general problems of the 2020 Toyota Corolla - part 1

I have experienced a message saying 'engine maintenance required' and after experiencing the same instances as many people have online, it seems the engine coolant bypass valve is faulty and needs to be replaced. No code can be read using a code reader either.

Coolant bypass valve.

Engine maintenace required light came on. I was told that my coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. This is happening on all Toyota vehicles from 2018-2024 common issue but the repair to fix something that should be covered under warranty.

On June 19, 2025, I was driving and out of nowhere, there was a warning notification that said "a warning light was turned on. Would you like to call an operator?" on the digital cluster, there was a message that said "engine maintenance required - visit your dealer. Mileage noted down was 79,632. I asked around for some insight and people are telling me it's the water/coolant bypass valve that's leaking and the op code is 24te04r1. Will this be a covered service?.

The engine maintenance required message appeared on the dash. I was travel from work to home (about 40 miles). I pulled over immediately at a store, left my car and walked over a mile to the mechanic shop down the road (in 95° weather with a knee that has been through 3 surgeries in less than 5 years). The gentleman took me back to my car. Followed me as I took my car back to the repair shop since it was close and did not have any lights on the dash and I was not overheating. He plugged a reader in it and the error was a coolant bypass valve issue (I can't remember the exact verbage). I purchased a replacement valve 6-17-25, along with Toyota coolant. I am having to wait and save up the money to have the valve replaced at the shop got the message code from. I can not afford the dealerships cost to replace the valve. The valve and coolant was expensive in itself. I have read many forums and blogs. Toyota knew there was an issue and I am requesting my reimbursement for the cost of replacing a part you knew was faulty.

Flow shut-off valve coolant leak.

I have an error that appeared displaying “engine maintenance required” after some investigation snd research, I have noticed that this is a common issue associated with the oem engine coolant bypass valve. This occurred as I was driving home from work when I was driving down the freeway, I did not run into any obstacles or have an accident, it appeared out of thin air.

Unknown. I know that my car was doing fine and then randomly the coolant was low and my car was overheating on my way to work. I have yet to get it fixed, as I dont know how much it could cost me. But I read that 2020-2021 Toyota makes were having issues with their coolant.

An engine maintenance required warning popped up. The pop up wasn't going away. My engine sounds louder than usual when turning my a/c on.

Car is currently at 56k miles and the "engine maintenance required" popped up on my dashboard I'm pretty sure this is the engine coolant bypass valve which I read is a constant problem for new Toyotas like mine.

Drive start control malfunction occurred when turning the car on. Second time this has happened. First time was a charcoal canister and engine coolant valve. It was replaced under warranty at 50k miles but now at 96k miles the dealer says it is not covered under the extended warranty. Not sure how this problem happened.

Once I parked my car and turned on the a/c a couple mins later I received a warning message on my car screen saying “ engine maintenance required visit your dealer”. After having my car for 4 years I’ve never received this message till now (04/22/25). I thought it was because I needed an oil change but I was wrong because my oil is good. I checked my car and saw that the issue is the “coolant bypass valve”. I don’t even use my car that much for this to happen. I saw this is a common issue with a Toyota Corolla 2020 but the dealership does not want to fix this issue for free.

I received a "voluntary customer support program" letter from Toyota saying that a small engine coolant leak can occur that "can allow coolant to drip on other parts of the vehicle. This can cause 'engine maintenance required' to be displayed or cause the a/c not to function normally. " then it concludes that repair with a new "flow shut-off valve" will fix the problem, "under the terms of this customer support program. " I thought this was a recall and took my car in only to find that they wanted nearly $700 for the repair, because I did not have an extended warranty. When asked whether this could cause a safety problem if unfixed the reply from the service advisor was yes -- the coolant leak could potentially cause the engine to seize up on the highway. I was shocked that a defective part in the car I purchased new for $20,000 plus would not be replaced free of charge. I have put less than 16,000 miles on the car and now I find the resale value is essentially zero. And I now may be driving a potentially risky vehicle that could crash or leave me stranded somewhere. I feel there should be a repair at no charge.

