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CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2007 Corolla. It is almost certainly misleading.

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2007 Corolla is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models have an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.

So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where now the NHTSA data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.

CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Toyota acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2007 Corolla, our data for the Corolla is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Corolla's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
45 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
24 / 1
Average Mileage:
34,997 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.

2007 Toyota Corolla engine problems

engine problem

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2007 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 3 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #49

May 032010

Corolla

  • 53,000 miles

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

Three times, my 2007 Toyota Corolla suddenly slowed down on the highway while driving it. After the check engine light came on. I pulled off the road and turned off the car. When I started it a again, the car drove fine. This is a defect. I took care of the car. Please help!

- Homestead, FL, USA

problem #48

Apr 262010

Corolla

  • 16,500 miles
I had just started my 2007 Toyota Corolla in a parking lot, I backed out of a my parking space, and put the transmission in drive. I was traveling approximately 3-4 mph, when I applied the brake to stop. The car continued to lurch forward. Even though my foot was on the brake. I applied more pressure to the brake, but the car continued to move. I had to shift the transmission into park, in order to stop the car. I then looked down at the brake and accelerator pedals. My foot was firmly on the brake and the accelerator was not depressed in anyway, however the engine RPM's continued to increased. I had to turn the engine off to stop the engine speed from increasing. I took the car to Toyota dealership immediately, but they found nothing wrong with the car.

- Grayslake, IL, USA

problem #47

Jun 152008

Corolla

  • 7,500 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. While driving at approximately 25 mph, the contact took her foot off the accelerator pedal but the vehicle surged forward which resulted in a crash. There were no injuries but a police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop but the mechanic stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure had not occurred since the first. The failure mileage was approximately 7,500. The current mileage was approximately 12,750.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #46

May 172007

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 1,096 miles

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

I purchased a Toyota Corolla in April of 2007 and returned it for service in may of 2007 or one month later as state on the service report, "customer state the car feels like the car wants to keep going after let of the gas takes more effort to slow the car". the dealer stated that no problems were found and sent me on my way. However, I haven't been informed of any recalls or corrective actions. I reported this 3 years ago. I will still at times get the brakes fighting the acceleration problem. I have original documentation from the dealer on the claim. Updated 09/15/10

- Grandview, MO, USA

problem #45

Apr 052010

Corolla

  • 53,103 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. While driving, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, side swiped another vehicle, crashed into an embankment, while it was airborne it also hit a sign and crashed into a building. The vehicle also fell 3.5 feet from a retaining wall, crashed into a fence, down an embankment into a creek and stopped after crashing into a tree. Two passengers were injured and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The current and failure mileages were 53,103.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

problem #44

Apr 112010

Corolla

  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated the rpms would race up and down followed by the vehicle suddenly stalling. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the vehicle needed a new computer after the vehicle was inspected. The contact planned to take the vehicle to an authorized dealership so that the dealer could look at it at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 33,000.

- Carlstadt, NJ, USA

problem #43

Mar 182010

Corolla

  • 38,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. While the contact was driving 15 mph pressure was applied to the brake pedal with a sudden acceleration and caused a crash to occur. A police report was not mentioned. There were no injuries, and the vehicle sustained damages. The manufacturer was notified, and requested taht vehicle not be repaired before an inspection was performed. The contact waited for more than two weeks without a response from the manufacturer, although several messages were left regarding the inspection date. The current failure and current mileages were 38,000.

- Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, USA

problem #42

Aug 152008

Corolla

  • 1,100 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph and making a turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a ditch. The contact sustained a broken wrist and the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle had not been inspected and the contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. The VIN was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The failure and current mileages were 1,100.

- De Soto, TX, USA

problem #41

Mar 232010

Corolla

  • 155,443 miles
I took my 2007 Corolla to the dealership on 1/18/2010 in bakersfield, California because of throttle surges, and at one point, loss of throttle capability. They replaced 1 part related to the throttle that cost over 1100 dollars. It continued to do the same things, and I returned it on 3/23/10, only to find out a computer board and oxygen sensor now need to be replaced at a cost of 1,000 additional dollars. I am very disappointed in Toyota's lack of ownership regarding these issues. If I choose to have the repairs made, I will then drive it over to the Honda dealership, to purchase a comparable replacement.

