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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,933 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Toyota Corolla electrical problems

electrical problem

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2005 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #31

Jul 282012

Corolla

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #30

Mar 032011

Corolla

  • 131,340 miles
Have a 2005 Toyota Corolla S. took vehicle in 12/10 to replace part that was due to recall. Check engine light was still on. Toyota said intake gasket needed to be replaced. Replaced intake gasket on 2/26/11. On 3/3/11, check engine light came on again. Toyota said there is an issue with the computer or the transmission and it would probably have to be replaced.

- Dunwoody, GA, USA

problem #29

May 162010

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Air float sensor or ECM problem: In May 2010, while I was driving home after work, the check engine light came up, and within a few minute, the car slowed down to a stop even I press on the gas paddle. I turned the car off for several minutes and tried starting it again, and the car started again and check engine was off. However, after several minutes of driving, the check engine light came up again and the car slowed down within a few minute to a complete stop. This happened four times before I got home that day. I called my mechanic the next day to come to inspect my car. After the diagnose, the mechanic replaced the air float sensor and the air filter. After that, my car worked again. However, I had the exact same problem a few months later. I had to replace the air float sensor again. Two or three weeks after the second replacement, the check engine light came up again. I brought it to the auto shop, and the mechanic found problem with the engine control module (ECM) and replaced the original ECM with an used ECM. The security light came up after the ECM was replaced. According the mechanic, the security light came up because the used ECM doesn't have the security feature that the original ECM has. After that, the engine light didn't come up again til about two weeks ago (Feb. 2011). Around the same time, I received an ECM safety recall notice from Toyota. I contacted the local Toyota dealer and had the ECM replaced on Feb. 19, hoping that it will fix the security light and check engine light problem. However, both the security light and the check engine light remained on after the replacement through the recall. The Toyota dealer said the lights has nothing to do with the recall and refused to deal with the security light and check engine light issue unless I'm paying them to do a diagnose. I called the Toyota customer experience center and they said the same thing.

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #28

Jul 282010

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 29,167 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Letter from senator schumer on behalf of constituent re problems with her 2005 Toyota Corolla the consumer stated while on her way to work, the vehicle stalled and the engine light immediately illuminated. The vehicle had no power. The vehicle was towed to the repair shop. It was determined, the vehicle had a defective ECM. Updated 10/01/10

- Bronxville, NY, USA

problem #27

Jul 092010

Corolla

  • 39,932 miles
Roughly a month ago, our 2005 Corolla with about 40,000 miles suddenly stalled while traveling southbound on a major road. The engine cut out without warning. There were no injuries. The engine trouble light illuminated. Turning the ignition again, the car would start for a few seconds and stall out again. A few times, upon trying to start the car again, it would not start at all. The car would not run and needed to be towed to a mechanic. The car gave no signs of trouble before the stalling incident. The camshaft sensor, crank sensor and engine control computer all needed to be replaced, according to our mechanic. I do not believe the old parts are still available.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #26

Feb 042010

Corolla

  • 93,210 miles
As I was slowing down to come to a stop, my 2005 Toyota Corolla car all of a sudden stopped (stalled). I was able to restart the car without any problems. I have not done anything to try and find out what the problem is or try to fix it.

- Palm Desert, CA, USA

problem #25

May 152008

Corolla

  • 22,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1. driving my 2005 Toyota Corolla at 55mph the car came to a complete and dead stop and would not start. 2. the failure occured once. 3. the car had to have a brand new computer "brain" chip installed.

- Bluffton, SC, USA

problem #24

Jul 152010

Corolla

  • 102,000 miles
Our 2005 Toyota Corolla (102,000 miles) experiences very hard automatic shifting that makes it sometimes difficult to control while driving. This just happened suddenly. At first the problem was just intermittent, but now it happens every time the car changes gears. We researched online and saw this is a very common problem with 05-07 Toyota of certain models, and that it's due to a faulty ECM. Unfortunately, Toyota refuses to replace the ECM, which is the only ($1000+) solution.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #23

Aug 152010

Corolla

  • 99,000 miles
2005 Toyota Corolla, 99,000 miles. Car stopped driving. Engine light came on. Had to have it towed to the dealership. Turned out that it was the ECM. Cost $735 to replace.