I own a 2020 Toyota Corolla, and without any prior warning, the “engine maintenance required” message appeared on my dashboard at approximately 79,575 miles. There were no unusual symptoms—no overheating, strange noises, or performance issues—before the light turned on. I had my vehicle inspected by golling Toyota of warren, where they diagnosed the issue as a faulty engine coolant bypass valve. I was informed that the valve needed to be replaced and flushed. The total cost of the repair was $932. 21, which I had to pay out of pocket. Because the message specifically said “engine maintenance required,” I was concerned that it could be a serious engine issue. Out of caution, I avoided driving the vehicle until it was inspected, as I didn’t know whether it could result in engine damage, performance failure, or a sudden breakdown while on the road. The fear of an unknown engine-related malfunction created a genuine safety concern for me and others —especially since the warning came without any prior symptoms. I later learned that the problem was tied to the engine coolant bypass valve, which is known to fail prematurely in Toyota vehicles. This failure can affect engine performance and temperature regulation, increasing the risk of engine damage or failure while driving. There is already a class-action lawsuit concerning this issue, yet Toyota has not issued a recall. Owners like myself are being left to pay out of pocket for a known defect that poses real safety risks. I’m submitting this complaint in hopes that Toyota will be held accountable and that the NHTSA will take appropriate action to protect consumers from this recurring and potentially dangerous defect.

“engine maintenance required” alert received, related to a faulty coolant bypass valve which will need replacement. Vehicle is currently at 51,049 miles. Alert message can’t be dismissed from the dashboard. It obstructs a significant portion of the speedometer.

Coolant bypass valve broken dealers are charging $800, class action lawsuit pending.

Engine maintenance required displays see dealer displays in panel. I have taken to my local shop engine coolant bypass valve replaced. Still having same issue.

Valve matic is messed up. According to my research this is a known issue with 2020 Toyota Corollas.

Vehicle maintenance light won’t turn off, stays off if car started with ac off but comes on and stays on while ac is running. Coolant overflow valve malfunction.

There was a maintenance required notice on my dashboard and I searched up that it was my coolant bypass valve having an issue. Apparently it’s a defective part in Toyota Corolla and rav4 models from 2019-2023 I believe. The notice would come on and off each time I would start the vehicle. The dealership has confirmed this issue is common and after having it inspected and diagnosed, it was indeed the coolant bypass valve. My safety and the safety of others were fine, my engine would’ve been the unfortunate casualty if I did not take care of this.

Car would not start/turn over - not battery related. Toyota determined the ecu went bad and stated the cause was improperly jumping the battery. The issue happened randomly one day (car was driving fine previous days).