- Bakersfield, CA, USA

problem #40

Mar 232010

(reported on)

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
2007 Toyota Corolla. Consumer states repeated sudden acceleration. The consumer stated the sudden acceleration was random and intermittent. The consumer stated he was braking from normal roadway speeds of 30-60 mph and just when the vehicle was almost stopped, the engine would race and the vehicle would try to accelerate against the brakes. Fortunately, the brakes held its position and the consumer was bale to turn the engine off. The first two times, the engine racing occurred, he tried to shift the gear into park to prevent the vehicle from moving, however that resulted in the engine rpms acting erratically, so he then turned the engine off and back on again and everything went back to normal.

- Cedar Creek, TX, USA

problem #39

Mar 102010

Corolla

  • 45,000 miles

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

The car accelerated instead of stopping when I applied the brakes to stop. The car sped off on its own and crashed against the fence on March 10, 2010. The acceleration of the car on its own is not new, but has not resulted in an accident.

- New Carrollton, MD, USA

problem #38

Mar 032010

Corolla 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,500 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. While driving 2 mph attempting to park and when the brakes were applied, the vehicle suddenly surged forward without warning. In order to stop the acceleration, the contact had to apply extreme pressure to the brakes. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. Three people drive the vehicle and all of them have experienced the unintended acceleration at different times. The VIN was not available. The approximate current and failure mileages were 40,000. Updated 04/22/10 updated 05/05/10.

- Fountain Valley, CA, USA

problem #37

Nov 182009

Corolla

  • 38,000 miles
2007 Toyota Corolla: When coming to a stop car will spontaneously accelerate and lurch forward. We have been spared any accidents but it is happening at least twice a day now and will do it when coming to a stop, and backing up. We have come close to hitting our garage and other cars because of this spontaneous acceleration problem. Failure started around 38,000 miles and is still continuing now at about 49,000 miles. Car has been to a trusted mechanic once and the Toyota dealership three times. Both said they found no problem and because we never know when the problem will occur, could not get the car to replicate it. Talked with dealership mechanics several times and all say there is nothing they can do until they can replicate the problem. Car does not fall under most recent Toyota recall, but is exhibiting similar problems to those listed in the recall.

- Eugene, OR, USA

problem #36

Nov 102009

Corolla

  • 29,000 miles
We have a 2007 Toyota Corolla. We had been on the highway using our cruise control. When we came to the exit, my husband stepped on the brake and disengaged the cruise control and we stopped at the light. We were sitting there with the engine idling, my husband's foot was on the brake, when all of a sudden the motor roared and the car began to surge forward. He stepped hard on the brake and it stopped. Scared us to say the least. It has not occurred again, but sometimes when we are on the highway, with the cruise control on and it accelerates, it will not back off and the car will continue to accelerate until we step on the brake. If you step on the brake and disengage the cruise control the acceleration will stop. In light of the recent incidents we felt we should report these incidents. We read the report on the runaway prius and that you could not duplicate the incident. I am convinced, based on our experience that you will not be able to duplicate the incident. We feel strongly, based on the performance of our own vehicle that it is a computer/electrical problem of some sort and that it could be connected to the cruise control. As I said it has not happened again, but I wonder if it will at some point. We were very fortunate that no one was in front of us or we would have hit them.