- Erial, NJ, USA

problem #22

Feb 242009

Corolla

  • 89,000 miles
Suddenly my "check engine" light came on and when I went to get it checked out I was told it was a dtc P2716 code, a harsh shift and M.I.L. "on" problem. Since I had done my research and found this problem to be common in 2005 Toyota Corollas, I expected them to replace the ECM for me. However, given that my car was just past 89,000 miles and the warranty ended at 85,000, the dealership told me there is nothing Toyota would do. My car exhibits the harsh shift problem regularly and now my plates have come up for renewal and I cannot pass an emissions test given my "check engine" light being on. I cannot afford to just replace the unit and I believe that since Toyota is aware it is a widespread problem, they should be recalling the part for consumer satisfaction. I have been a loyal Toyota consumer since I began driving but I have lost my respect for the company given the circumstances of my newest Toyota and how they have been completely uncooperative in helping rectify the situation (knowing it is a defect on their part).

- North Hollywood, CA, USA

problem #21

Jun 212010

Corolla

  • 70,816 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. While driving at approximately 3 mph pressure was applied to the break pedal and the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the gas cap, the transmission and an unknown charcoal canister were replaced. Approximately one week later the vehicle began to intermittently stall. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the engine control module was replaced. Approximately a week and a half later the vehicle again began to stall. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where they informed her they believe the amplifier was draining power from the battery which may be the cause of the failures. The amplifier was removed by the authorized dealer. Upon receiving the vehicle it continued to intermittently stall. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer but she was unsure if the vehicle was repaired. The failures continue to recur intermittently. The failure mileage was 70,816 and the current mileage was 71,955.

- San Franscisco, CA, USA

problem #20

Jul 192010

Corolla

  • 94,800 miles
P2716 harsh shift fault code. I purchased car from dealer as a certified used perfectly reliable on 12/28/08 with 47000 miles on it. The other day out of no where, no warnings, no noticeable changes the check engine light came on, while cruising up the 14 North at 75 mph. Didn't think much of it, stopped at a friends house and used his obd2 reader and found out the issue, still haven't noticed much of an issue except for the sharp harsh shifting from 1st thru 3rd unless babying it. So I go into the dealer with 94786miles and see what's the issue and why so many problems. I was told yes its known a tsb has been published, yes its a safety hazard to anyone on or around the road due to the fact it could shut down at a moments notice. But since I am past the 80000 mi. Warranty there is nothing they can do except offer me a 10% discount and pay $693 to have it replaced, and there is no guarantee it will be perfect again, many of our customers have had to return multiple times for it which the warranty covers. How does my certified used, extended warranty purchase, being a safety hazard not covered under a warranty control, a safety recall, or something?

- Whittier, CA, USA

problem #19

Jul 032010

Corolla

  • 62,200 miles
I have a 2005 Corolla S, and the ECU problem is well-known, and is a safety hazard. I had my first problem with my ECU, at 62K miles, and thank god, it didn't happen while I was on my daily 40 mile commute on a high-speed, heavy-traffic highway. My car just wouldn't start at random when I was leaving a store, the starter wasn't cranking, nothing was happening, just nothing when I turned the key. No lights on my dashboard, other than the door light where I had the door open (it was 95 degrees, and my power windows obviously weren't working). Did research and saw that the ECM is a terrible problem on 05-07 Corollas, and the Toyota service man agreed that was the problem. Got it replaced, and not even 24 hours after picking it up from the dealer, it happened again, stranding me at work with no way to get home. This is a ridiculous problem, and it is certainly a safety hazard with many reports of the car stopping while people are driving.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #18

Apr 252010

Corolla

  • 80,000 miles
Complaint on 2005 Toyota Corolla: "ECU" engine control unit. Our 2005 Corolla's ECU failed once at approx 40K miles (4K over warranty). The unit failed completely causing the car to lose power while driving. The car also shifted gears randomly when restarted, including shifting itself into reverse while in drive! we had to pay for a new unit as it was out of warranty. It was replaced with newer ECU (I think from an 06 Corolla). However, now at 80K it just failed again (that's 40K on the ECU again). It failed while it was in drive, again causing a lose of power. Once again we will have to pay to replace it. I've never filed a report before. But apparently this is a common problem. I was instructed by this website to file a report. www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?T=201631&page=4.

