Power Train Problems of Toyota Corolla - part 1

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact became aware of an abnormal clunking sound, and that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated the failure had occurred while driving on a busy road. The contact attempted to shift the gear shifter into different driving modes; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several good samaritans pushed the vehicle into a nearby driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Corolla 🔎.

My car has 5358 miles. Started car. Drive start control malfunction light; check engine light; see dealer light all came on. Car would hardly move forward or reverse. Felt like the brakes were on. Heard subtle clicking sounds from engine. Looked this up as I never heard of this. Toyota says you must stop driving ASAP, assuming you "can" drive. You can loose control of the car. There are many things that can cause the light to come on. Dealer "says" they never heard of this. My car had to be towed. Mechanic found nothing wrong and reset computer modules. I got my car back after 3 days. Dealer says no guarantee it won't happen again without warning. So; anywhere, anytime, my car will just stop driving? how is this safe? internet searches show it's not uncommon. Toyota makes it hard to file a complaint.

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Slave cylinder failure. 90,000 miles. Multiple complaints about the issue.

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I have a 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback. The problems started on July 21st, 2025. While driving my 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback, I noted white exhaust smoke, even after the engine was warm. One week prior, I had filled the coolant reservoir, but when I checked it, the coolant was almost gone again. There were no visible leaks or puddles under the car. I refilled the coolant, but within days the car began shaking severely upon startup and emitted a coolant-burning smell. 5 minutes after, multiple warning lights illuminated on the dashboard simultaneously. I replaced the car battery, and the warnings disappeared. However, while merging onto the freeway, the same warning lights came back, the car lost power, and I could not accelerate above ~25 mph. If this occurred in heavy traffic, it could lead to a serious collision. I exited the freeway and had the car towed. Dtcs from the independent mechanic and the Toyota dealer included: p11ed00 p030085 p030027 p030200 (cylinder 2 misfire) c142571 (stop light relay actuator stuck) u1117 b2284 b15ad the Toyota dealer identified a “port injector #2 malfunction” and recommended replacing all four injectors (~$2,000) but could not confirm this would fix it. They noted a coolant-burning smell but advised addressing the misfire first before further diagnosis. There is an active class action lawsuit alleging that 2019–2023 Toyota Corolla and rav4 models have defective coolant bypass valves that may cause engine issues, overheating, or coolant loss without visible leaks. This matches the coolant loss, white exhaust smoke, and eventual power loss while driving. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue in connection to the reported coolant bypass valve defects affecting 2019–2023 Toyota Corolla models.

Clutch pedal sticks. Even after Toyota dealership bled lines. Apparent slave cylinder issue. Failure ranges from 35k to 80k miles. Faulty design using polymer is the internet’s general opinion.

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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.

I just had to replace my transmission. 2 days later I have my check engine light, secondary collision, pre collision and parking brake malfunction lights came on. There is a osc recall that could cause these issues, but they’re saying stated my specific vehicle isn’t under a recall.

The "engine maintenance required" message on a 2020 Toyota Corolla se keep coming on after I have reset numerous time. The "engine maintenance required" message on a 2020 Toyota Corolla se typically indicates a problem with the coolant bypass valve, not the regular maintenance schedule. This message is distinct from the "maintenance required" light that usually prompts oil changes. The coolant bypass valve issue often results in a dtc code and may require replacement.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle downshifted with no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the steering wheel seized with no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the steering module and the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

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Approximately one month ago the clutch pedal on my manual 2020 Corolla went all the way to the floor and stuck in place. Had it towed to my mechanics shop and it took them nearly 2 weeks just to get a slave cylinder to replace the defective part with. Fast-forward a week later and exactly the same thing happened. According to several different threads I have read online, this seems to be a problematic situation with the manual Corollas. Hopefully I will not experience any further problems however it appears that the defective slave cylinder part is to blame.

Falla en tren motriz o transmisión.

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Clutch throwout bearing went out at 69,000. Clutch pedal began getting stuck half way through pedal travel, then got stuck to floor. Lost all clutch operation.

