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.
When the car was put into drive from neutral after coming out of a car wash the car started to accelerate out of control, the car hit several curbs went across a lawn and hit a concrete wall where the air bags deployed. The minute that the went into gear the engine started to race as though the accelerator was stuck down.
I have a loud knock/rattle noise on cold startup on my 2009 Corolla. I thought it was the belt. But, after replacing belts on schedule maintenance, problem still persist. On several occasions, the engine would start but running in abnormal sound with constant big vibrations. Looking up online to see if this is a common problem for the 2009 Corolla, I am surprised this is wide spread problem and that Toyota knows about it and even issued the repair the bulletin. According to the bulletin, this noise was caused by the defective camshaft timing gear assembly, which affect 2009-2010 Corolla and matrix. I don't know how any other owner will have the same problems, and that someday it might cause big accident when the assembly failed while driving on the freeway. I could not understand why Toyota did not issue a recall when they knew there is this problem on the parts. I sincerely hope NHTSA will investigate this issue.
Toyota Corolla S 2009 transmission/clutch issue / electric steering wheel on Wednesday, March 20th, 2013 at 86000 mi. Experienced same lack of acceleration transmission problem after I purchased in 40 month at 79,000 mi. Right after I started the engine, no acceleration / no shift. Terminated the driving immediately. Restart the engine, it accelerate normal. However, an engine light came out. I drove more than 80 miles to willsonville Toyota in or where I had a full diagnosis in early March this month (changed transmission fluid/first they denied that it is transmission maintenance free). Service manager witnessed engine light but refused to diagnosis right a way even though I had addressed this transmission problem last December to Toyota Japan, us and willsonvill Toyota. Service mgr failed to check the code for engine light which they could have find the cause. Engine light disappeared in a day. Called Toyota executive office twice. No respond for last 3 days. NHTSA advice Toyota customer to call Toyota headquarter. Steering wheel issue also remains. It locks, difficult to turn the wheel.. last.5 min -1 min. Then return to normal. Steering wheel issue continues. Dealer requests to bring in over nights to duplicate. However, steering locks after engine start for less than several seconds. How they are going to diagnosis is it only last several seconds? by the time they put in the shop for diagnosis, it is already normal. NHTSA is advising to Toyota customer to call Toyota. Past history on transmission issue at 79000 mi: Engine light came out but lasted one day. Fail to accelerate more than 10 - 15 miles /hr. Never shift it up to and go faster. Stopped engine. Restart engine again after 10min. Low speed of 10-15 miles. Restart engine again, and picked up the speed to normal. Engine light disappear in a day. I was concerned and it happened again. Toyota ignored.
I was driving on ca hwy 101 at 7:30pm when I smelled, then saw smoke and flames coming from the driver-side door. Luckily, I had a gallon of drinking water within reach. I poured it on the fire while swerving to the margin so as to avoid collision. I extinguished the fire and disconnected the windows-switch panel. Apparently, a short-circuit in the window switches ignited the sound-insulation material that should have been fire-proof to begin with. The fire melted most of the driver-side plastic door cover and partially fried the switches and associated wiring. I found the article 'burning Toyota Camry/rav4 window switches prompt NHTSA investigation' and many others that explained everything I needed to know about the cause of the fire. The next day I went to my Toyota dealer who inspected the car. I asked the dealer to repair the car at no cost to me because, obviously, the fire resulted from an inherent defect. The dealer said he won't repair the car for free. Toyota customer service and legal counsel did not take any responsibility either, and, basically, kept on harassing me over the following 3 weeks with many phone calls requesting that I bring my car here and there at their whim. Incidentally, this harassment caused me to lose my job. I reported that much and more to Toyota on their form. Here is what I requested: 1.repair my car and give me a loaner at no cost to me. 2.compensate me monetarily, with $10,000, for the extreme 'inconvenience' you have been causing me over the last three (3) weeks. 3.congratulate me for surviving a very-close call. Miraculously, no one was hurt or killed.
Bought used 2009 Toyota Corolla (5 speed manual clutch) vehicle in mid 2011. Noticed that the gas pedal, brake and clutch are oddly very close, and gas pedal seems to stick, which seems to cause error in shifting/ acceleration/ de-acceleration, especially when using in between gears. Not sure what that is all about, or whether or not there has been a prior complaint about this or recall, but I think it should be brought to the attention and fixed by Toyota for safety reasons.
- Riverside, CA, USA
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The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Corolla. While driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle became resistant to acceleration attempts with the illumination of the check engine warning light. The dealer was contacted and an appointment for repairs was secured. The contact referenced a technical service bulletin for the exact same failure in the 2009 Toyota Corolla but not for the 2009 model. The failure mileage was 47,150 and the current mileage was 47,171.
While driving to get onto the expressway, the car downshifted. When I got up to speed, it downshifted with a heavy jolt and a bang, the dealer told me the problem happened because of the small motor trying to catch up to the torque converter. This happens regularly. On a trip to the Bonneville salt flats, I couldn't see how fast the car would go. At 95 mph the transmission slammed back and fourth in and out of gear. The car dealer checked my car and one of theirs. They both did exactly what I said. They said they suspected a design flaw, but the car wasn't dangerous. Updated 02/14/11
2009 Toyota Corolla. Consumer states that they have been experiencing a rapid succession of jolting movements coming from underneath the brake pedal of the vehicle when the brakes were applied the brake system vacuum port was serviced.
My son was driving with my daughter in the passenger seat of our 2009 Toyota Corolla. Started the car; with foot on the brake, changed from P to R, released the hand brake; at that point, the car took off down the driveway, crossed the road and hit the tree on the neighbor's yard and stopped; damage to rear fender and trunk. My daughter noticed that my son had his foot on the brake but the car wouldn't stop till it hit the tree. I had the car taken to Toyota dealer to be tested and fixed. Toyota ran some tests and informed me that they do not think this was caused by any defect in the car. But they will not provide me with a copy of the report nor can they explain how their test could deny what was witnessed by the person in the car.
Date: May 4, 2009-I just purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla le and have had it for 7 days before having to return it to the dealer where it was purchased due to a wandering feeling in the steering and movement of the car while on the highway. This happened to me on 3 different occasions during the 7 days I had it very scary and unsafe! I thought maybe it was the road, a flat tire, or the wind blowing my car but after 3 separate and different conditions I know it is not just me it is the car and after researching the problem I see many other complaints as well!!!!
On and off, the car make a noise when I stop my vehicle followed by a crank noise, and feels like car doesn"T want to stop at times, matter of seconds. And being a vehicle that has 4,451 miles I took it for the 5000 miles service, because of the brakes noise concerned, I send an email to the service manager describing the problems, and the service advisor told me they have check the brakes and that my car was ready, I drove my car and it keep doing the same thing on an off, so abnormal, I wrote a second email to the service manager, I was told in few words that they have to reprogram the computer on my car since it was the transmission or power train problem I can read on my invoice performed a tsb 0082-9 reprogrammed ECU??? I drop my car at penske Toyota twice; have my car like a week, since it suffer a lot damage. When I drop my car off I was told by the technician he was going to call the factory to solve the problem?? am I secure in my vehicle? I don?T feel secure on it. Can they replace my car" I am afraid because of the computer issue, and the pedal issue.
2009 Toyota Corolla, manual 5 speed, while in 1st or 2nd gear, on a slight incline will move forward or backward. Toyota's solution was to apply the emergency brake. I'm appalled that my car while in gear can travel two parking spots and hit another car while I am not in the car. I would like to have in writing that Toyota says that this is the way they designed their car.
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- Fort Washington, PA, USA