- Springfield, VT, USA

problem #17

Mar 012010

Corolla

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at speeds of 30 mph through a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart and maintain control of the vehicle. The failure would occur intermittently. In addition, when in the reverse position the vehicle would shift extremely hard and the air conditioner had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that the central computer system was defective. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. All repairs would be at the expense of the owner. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 99,000.

- Cortlandt Manor, NY, USA

problem #16

Mar 012010

Corolla

  • 115,381 miles
2005 Toyota Corolla. 3/1/2010-engine cuts out/stalls while driving and check engine light. Retrieved codes P0606 and P0456. Brought to local service and was diagnosed as ECM failure. Service rep states that it has to go to Toyota because ECM is on technical service bulletin extended warranty. 3/2/1010-Toyota nashua service retrieved codes P0606 and P0607 replaced ECM cost $640.36. 3/4/2010 engine stalls while driving with check engine light brought back to Toyota service with same codes. They cleared codes with no repair. 4/13/2010 engine stalls while driving check engine light and brought back to Toyota service. Retrieved code P0606 and P0607. Replaced rear oxygen sensor. $259.35. 4/14/2010 engine stalls while driving check engine light and brought back to Toyota service. Car is currently being diagnosed. Kept car over night. Awaiting repair diagnosis. This is a serious safety issue. This car stalls on highways at 65mph with little time to get to breakdown lane. Risk of serious traffic accidents. Please investigate again and get warranty extended beyond 80K miles.

- Groton, MA, USA

problem #15

Apr 122010

Corolla

  • 50,741 miles
2005 Toyota Corolla going 60 miles per hour on a highway suddenly went to 30 miles per hour and the check engine light came on. Luckily no one too close following the car. Drove to Toyota dealership and the next day they replaced the computer for the second time.

- Manchester, MO, USA

problem #14

Apr 082010

Corolla

  • 90,889 miles
The symptom of problem presents itself while driving all of a sudden I will lose power and the car sputters and chugs. Today, for instance, I was driving 65mph on the highway, and I lost power and nearly was rear ended and I tried to navigate across traffic to get to the side of the road. Sometimes the car will just stall and completely go dead and other times I can try and tap the gas pedal a few times to try and get it through the chugging. Also - while driving the tachometer is jumping all over the place. It has stalled while I was waiting at a red light. It stalls/loses power at any speed or if I'm stopped. I've taken it to three places and all three say the ECM is bad is needs to be replaced. When I called the Toyota dealership they would not cover the replacement because my 2005 Toyota Corolla has 90K miles on it and they'll only cover it if it has 80K miles or less (8yr or 80K miles - whichever comes first)..

- Leander, TX, USA

problem #13

Mar 082010

Corolla

  • 95,900 miles
Failure of engine control module (currently refered to as "ECU" by Toyota technicians). This is the second failure of this component for this vehicle. This failure has caused my car to buck significantly on upshifts of the automatic trans. Part was originally replaced in 2006 under guidelines of tsb TC014-06. TC015-07 refers to the same problem and was issued after repairs to my vehicle. Toyota refuses to acknowledge the continuing failure of this part.

- Stockholm, NJ, USA

problem #12

Jul 012009

Corolla

  • 30,000 miles
Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I have had a variety of electrical problems show up in my 2005 Corolla ce, [xxx]. they began about July 2009 and continue to this day, in July, the car was hard to start on hot days. It may be corrosion at the battery ground or it may be something more serious. Then, about the 1st of January, the electric locks failed to work. About the 20th of January, they worked again. This suggests that the ECM is subject to water exposure, and corrosion....which will lead to other, perhaps dangerous, fails. For at least 6 months, the passenger safety bag light has been on. This too, suggests some type of weather exposure to a flawed design. It is dangerous because it could mean the safety bag might trigger spontaneously while the car is in motion...thus triggering an accident that could kill me, any passengers, and it could cause an accident involving other vehicles...risking the lives of many others. My final electrical problem began on/about 1 March of this year. My "engine fault" light went on and remains on. I did check all fluids on the top of the engine and found them to be okay. I don't feel safe in this car and it is now sitting in my car port. I won't drive it until I can find out what the problem is. I am even afraid to drive it to the aamco business for the free diagnostic check that they offer. Instead, I just bought a diagnostic tool to help me figure out if the car is safe. I almost forgot. Last summer, the odometer set itself back by about 25,000 miles. This is another indicator of an electrical problem.

- Fairfax City, VA, USA

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