- Maryland Heights, MO, USA

problem #35

Feb 122010

Corolla

  • 38,000 miles
Approximately Jan 26, 2010 2007 Toyota Corolla engine accelerated up to approximately 7000 rpms while my wife's foot was on brake only, car waiting for about two minutes at traffic light. Car was turned off. Car towed to Toyota dealer, dealer found nothing wrong, nothing done. Feb 12, 2010 again the car was idling, waiting for traffic to clear, to make right turn. This time engine started wildly accelerating as soon as my wife gave car a little gas, the car lurched forward rapidly, she hit another car, caused damage to both cars, no injuries. Car engine raced very fast again just after accident. Car towed to repair shop for body work only. Feb 24 just after car picked up at body shop, car was waiting in traffic to make left turn, foot on brake, engine accelerated up to 7000 RPM again, car turned off, towed back to Toyota dealer. It still sits there today, March 15. Dealer will not look at car, national Toyota tech team says they will call to set up appointment to look at car, maybe call this coming week, may not even start looking at car for several more weeks. We have not had use of car for one month, Toyota is convinced nothing is wrong, car is not recalled, Toyota seems determined to prove car problem did not cause accident, show no concern for what is causing problem. We have extended warrenty, but car is not getting fixed, we can not get rental car while car is in shop because Toyota is not being fixed. Car seems to be excellent canidate for studies, since it has had 3 sudden accelerations in a short time, two of them involving foot on brake, not accelerator, points to software problem. Toyota acts like they do not want software problem to be found.

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #34

Jan 012009

Corolla

  • miles
2007 Toyota Corolla experiencing throttle surging. The consumer stated the vehicle took off suddenly. He applied the brake as hard as he could, but before the vehicle stopped it crashed into a heavy tool box and some other containers and into the back wall of the garage. The bumper was damaged. The second time, while backing out of the garage, the vehicle suddenly took off again. He immediately applied the brake forcefully, but the vehicle did not stop before he reached the street. There was no damage. The third time, the vehicle suddenly surged forward in the midst of stop and go traffic. Fortunately, there was space between it and the car ahead, so he was able to stop before contact. The consumer also stated he had problems with the door and ignition. He had four different batteries in the vehicle since it was purchased. He was told that the first two had bad cells in them.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #33

Sep 012007

Corolla

  • miles
I have been having two separate problems with the acceleration of my 2007 Toyota Corolla le. The first problem is with my gas pedal. I noticed that over the last several months my gas pedal has been becoming harder to press down. When I am pressing down the gas pedal I also experience the problem of the vehicle "jumping" and suddenly accelerating quicker instead of smooth acceleration as Toyota has said vehicles should have. This problem began about 8 months ago and has only been getting worse the second issue is with my cruise control. My mother actually noticed this problem before I did when she was driving my car but I have seen it happen a few times when I've been driving on the freeway. When I set my cruise control and there is any type of hill my car naturally decelerates slightly before my cruise control steps in and compensates for the incline. When I return to flat ground however, I would expect my car to return to the speed that I had set my cruise control to. Most of the time it does but on more than one occasion instead of picking back up to the set speed my vehicle has actually accelerated faster than the speed I had set. This problem first occurred within 6 months of the purchase of my vehicle. I didn't notice these as a problem because I had already checked to make sure my Toyota wasn't under any current recalls and it wasn't. my mother however pointed out that both of these things are abnormal and I needed to take them in to Toyota and file a report with you. I have a scheduled an appointment with Toyota for 10/22/10 but was told if they find a problem with either of these things it may not be covered because my vehicle isn't under the recall.

- Cypress, CA, USA

problem #32

May 182008

Corolla

  • 2,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla. While the contact was driving 25 mph the vehicle suddenly surged forward without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by applying pressure to the brakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 2000.

- East Brunswick, NJ, USA

problem #31

Oct 012009

Corolla

  • 29,001 miles
My 2007 Toyota Corolla accelerated dangerously three times. I put on brakes with all my might, put it in parked position. No damage to anything, or anyone, but the sudden acceleration was scary. It's not among the recalled models. I removed the Toyota floor mat from the driver's side. I will go back to dealer : I want them to look at the car's computer.

- Laurel, MD, USA

problem #30

Mar 152009

Corolla

  • 60,000 miles
Something is wrong with my car's acceleration and cruise control mechanisms. Sometimes, if I've been using my cruise control, and I'm coasting, the throttle will suddenly engage on its own and rev as if the gas was floored. In seconds the tachometer will climb toward the redline. Every time this has happened (about 5 times) I've hit the clutch and it has stopped immediately. I've never been in any danger yet, and it usually just leaves me scratching my head.

- Eugene, Or, OR, USA

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