Vehicle was brought to Toyota because of "engine maintenance required" message. We initially thought it was "maintenance required" so husband said we may need to change the oil, but it was only a few thousand miles since last oil change. I tried to remove the message but the Toyota manual did not have any instructions on the "engine maintenance required" message removal. When he left Toyota after changing oil, same message was on dashboard. Husband went back to Toyota and asked them to remove the "engine maintenance required" and was told that there is a coolant bypass valve that must be changed in order for the message to go away. The cost should be around $1,000 and then proceeded to tell him he needed to buy new tires as well. All would total about $2,800. Vehicle has 58k miles and we are afraid to drive the vehicle now until we know what is actually wrong with it. It's suspicious to read all the complaints describing the same situation we have with Toyota. By the way, after we were told about the needed repair, I started getting emails from Toyota about purchasing a Toyota warranty, advertisements in the mail from car warranty companies and phone calls from Toyota salespeople to come and buy/lease a new Corolla and I would get a "great deal"! is this some scam to generate business? are Toyota owners being subjected to a "bait and switch" scam? I would like an investigation initiated by your agency. My vehicle is available upon request and our safety is at risk because we truly don't know what is wrong with it and afraid to drive it any longer. If your agency wants to read complaints from other owners, I direct you to read the complaints on [xxx] or google "Toyota engine maintenance repair" message. It's very much an eye-opener about fraud being perpetrated by Toyota. I can provide any documentation needed when I am personally contacted and requested to furnish them. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2020 Toyota Corolla's warning light which stated "engine maintenance required visit your dealer" came on. When I called the dealership they stated I would need to come in and hook it up to diagnose the problem which would cose me $185 + taxes and fees. Then once diagnosed they would be able to fix the problem. I checked with o'reilly's autopart store and autozone which both of their scanners found nothing wrong. So I informed Toyota and they stated they I need to bring it to them because their scanner/tool is the one which will tell us what the problem is specific to my car. But they stated they think it could be a hose related to my coolant system to prevent my car from overheating. They stated to watch the temperature gauge while driving as it may overheat and become dangerous to drive. If this happens or I see any smoke pull over and get out if the car. However they haven't seen anyone have to do this so they think I should be fine but I should fix this problem soon. I asked if that is the problem would it fall under my mechanical breakdown insurance coverage and the dealership stated that if that's the problem yes but if I go through the insurance it will take a really long time to fix because they'd have to file a claim and get paid before doing any repairs. Then they said I'd have to pay the copay and any difference. I was confused as my insurance states I only have to pay my copay. However, I had someone else with a scanner/tool hook theirs up and to see if we could check the actual problem and it did say the error code p268115 engine bypass coolant valve. So, this was the issue. I viewed online that there is a class action lawsuit going on right now for this same problem with 2019-2023 Toyota rav 4 and Corolla's. Toyota failed to disclose this information to it's consumers and it is not being covered under the power train warranty either. This safety issue with cars overheating is dangerous and costly.

Coolant/oil bypass valve. Warning issued sept 24th. I understand 6000 complaints have been filed with this vehicle model under 30,000 miles.

Engine coolant leak from an issue with a valve that allows coolant to drip on other parts of the vehicle. “engine maintenance required” is displayed on the instrument cluster and causes the a/c to not function normally.

I have been a victim of a known defect in Toyotas coolant bypass valve as of recent when approaching my 40000 mile service maintenance.

Coolant bypass valve. Becoming persistent in several models of Toyota 2019-2021. Dealerships claim it’s not covered under powertrain warranty because it’s part of the coolant system. Should be covered and customer should be compensated or reimbursed.

Got an engine maintenance required light show up, took my car to the dealer to diagnose, they stated that I need to replace my coolant bypass valve.

Getting engine maintenance required, coolant valve failed for no reason.

Engine coolant bypass valve has gone bad and presents a 'engine maintenance required, see dealer' error message.

I was driving in traffic when a warning light comes on it says "engine maintenance required visit your dealer". I have looked everywhere in the manual on this message and unable to find anything no other lights are on or anything to determine the issue. Took it to get checked at autozone no codes came up all is clear. I've read online this is a known issue to replace the coolant bypass valve. Unfortunately I take my vehicle to Toyota for all oil changes etc and this was not mentioned.

Engine coolant bypass valve issue.

Faulty coolant bypass valve needing repair. Manufacturer has open class action lawsuit. My car is also impacted.

Coolant bypass valve is defective and failed prematurely. Coolant bypass valve cracks and leaks coolant. Once coolant beings leaking, it comes into contact with the electrical connector located near the valve. The coolant corrodes and damages the connector, which eventually causes connector to malfunction. This causes the coolant bypass valve to be stuck in the “open” or “closed” position (I. E. It no longer responds to the needs of the engine), restricting coolant flow and allowing the engine to overheat. I had to repair the vehicle at harvey's autotech 521 west sixth street corona, CA 92882 (951) 737-9878 at the cost of $643. 91and loss of a work day.

2020 Toyota coolant bypass valve. $800 estimate to repair.