As I was driving my check engine light turned and also another message saying “drive-start control malfunction”. A few second after another light came one showing “engine coolant temp high. On 11/24/24 I experienced this mechanical failure as I was driving. I was driving behind another car, where my car suddenly lost power and randomly accelerated almost causing me to crash behind the car in front of me. Thankfully I had time to press on the brakes to prevent me from crashing. I also did some research to see if other drivers also experienced this fault and seems that a lot of people with these Toyota Corolla and rav4 models. I also found that an active lawsuit is ongoing against Toyota regarding this same issue. This definitely should be something that needs to be recalled as it puts our lives at risks to either crash or even catch on fire due to overheating. My vehicle gets serviced regularly.

The transmission slave cylinder on this vehicle leaks and causes multiple issues with the transmission. It is a known issue among all manual transmission owners and resulting on average 4000 dollar repair.

No warning lamps, and no accident yet; however, I believe if I continue driving it without repair, it is a safety risk. The sound I can hear coming from cvt torque converter, impeller blades is getting louder the more I drive them vehicle. This was confirmed by a transmission service center (see photo) who identified a Toyota recall j17/j07 (NHTSA recall campaign 18v901000), which lists the 2019 Toyota Corolla hatchback with the same cvt as my vehicle. When I contacted Toyota (see screenshot), I was told I would be responsible for the repair because there's no recall associated with my vehicle VIN pertaining to cvt torque converter.

While driving and attemping to merge on highway heard a loud pop and bang sound from car car started rolling like vehicle was in neutral. This is a safety issue due to this involving the transmission and couldve caused an accident if vehicle was on highway. Warning lights such as the check engine light, traction, abs, and multiple other messages on dash.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Corolla 🔎.

Transmission slip, hard shifting, early or late shift. Automatic transmission.

This is an issue I have noticed with my car shortly after I bought it. The problem is that the car has a noticable delay in acceleration when accelerating from a complete stop. After doing some research online, I found that the cause was the car's cvt transmission, and that a delay in acceleration happens with other cars with cvt transmissions as well. This could be potentially dangerous especially when making right turns on a red light or when making unprotected lefts on a green, as the window of opportunity to go is sometimes short in those situations, and delaying for even a second could mean the difference between a collision or a safe turn (especially since there are some fast drivers that go much past the speed limit and will appear from behind a hill all of a sudden). What is especially problematic is that the car will rarely accelerate normally when I press the pedal, but I would say around 80-90% of the time, the car will have a delay about 1 second before it actually starts moving. To my knowledge, this problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I bought the car brand-new about half a year ago so it shouldn't have any problems. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone, and there were no warning lights or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I didn't really notice that this car had this problem when I first drove it home from the dealership because I was not used to so many other aspects of the car, but after I got more used to driving it, I realized that the delay in acceleration wasn't normal.

Engine coolant bypass valve.

Brand new car with 300 miles jerks and jolts leaving from a stop and hesitates going up hill. Feels like car has no power behind it. Forward collision also breaks randomly. Currently at dealership.

Engine coolant bypass valve failed at 42400 miles. The problem was identified and confirmed at a dealership. There was a warning message appearing on the dashboard stating that engine maintenance was required.

Transmission slips from 20-40 mph randomly.

Transmission failed at 106000 miles.

Transmission is in sport mode stopped at red light loud snapping sound and car lunged forward. Revs up with the transmission slipping with out forward movement acceleration after switching to drive mode it runs normally. Drove home didn't want to push my luck out on the road 38,683 miles on the vehicle.

We own a 2016 Toyota Corolla sport model. 4 door sedan. We first started to notice a loud sound that was seemingly coming from the front of the car. It was a whining, rattling sound. The car's mileage is 87k. We took it into the shop, we were first told that it sounded like a bearing going out in the wheel. Then we took it to a licensed Toyota dealership. The dealership then tells us that it is actually due to the transmission chain, and our transmission will need to be replaced for $8900!! so I begin to dig online, and find that our model is the same years of other Toyota models that Toyota has a known problem with. This is a major issue, and puts our safety at risk if the transmission just suddenly goes out. The Toyota dealership has confirmed that we have an issue, and are saying that the transmission must be replaced, effectively decommissioning our work commuter vehicle until we can get this sorted. It was diagnosed by a licensed Toyota technician, but it can be inspected by a insurance rep/mechanic upon request. There were no warnings, no lamps, no codes. We just heard the noise, which is seemingly getting worse and louder. Which appeared about 7/15/24. The car has had it's routine maintenance done per the manufacturers specifications. The fluids are routinely checked, and it is taken in to a Toyota dealership for it's servicing, with certified maintenance records. It was never noted on oil changes that this was an issue, or that the transmission fluid was ever an issue. We do not drive this car hard, we do not abuse it. It is our commuter. And now we are looking at having to replace the transmission for essentially the same cost as the car itself.

