COROLLA SEDAN, MY CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY CITY STREET. I WAS STATIONARY WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE BRAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, IT HAD A COMPLETE POWER FAILURE. RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SAYING ENGINE POWER LOW. I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I WAS NEARLY HIT BY CARS GOING AROUND ME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. 08/06/19 - MY BROTHER WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO CONDITIONS DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WITH HIS FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE JERKED OR JUMPED SEVERAL TIMES IN SUCCESSION, STOPPED AND THEN DID THE SAME THING TWICE MORE. IT FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO LOSE POWER OR NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS. I TOOK IT BACK TO SAME DEALER FOR SERVICE. ONCE AGAIN, NO ERROR CODES AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SERVICE FOREMAN TOLD ME THOSE 2 INCIDENTS WERE DEFINITELY RELATED. I REPORTED BOTH ISSUES VERY DANGEROUS INCIDENTS TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT AS I FEEL THAT I AM DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. AT FIRST, THEY WERE RECEPTIVE AND EVEN SENT A TOYOTA FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE CAR. THEN MY CASE MANAGER TOLD ME THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND "COULD NOT VERIFY MY CONCERNS". SHE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY COULD DO AND THERE WERE NO REPAIRS TO BE MADE. AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THE 2019 COR

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Crash
Filed Aug 25, 20193,025 milesCA

AFTER ANOTHER DRIVER FAILED TO YIELD RIGHT-OF-WAY, I EXPERIENCE A FAULT WITH THE AUTOMATED DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEM WHICH DURING A MERGE OF TWO HIGHWAYS IN CALIFORNIA; AND FAILURE OF ROAD STRUCTURES ALLOWED AN OLDER PASSENGER TRUCK TO HIT THE TOYOTA'S DRIVER'S REAR TIRE AND WHEEL WELL AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT EVASIVE, DEFENSIVE OR WARNING FROM THE 2020 COROLLA HYBRID'S

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 13, 2019250 milesPA

WE BOUGHT THE CAR ON 07-29-19 AND ON 08-04-19 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM MARYLAND THE CAR SENSOR LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AFTER ONLY 250 MILES ON THE CAR. THE FLASHING LIGHTS WERE FOR BRAKES AND PARKING BRAKE, LANE DEPARTURE AND ASSIST, BACK UP AND FRONT CAMERA, CHECK ENGINE, TIRE PRESSURE, HEAD LIGHTS, AND RSA MALFUNCTIONS. BASICALLY THE ENTIRE SAFETY SYSTEM OF THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING IT. 7-29-19, 8-2, 5, 9-19 AND THE CAR WAS IN MOTION EACH TIME WHILE ON A HIGHWAY. I HAD IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY ARE STILL WORKING ON IT. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID THE CAR NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THE SECOND TIME THE SERVICE MANAGER IS CLAIMING IT IS A WIRE WHICH I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE SINCE THERE ARE MULTIPLE CODES AND I DON'T THINK THEY ALL GO THROUGH ONE WIRE. OUR FAMILY DOES NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR WHEN ALL OF THESE LIGHTS ARE FLASHING AND NOT KNOWING IF THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE AND IF THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THE CAR WILL OPERATE PROPERLY. I HAVE VIDEO AND PICTURES OF THE CODES THAT WERE FLASHING IF NEEDED. I COULD NOT UPLOAD THEM DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE FILES.

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 30, 2019400 milesPA

BAD ACCIDENT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CAR WAS TOTALLED. ALSO THE CAR IS SUPOSE TO STOP IF SOMETHING IS IN THE WAY. AND THE SIDE SENSOR DID NOT WORK A COUPLE TIMES SOMETHING GOT CLOSE ON THE SIDE WARNING NEVER WENT OFF. AFTER ACCIDENT A LIGHT ON THE DASH SAID SAFTEY MALFUNCTION.

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 2020 Toyota Corolla → · Every Corolla year → · How the figures are calculated →