Premature failure of clutch components: throwout bearing, clutch slave cylinder (which doubles as master brake cylinder). This type of failure, particularly when vehicle is in motion, will prevent the ability to change gears, as well as potential for brake failure if loss of fluid is great enough. This is a clear and obvious road hazard and the failure occurs within or just outside of factory warranty period and Toyota corp has been unwilling to pay for repairs on this particular failure. This system will fail without warning and there's no indication as to when this part will fail.

Engine maintenance light came on after turning on air conditioner. Vehicle information: warning light came on at 56,800 miles on 2020 Toyota Corolla, no after market modifications to vehicle. I took vehicle to Toyota dealership for diagnostic testing. Conclusion: coolant bypass valve faulty causing leaks (this can cause overheating, stalling, increased emissions, and total engine failure and also allows coolant to leak into and damage surrounding engine components, including a vehicle's electrical system, the complaint relays). Fortunately, I purchased an extended warranty when I bought the vehicle new, which covered the repairs. The faulty coolant bypass valve was replaced at the Toyota dealership. Had I not purchased the extended warranty, I would of been out of pocket for said repairs.

My car had 55,930 miles on it. That day I was at home bout to go out & my car wouldn’t start. The dashboard display said “ignition on” but the engine wouldn’t start. • the dashboard display also said other things like— check engine, or drive start control malfunction/ brake override malfunction/ braking power low/ engine maintenance required. • the dashboard display persisted. • my car has been at a local repair shop since 8-6-24 & is still there. • my complaint is re the 2020 Toyota Corolla water valve coolant bypass valve. • the repair shop told me my car had a cracked water valve. I was also told that a harness connector in my car is burnt or singed & my transmission isnt working. • I asked the repair shop if the cracked leaking water valve in my car could have caused my car problems & I was told, no it could not have caused the car problems. • however contrary to that & per news I read— it was found that Toyota’s coolant bypass valve water valve, in 2020 Corollas, is defective, & that it can crack & leak & cause operational car malfunctions & damage to the car or to its coolant system or to other components including to electrical system or to water valve sensor or ecm or cause car failure or engine damage as well. • I am just a layperson but at times my car hood would feel hot, & smelled “hot”, but I thought it was just because I had been out driving around & everyday its usually always sunny & hot in my city. • I was also told by the repair shop that a technician has been running test after test on my car to find the problem & its been very difficult & that there’s been around 20 different diagnostic trouble codes that have accumulated over the course of testings on my car. But they don’t know what is wrong yet. A different mechanic said my car had electrical system related communication issues. I believe the defective Toyota water valve caused my car’s problems also rendering my car unsafe & inoperable. I don’t have room to write everything here.

At 55k miles for my 2020 Toyota Corolla, the engine maintenance required notification popped up on my screen and is not removable. Upon further verification numerous 2020-2021 Corollas have been having this issue at similar amounts of mileage. It is a faulty engine coolant bypass valve that needs to be replaced. If I were to take it in to a dealership, they would charge $500+ just as they have for many others when it should really be a recall. As of now I have not taken it to be inspected due to fear of steep labor costs. My safety is at risk because if this does not get replaced my engine will overheat causing total failure of the car, and as a 2020 model with such low mileage, this is ridiculous.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The contact noticed a failure with the transmission; however, there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was concerned that the vehicle might stall while driving. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was instructed to contact the nhsta hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

The bypass coolant valve has failed. Car displays message stating engine maintenance required but no other warning signs. Diagnostic test proved that it’s the bypass coolant valves. Upon further research this seems to be a frequent problem on the 2019 to 2022 Toyotas.

Engine coolant valve is broken. Part of power train as it cools circuits for the power train.

The clutch slave cylinder started leaking fluid. Luckily I noticed this issue before the level was too low. This is especially dangerous as this fluid is shared with the brake system so a loss of too much fluid could cause both a loss of clutch control and a loss of brakes. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the issue was found. This issue is also very commonly reported on forums about the 2019 Corolla hatchback with a manual transmission.

Unknown.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and decelerating, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure and a case was filed; however, the contact had not received any communication from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 27,000.